Some foods belong to a place.
Chicago, as we all know, has deep-dish pizza, Italian beef, and, of course, the Chicago hot dog-snug in a poppyseed bun and dressed with yellow mustard, neon relish, onions, tomato, a pickle spear, sport peppers, a shake of celery salt, and no ketchup! For me, nothing captures Chicago's energy more than biting into that hot dog at Wrigley Field. The crack of the bat, the roar of the crowd, and the tang of mustard on your tongue-it's the taste of summer, the taste of home.
Growing up, my best friend's family had season tickets to the Cubs. Every summer, my family would be able to use some of their tickets. One of my earliest memories is walking up the steps, into the bright sunshine, and seeing Wrigley Field for the first time. Every time I go back, I have that same feeling, that first view of the diamond after coming up the steps… I am home, in my happy place.
As a Jewish baker, I'm constantly thinking about how food holds identity and memory. I use my grandmother's recipes for all of our holiday meals, making sure to continue her traditions. However, I often think, what Jewish traditions am I contributing, the ones that my (eventual) children will carry on?
Babka, with its twisted layers and tasty fillings, is as iconic in Jewish baking as the hot dog is in Chicago street food. One day, it hit me: a hot dog already comes in a bun, so why not take that idea and turn it into a babka? Why not braid together the foods that define both my heritage and my hometown?
The Chicago hot dog babka was born from that spark. Instead of chocolate or cinnamon, I fold in all the flavors of the classic Chicago dog. Poppyseeds cover the top of the dough, a nod to the traditional bun. Large pieces of hot dog are layered inside, along with tangy mustard, pickles, celery salt, tomatoes, and onions. Twisted and baked, the loaf emerges golden and fragrant-both familiar and completely unexpected.
This isn't just a novelty bake; it's a story in every slice. For me, it's about standing in line at the concession stand before a game, about the way a hot dog wrapper sticks to your hand when the mustard drips, about childhood Shabbat tables and the smell of fresh bread cooling on the counter. It's about weaving together Chicago's flavors with Jewish baking traditions, not to replace either, but to celebrate both.
The Chicago Hot Dog Babka is my love letter to this city: playful, bold, and rooted in tradition. Just like Wrigley Field itself, where history and memory live side by side, this babka is about honoring the past while having fun in the present.
So, yes, a hot dog already comes in a bun. But, sometimes, the best way to honor the foods you love is to twist them into something unexpected. In my kitchen, that twist became a babka-Chicago-style.
For the dough
½ cup almond milk, warmed
2½ teaspoon instant yeast
1 egg
1 egg yolk
¼ cup sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups flour
7 tablespoons margarine at room temperature
For the filling
3 all beef hot dogs, cubed and cooked
2-3 dill pickles
1 tomato
4 tablespoons yellow mustard
1 white onion
1 teaspoon celery salt
For the topping
2 teaspoons poppyseeds
1. Whisk egg, egg yolk, sugar, and salt in a large bowl until smooth and slightly pale in color.
2. Whisk in warmed almond milk and yeast until combined.
3. Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix in the flour until almost fully mixed. Add margarine (make sure it's at room temperature!) and mix until incorporated. The dough should be smooth and slightly sticky.
4. Turn out the dough and knead for just a few minutes until very smooth. Transfer to a greased bowl and let rise for 1.5 to 2 hours until doubled.
5. While the dough is rising, chop the hot dogs into small cubes and fry in a pan until crispy. Chop all other vegetables (onion, tomato, and pickle).
6. Once the dough is done proofing, place on a floured surface and roll into a large rectangle. The dough should be as thin as you can get it. This ensures the most swirls inside the bread.
7. Once the dough is rolled out, spread the mustard over the dough. Sprinkle the chopped vegetables on top of the mustard and the hot dogs on top of the vegetables. Sprinkle the celery salt on top of the hot dogs and vegetables.
8. Starting on the edge closest to you begin to tightly roll the dough away from you until you run out of dough and are left with a log of dough. Pinch the ends together to ensure no filling leaks out while baking.
9. Fold in half and twist together to form a rope.
10. Place the twisted babka in a loaf pan lined with parchment paper. Allow to rise for another half an hour.
11. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Sprinkle poppyseeds over the top of the loaf.
12. Bake for 45-55 minutes.
Note: If the top begins to brown too quickly, you can cover with tin foil and continue baking.
Marissa Wojcik is the founder of the Jewish baking blog North Shore to South Bay (northshoretosouthbay.com), in which she shares her modern and updated versions of beloved Jewish classics. She is also the author of
Modern Jewish Breads
, available on Amazon.
