Have you ever had babka before? It is a rich and tender bread with swirls of chocolate running through and one of my favorite treats to eat and make. This white chocolate and Meyer lemon version is sunshine in bread form. The sweet ribbons of white chocolate running through are balanced out with bright and tart lemon zest and a little cardamon.
Babka is fairly easy to make, but can get a little messy during the forming process since you cut the bread to expose the filling. Do your best to form the twists, but if you get the general shape, it will still bake up with the pretty swirls we are going for.
You can also split the process between two days. The dough can be made and then placed in the fridge overnight or up to 24 hours to slowly rise. Remove it from the fridge and allow to come to room temperature and continue to rise until double, then proceed with the rest of the process. You can also do this during the second rise, placing formed loaves in the fridge overnight and allowing to come to room temperature and continue to rise until nearly double once ready to bake.
- For the dough:
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 cups flour (approximately)
- 2¼ teaspoons instant yeast
- 2 eggs + 1 egg yolk
- 1 cup whole milk, warm but not hot
- 6 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1 tablespoon Meyer lemon zest
- For the filling:
- 16 ounces white chocolate
- 1 tablespoon Meyer lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon cardamon
- For the glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice (approximately)
- Pinch of kosher salt
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add brown sugar, salt, 3.5 cups of flour, and yeast. Stir to combine. Add eggs and egg yolk, milk, butter, and lemon zest. Turn mixer to low until mixture is combined. Slowly add remaining (approximate) ½ cup of flour, a few tablespoons at a time, mixing on low speed until a dough is formed. It should be quite tacky and soft, but if it is too wet, add more flour until desired consistency. Increased speed to medium to medium high and mix for 5-6 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic.
- Remove dough from mixer and place in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm, draft-free spot. Allow to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Punch dough down, and divide in half. Melt white chocolate chips over a double boiler or in a small microwave safe bowl, heating in 15-30 second intervals, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. Stir in Meyer lemon zest and cardamon.
- Spray two 8x4 or 8.5x4.5 inch loaf pans with non stick cooking spray. On a lightly floured surface, roll out half the dough into a long rectangle about ¼ inch thick and about 8-9 inches along the short side of the rectangle. Spread half the white chocolate mixture over the top in an even layer, leaving a small ¼ inch border. Starting on the short side, roll up dough into a tight roll. Using a large sharp knife, cut the dough roll in half lengthwise. Turn the cut edges upward to two halves are next to each other with cut edges exposed on top. Twist the two halves together, pinching then tucking the end ends under the loaf. This process will be a bit slippery and messy from the white chocolate filling. Do the best to get an even twist, it will bake up nicely even if it looks a bit messy during the forming process. Place in prepared loaf pan, then repeat with other half of dough.
- Cover loaf pans with plastic wrap and place in a warm, draft-free spot. Allow to rise until nearly doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake babka for about 32-37 minutes, until top is golden and dough is cooked through. Remove from oven and let cool.
- In a small bowl, make the glaze by stirring together powdered sugar, lemon juice, and salt. Adjust sugar or lemon juice amount to get a nice glaze consistency. It should be pourable but still a little thick. Once babkas are mostly cooled (still slightly warm to the touch), remove from loaf pans and drizzle glaze over the top. Allow to cool completely and glaze to set, then slice and serve.
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