Babka. Sweet, twisted, yeast bread. what’s not to love? It makes the perfect sweet breakfast or brunch treat, snack for afternoon tea, or even a delicious dessert. I do love a good multi-use recipe.
Babka is traditionally filled with cinnamon or chocolate,, but our beautiful weather has me dreaming of all things strawberry.
Strawberry Babka Bread
- Total Time: 7 hours 40 mins
Description
Babka. Sweet, twisted, yeast bread. what’s not to love? It makes the perfect sweet breakfast or brunch treat,…
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 2 tsp instant yeast
- 3 cups flour
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup warm milk (about 110 degrees)
- 3 eggs (divided)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup butter (at room temperature, cut into small pieces)
For the Strawberry Filling
- 1 lb strawberries
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
For the Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 -2 Tbsp whole milk
- 1/2 tsp clear vanilla extract
- dash salt
Instructions
- Make the strawberry filling: In a shallow dish, sprinkle strawberries with sugar, cover, and refrigerate for 2 hours.
- In a medium saucepan, add strawberries, lemon juice and heat to a simmer.
- Stir frequently until jam thickens and bubbles cover the surface (about 30 minutes).
- In a food processor, blend the jam until you have a puree-like consistency. Pour jam into a clean jar and let cool completely.
- Combine most of the strawberry jam you just made — reserving a few tablespoons for brushing the baked loaf — with the cinnamon, if using, and the cornstarch.
- Cook over medium heat util thick (about 5 minutes) cool and then refrigerate at least 30 minutes
- In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the yeast, flour, sugar, and salt
- Add the milk, 2 of the eggs, and vanilla, and mix on low using the dough hook attachment until the dough starts to come together. if the dough is too dry, add 1-2 Tbsp more milk
- Add butter 1 piece at a time, making sure the butter is fully incorporated before adding more
- knead on medium speed until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl; dough should be smooth and elastic
- Place dough in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled (this could take 1 1/2 – 2 hours)
- Once the dough has risen, roll to a rectangle 12 inches by 16 inches
- Whisk the remaining egg with 1 Tbsp water and brush the edges of the dough
- Spread strawberry filling over the dough, leaving a 1 inch border
- Beginning with a short end of the rectangle, roll dough, making sure to press the edges
- Cut dough in half, lengthwise, and twist pieces around each other
- Place babka cut side up in a loaf pan lined with parchment paper
- Cover and let rise until doubled again – about 1 hour
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Bake for 30 minutes, cover with foil, and bake an additional 30 minutes
- Brush the hot loaf with strawberry preserves
- Cool in pan 15 minutes, remove and complete cooling on a rack
- To make the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt
- Drizzle glaze over cooled loaf
Notes
make sure loaf is completely cool before slicing
- Prep Time: 40 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Baking
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Polish
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use frozen strawberries instead of fresh for the filling?
Frozen strawberries work fine here since they get cooked down into a jam anyway — just thaw them first and let the extra liquid drain off, or simmer the mixture a few minutes longer than you would with fresh berries to cook off the extra water before pureeing it.
What type of yeast should I use for the Strawberry Babka Bread?
Active dry yeast or instant yeast can both be used; just follow the instructions on the package for activation if using active dry yeast.
How do I incorporate the strawberry filling into the dough?
After rolling out the dough, spread the strawberry filling evenly before rolling it up tightly and twisting it to create the signature babka shape.
Help! The link for the strawberry filling recipe is broken!
Thank you for pointing that out – the recipe has been updated to include the preserves.
Your link for the strawberry sauce doesn’t work
Thank you for pointing that out – the recipe has been updated to include the preserves.
I love how the bread is twisted and all the glaze and icing on top; it looks divine!