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Lemon Blueberry Babka Recipe

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★★★★★

4.5 from 69 reviews

This Lemon Blueberry Babka is a stunningly beautiful and delicious braided bread that balances the tartness of fresh blueberries and bright lemon zest with a soft, buttery dough. Enriched with vanilla and a touch of sweetness, the babka features a luscious homemade blueberry filling and a buttery crumble topping, baked to a golden perfection and finished with a tangy lemon glaze. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a sweet snack, this babka delivers the perfect blend of fruity freshness and tender richness in every bite.

Ingredients

Scale

Dough Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup (160 ml) whole milk, warmed to about 110°F (43°C)
  • 2 and 1/4 teaspoons (7g) Platinum Yeast from Red Star (1 standard packet)
  • 6 Tablespoons (75g) granulated sugar, divided
  • 5 Tablespoons (71g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 and 3/4 cups (358g) bread flour or all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more as needed

Blueberry Filling

  • 1 and 1/4 cups (170–180g) fresh blueberries (do NOT use frozen)
  • 6 Tablespoons (75g) granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 3 Tablespoons (24g) bread flour or all-purpose flour

Crumble Topping

  • 3 Tablespoons (38g) packed light or dark brown sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed

Finishing Ingredients

  • 1 egg white, beaten
  • 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 Tablespoon whole milk, heavy cream, or half-and-half

Instructions

  1. Prepare the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook or paddle attachment, whisk together the warm milk, yeast, and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes until it becomes foamy and frothy.
  2. Mix dough ingredients: Add the remaining sugar, softened butter, lemon zest, egg, vanilla, salt, and 1 cup (130g) of flour to the yeast mixture. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, scrape down the bowl, then add 1 more cup of flour. Beat on medium speed until relatively incorporated, scrape down again, then add 1/2 cup of flour and beat until the dough begins to come together. Add 2-4 more tablespoons of flour as needed to achieve a soft and creamy consistency, not adding more than 2 and 3/4 cups total.
  3. Knead the dough: Switch to the dough hook and knead on low speed for 6-8 minutes. If kneading by hand, do so on a lightly floured surface for 6-8 minutes. Add flour only as needed to prevent excessive stickiness. The dough should remain soft but spring back slowly when poked.
  4. First rise: Lightly grease a large bowl, place the dough inside, coating all sides, cover tightly, and allow it to rise in a warm spot until nearly doubled in size, about 3-4 hours.
  5. Make blueberry filling: In a small saucepan, combine blueberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly and pressing the berries against the pan until mostly smashed and sugar dissolves. Then boil without stirring until slightly reduced and thickened, about 10 minutes. Cool completely.
  6. Prepare loaf pan: Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray or butter.
  7. Shape the dough: Punch down the risen dough. On a floured surface, roll out the dough to a 9×15-inch rectangle. Spread blueberry filling on top, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Roll tightly into a 15-inch log, place seam side down, fold in half, twist to form a figure 8, pinch ends, and place in the loaf pan.
  8. Second rise: Loosely cover the babka and let rise until puffy and nearly reaching the top of the pan, about 1 to 1.5 hours.
  9. Make crumble topping: Mix brown sugar and flour, then cut in cold butter until pea-sized crumbs form. Refrigerate until use.
  10. Preheat oven: Preheat to 350°F (177°C).
  11. Prepare for baking: Brush the babka surface with beaten egg white. Poke 10-12 holes all over the top with a toothpick to prevent air bubbles. Sprinkle crumble topping evenly.
  12. Bake: Bake for 50 minutes, tenting with foil after 30 minutes to prevent excessive browning. Bread is done when it sounds hollow when tapped or reaches an internal temperature of 195°F (90°C).
  13. Cool: Remove from oven and cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes before icing, slicing, and serving. Use a serrated knife for best results.
  14. Make lemon icing: Whisk together confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice, and milk or cream until smooth. Drizzle over cooled babka.
  15. Storage: Cover leftovers tightly. Store at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to 1 week.

Notes

  • Use fresh blueberries only; frozen berries may release too much moisture and alter the filling texture.
  • The dough is quite soft and rich, so handle gently and avoid adding too much flour.
  • If the dough takes up to 4 hours to rise, that is normal for an enriched dough like this.
  • To speed cooling of the blueberry filling, transfer it to a shallow dish and refrigerate.
  • Loosely tenting the babka with foil halfway through baking prevents the crumb topping and bread from burning.
  • Use a serrated bread knife for cleaner slices.
  • Warm the milk to about 110°F (43°C) to activate yeast properly without killing it.
  • The figure 8 shape creates the classic babka swirl for a beautiful presentation.
  • The lemon glaze adds a bright finishing touch but is optional.

Keywords: lemon blueberry babka, blueberry babka, braided bread, homemade babka, lemon bread, blueberry bread, breakfast bread, sweet yeast bread

Find it online: https://kitchenbyclara.com/lemon-blueberry-babka-recipe/