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How to make Lemon Blueberry Babka

This is lemon blueberry babka complete with a rich and flaky lemon-hinted babka dough, homemade blueberry jam filling, and brown sugar crumbs on top. Lemon icing locks in all this delicious flavor. See the step-by-step recipe tutorial and video below.

And yes, it’s all completely worth the effort!

Start with the from-scratch yeast dough. This is a buttery rich dough and not only needs a few hours to rise, it also requires a strong, dependable yeast like Platinum Yeast from Red Star. The yeast has to work hard in this dough, and Platinum does the job. (Like usual!)

As the dough rises, make the blueberry filling on the stove. It’s best to use fresh blueberries, and you’ll cook them down with sugar and a touch of lemon juice.

To shape the babka, punch the dough down after it rises. Roll it out, spread the cooled blueberry filling on top, and then roll it up as if you were making cinnamon rolls. Bring the two ends together and then twist them into a figure 8-shape. Place in a greased loaf pan and allow to rise one more time.

Make the easy brown sugar crumbles during this time (or during the 1st rise) by combining brown sugar, flour, and cold butter. Mix until crumbs form.

Right before baking, brush the risen loaf with a beaten egg white, and then poke holes on top of the bread using a toothpick. This will help steam to escape so there aren’t any big gaps between the layers inside the bread.

Top with your brown sugar crumbs and bake.

Though it’s completely optional, a drizzle of lemon icing finishes off an already impressive, twisted bread. Just wait until you slice it and see those fruity swirls inside!

Lemon Blueberry Video Tutorial:

Lemon Blueberry Babka

A rich and flaky lemon-hinted babka dough, homemade blueberry jam filling, and brown sugar crumbs on top makes this Lemon-Blueberry Babka irresistible! The lemon icing locks in all this delicious flavor.

Yield 1 loaf

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Ingredients

Dough

2/3 cup (160g/ml) whole milk (warmed to about 110°F/43°C)
1 (0.25oz) package (7g) or 2 1/4 teaspoons Platinum Yeast
6 tablespoons (75g) granulated sugar, divided
5 tablespoons (71g) unsalted butter, sliced into 1 Tbsp-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 table salt
2 3/4 cups (358g) bread flour, plus more as needed (all-purpose flour can be substituted)

Blueberry Filling

1 1/4 cups (170-180g) fresh blueberries
6 tablespoons (75g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Crumble Topping

3 tablespoons (24g) bread flour (all-purpose flour can be substituted)
3 tablespoons (38g) packed light or dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed

Egg Wash

1 large egg white, beaten

Lemon Icing, optional

1 cup (120g) confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon whole milk (heavy cream or half-and-half can be substituted)

Instructions

Prepare the dough: Whisk the warm milk, yeast, and 1 Tablespoon of sugar together in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook or paddle attachment. Cover and allow to sit for 5 minutes, until foamy and frothy on top.
*If you don’t have a stand mixer, mix the dough by hand using a silicone spatula, wooden spoon or dough whisk.*
Add the remaining sugar, butter, lemon zest, egg, vanilla, salt, and 1 cup (130g) of bread flour. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula, then add another 1 cup (130g) of flour. Beat on medium speed until relatively incorporated (there may still be chunks of butter). Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula. Add 1/2 cup of flour and beat on medium speed until the dough begins to come together. As the mixer runs, add another 2–4 Tablespoons of flour (up to 2 and 3/4 cups total) depending on how wet the dough looks. Do not add more flour than you need.
Knead the dough: Keep the dough in the mixer (and switch to the dough hook if using the paddle) and beat on low speed until dough is soft and elastic, about 6–8 full minutes, or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface until dough is soft and elastic. If the dough becomes too sticky during the kneading process, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of flour at a time on the dough or on the work surface/in the bowl to make a soft, slightly tacky dough. Do not add more flour than you need because you do not want a dry dough.
1st rise: Lightly grease a large bowl with nonstick spray or butter. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides. Cover the bowl tightly and allow the dough to rise in a relatively warm environment until nearly double in size, about 3–4 hours. This dough is rich with fat, so it takes longer than other doughs to rise. Do not be alarmed if it takes longer.
While the dough is rising, make the blueberry filling: Combine blueberries, sugar, and lemon juice together in a small saucepan with tall sides over medium heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula, pressing the blueberries against the sides of the pan (stand back in case they splatter!). Once the blueberries are mostly smashed and the sugar has dissolved, stop stirring and allow to come to a boil. Boil, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is slightly reduced, about 10 minutes. (If you have a candy or instant-read thermometer, the mixture should reach about 215–220°F.) You should have about 1/2 cup (around 160g). Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. The filling will thicken as it cools. You can transfer it to a shallow heat-safe dish and place it in the refrigerator to cool down quicker. Set aside.
Grease a 9×15-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray or butter.
Shape the dough: When the dough is ready, punch it down to release the air. Flour a work surface, your hands, and a rolling pin. Roll the dough out to a 9×15-inch rectangle. *Note: Should it run over the sides of the dough, the blueberry filling can stain a work surface. If needed, transfer the rolled-out dough to a piece of parchment paper or silicone baking mat.* Gently spread the blueberry filling mixture on top, leaving a 1/2-inch border uncovered. Using floured hands, tightly roll up the dough to form a 15-inch-long log. Place the log on its seam. Fold in half, then twist it to form a figure 8. Pinch the ends together. Place in the prepared loaf pan.
2nd rise: Loosely cover the shaped babka. Allow to rise until it's puffy and nearly reaches the top of the loaf pan, at least 1–1.5 hours.
Make the crumble topping: Mix the brown sugar and flour together in a small bowl. Add the cold butter and, using a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingers, cut the butter into the brown sugar mixture until pea-size crumbles form. Refrigerate or freeze until ready to use.
Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
Brush the surface of the babka with the beaten egg white. Using a toothpick, poke 10–12 holes all over the top of the loaf. Sprinkle with crumble topping.
Bake: Bake for 50 minutes or until golden brown on top. Tent the pan with aluminum foil around the 30-minute mark. To ensure the bread is done at 50 minutes, give the warm bread a light tap. If it sounds hollow, it’s done. For a more accurate test, the bread is done when an instant-read thermometer reads the center of the loaf as 195°F (90°C).
Remove from the oven and allow bread to cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes before icing, slicing, and serving. A serrated knife is best for slicing.
Make the lemon icing, if using: In a medium bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together confectioners' sugar, lemon juice, and milk. Drizzle over the babka.
Cover leftover babka tightly and store at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Notes

Freezing Instructions: Baked babka (without icing) freezes wonderfully. Wrap the cooled loaf in plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw wrapped loaf overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature, then unwrap and warm to your liking. You can also freeze the dough. After punching down the dough in step 7, wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then punch the dough down again to release any air bubbles. Continue with the rest of step 7.
Make-Ahead Instructions: Prepare the dough through step 3. Place into a greased bowl (use nonstick spray to grease). Cover tightly and place in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Remove from the refrigerator and allow the dough to come to room temperature, then let it rise until doubled in size, about 3 hours. Continue with step 6. You can prepare the blueberry filling and crumble topping ahead of time as well. Let the filling cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Refrigerate or freeze the topping for up to 1 week.

Recipe by Sally’s Baking Addiction.

Sally McKenney is a professional food photographer, cookbook author, and baker. She has written, photographed, and published more than 1,000 from-scratch recipes and written three cookbooks. Her thorough step-by-step tutorials give millions of followers the knowledge and confidence to bake from scratch.