Cheese-Filled Easter Polish Bread (Babka) recipe

All Recipes Best Recipe Breakfast and Brunch Recipes Breakfast Bread Recipes

Ingredients

⅓ cup white sugar, divided
2 tablespoons warm water (110 degrees F (43 degrees C))
3 ⅓ teaspoons active dry yeast
⅔ cup milk
6 tablespoons butter, softened
2 egg yolks, beaten
⅔ teaspoon salt
3 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup white sugar
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon orange liqueur (such as Grand Marnier®)
½ orange, zested
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup white sugar
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ cup cold butter, cubed
½ cup thinly sliced almonds
1 egg white, beaten

Nutrition Info

298.2 calories
carbohydrate: 32.1 g
cholesterol: 78.2 mg
fat: 16.6 g
fiber: 0.9 g
protein: 5.6 g
saturatedFat: 9.6 g
servingSize: -
sodium: 188.7 mg
sugar: 16.1 g
transFat: : -
unsaturatedFat: : -

Directions

  1. 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.

  2. 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 (43 degrees C), about 5 minutes.

  3. Mix remaining sugar, yeast mixture, 2 egg yolks, and salt into the milk mixture. Add 3 1/3 cups flour, knead dough until shiny and elastic.

  4. Place dough in a greased bowl, turning to coat both sides. Cover with greased plastic wrap, let rise until doubled, 1 to 2 hours.

  5. Combine cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, 2 egg yolks, orange liqueur, orange zest, and 1 vanilla extract in a large bowl, beat with an electric mixer until smooth.

  6. Mix 1/2 cup sugar and 6 tablespoons flour together in a bowl. Cut in 1/4 cup cold butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives. Stir in almonds.

  7. Grease two 9x5-inch loaf pans and line the bottom with parchment paper.

  8. Punch down dough and divide in half. Roll 1 half into a rectangle 1/8-inch thick, keep the other half covered. Spread 1/2 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 remaining dough and cream cheese mixture.

  9. Brush beaten egg white over the loaves, sprinkle almond topping evenly on top. Cover loaves with greased plastic wrap and let rise until dough reaches above the rim of the pans, about 1 hour.

  10. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

  11. Bake loaves in the preheated oven until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 190 degrees F (88 degrees C), 40 to 50 minutes. Cool in the pans for 5 minutes. Run a knife along the sides to loosen, let cool completely, about 30 minutes.

Recipe Yield

2 loaves

Recipe Note

This is a delicious sweet bread with a swirl of orange and vanilla-flavored cheese. It is easy to make and too easy to eat. We will enjoy it this Easter and I hope you enjoy it too! Eat one loaf for Easter and freeze the other for later.

Do you like the recipe? Share this tasty recipe!