Ever wish you could eat a whole babka? Enter the babka bun, a single-serving version of the twisted loaf we’ve all grown to love. Spiraled with aromatic seeds and butter and made with a wholesome proportion of spelt flour, these buns are a savory variation worthy of competing with your best dinner roll.
To make the dough, combine all the ingredients and mix until a cohesive, sticky dough forms. Let the dough rest, covered, for 10 minutes then knead it – by hand, mixer, or bread machine – until it becomes smooth, supple, and just slightly sticky (about 3 to 5 minutes in a stand mixer).
Form the dough into a ball, place it in a lightly greased bowl, and allow it to rise for 60 to 90 minutes, until puffy.
Transfer the dough to a lightly greased work surface, and roll or pat it into a 12” x 16” rectangle. Carefully (to avoid tearing the dough) spread 3 tablespoons (43g) of the butter evenly over the dough and sprinkle with the Artisan Bread Topping or seed blend.
Starting from a long side, roll the dough into a 24” log. The dough should stretch naturally to this length just from being rolled into a log, but you can help it along if necessary by rolling it between your hands and the work surface. Pinch the seam to seal.
With the log seam-side up, use a bench knife or chef’s knife to cut the log in half lengthwise along the seam to make two long, narrow pieces of dough. Turn the pieces so that the exposed filling side is up, then twist the two pieces into a braid (this may get a little messy; just do the best you can).
Cut the braid at 4” intervals so that you end up with six mini twists. Fold the twists in half, cut sides facing outward, and place them rounded/folded end up in the lightly-greased wells of a popover pan. Cover the buns loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap and allow to rise at room temperature for 60 to 90 minutes, until they crown 1/2” over the rim of the popover wells.
Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 400°F.
Melt the remaining tablespoon (14g) of butter and brush it atop the buns.
Bake the buns for 18 to 22 minutes, until golden brown.
Remove the buns from the oven, allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a rack to cool completely.
Store leftover buns well wrapped at room temperature for several days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat room-temperature buns in a low (300°F) oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or frozen buns for 10 to 15 minutes.
If you don’t have a popover pan, these buns can be baked in a standard muffin pan. They'll be wider and shorter, rising about 1 1/2” over the edge of each muffin cup, but they'll be equally delicious. For best results space the buns out in every other cup of the muffin pan so that they have room to expand without touching one another.
