Lemon Blueberry Babka
A delightful twist on the classic Jewish sweet bread, filled with lemon-infused blueberry filling and shaped into a beautiful braid, perfect for breakfast or dessert.
Ingredients
Dough Ingredients
- 2/3 cup whole milk, warmed to about 110°F (43°C)
- 2 and 1/4 teaspoons Platinum Yeast from Red Star (1 standard packet)
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, sliced into 1 tablespoon-size pieces and softened to room temperature
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 and 3/4 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
Blueberry Filling Ingredients
- 1 and 1/4 cups fresh blueberries (do NOT use frozen)
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Crumble Topping Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons bread flour or all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons packed light or dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cubed
Icing Ingredients
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 and 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon whole milk, heavy cream, or half-and-half
Egg Wash
- 1 egg white beaten
Instructions
Preparation
- Start by whisking the warm milk, yeast, and 1 tablespoon of sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer. Cover it and let it sit for about 5 minutes until it gets foamy.
- Add the remaining sugar, butter, lemon zest, egg, vanilla, salt, and 1 cup of flour. Mix on low speed for 30 seconds, then scrape down the bowl.
- Add another cup of flour and mix on medium until combined. Then, slowly add 1/2 cup of flour until a soft, creamy dough forms. If it's too wet, add more flour, a tablespoon at a time.
- Knead the dough in the mixer on low speed for 6–8 minutes or by hand until it feels soft and slightly tacky.
- Grease a large bowl with nonstick spray or butter, place the dough inside, cover it, and let it rise in a warm place for about 3–4 hours until nearly double in size.
Make Blueberry Filling
- In a saucepan, combine blueberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Cook until the blueberries break down and the mixture thickens, about 10 minutes. Let it cool.
Assembly
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
- Once the dough has risen, punch it down. Roll it out into a 9×15-inch rectangle and spread the blueberry filling on top, leaving a 1/2-inch border.
- Roll up the dough into a log, fold it in half, twist it, and place it seam side down in the loaf pan. Cover loosely and let it rise again for 1–1.5 hours.
- Make the crumble by mixing brown sugar and flour, adding cold butter until it forms crumbles. Set aside.
- Brush the risen babka with egg white, poke holes in the top, sprinkle with crumble, and bake for about 50 minutes until golden brown.
- Allow the babka to cool in the pan for 30 minutes before icing with a mix of confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice, and milk.
Notes
Slice the Lemon Blueberry Babka with a serrated knife for clean edges. It’s delicious on its own, or serve with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream for an extra treat.