How To Make Cheese-Filled Easter Polish Bread (Babka)
Traditionally served for Easter, this Polish bread is filled with orange-infused cream cheese and topped with a buttery crumble baked until golden.
Serves:
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- ⅓cupwhite sugar,divided
- 2tbspwarm water,(110 degrees F)
- 3½tspactive dry yeast
- ⅔cupmilk
- 6tbspbutter,softened
- 2egg yolks,beaten
- ⅔tspsalt
- 3⅓cupsall purpose flour
For the Filling:
- 8ozcream cheese,(3 packages) softened
- 1cupwhite sugar
- 2egg yolks
- 1tbsporange liqueur,such as Grand Marnier®
- ½orange,zested
- 1tspvanilla extract
For the Crumb Topping:
- ½cupwhite sugar
- 6tbspall purpose flour
- ¼cupcold butter,cubed
- ½cupalmonds,thinly sliced
- 1egg white,beaten
Instructions
Dough:
-
Mix 1 teaspoon sugar, water, and yeast together in a small bowl. Let stand until yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam, about 5 minutes.
-
Heat milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until it begins to bubble. Pour into a large bowl.
-
Stir in 6 tablespoons butter until melted. Let mixture cool to 110 degrees F for about 5 minutes.
-
Mix remaining sugar, yeast mixture, egg yolks, and salt into the milk mixture. Add 3⅓ cups flour, then knead the dough until shiny and elastic.
-
Place dough in a greased bowl, turning to coat both sides. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise until doubled for 1 to 2 hours.
Filling:
-
Combine cream cheese, sugar, egg yolks, orange liqueur, orange zest, and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth.
Crumb Topping:
-
Mix ½ cup sugar and flour together in a bowl. Cut in ¼ cup cold butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives. Stir in almonds.
To Bake:
-
Grease two 9×5-inch loaf pans and line the bottom with parchment paper.
-
Punch down dough and divide in half. Roll 1 half into a rectangle ⅛-inch thick. Keep the other half covered.
-
Spread ½ of the cream cheese mixture over the dough. Fold in the short ends of the dough and roll up tightly like a jelly roll.
-
Transfer to a prepared loaf pan. Repeat with the remaining dough and cream cheese mixture.
-
Brush beat egg white over the loaves, then sprinkle the almond topping evenly on top.
-
Cover loaves with greased plastic wrap and let rise for about 1 hour until dough reaches above the rim of the pans.
-
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
-
Bake loaves in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 190 degrees F.
-
Cool in the pans for 5 minutes. Run a knife along the sides to loosen; let cool completely, about 30 minutes.
Nutrition
- Calories: 239.25kcal
- Fat: 10.58g
- Saturated Fat: 5.35g
- Trans Fat: 0.19g
- Monounsaturated Fat: 3.36g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.87g
- Carbohydrates: 32.27g
- Fiber: 1.12g
- Sugar: 16.61g
- Protein: 4.19g
- Cholesterol: 48.14mg
- Sodium: 106.55mg
- Calcium: 33.75mg
- Potassium: 81.46mg
- Iron: 1.13mg
- Vitamin A: 87.01µg
- Vitamin C: 1.45mg
Was this page helpful?
Have your own special recipe to share? Submit Your Recipe Today!