Delicious Cheese Babka Recipe

Cheese Babka is a delectable sweet bread that is rich, flaky, and filled with a luscious cheese filling. It's made with a buttery dough that is twisted and layered with a creamy cheese filling before baking to golden perfection. This recipe will guide you through the process of making this delightful dessert, perfect for any occasion. Enjoy the heavenly aroma as it bakes and dive into its irresistible cheesy goodness.

Ingredients

• For the dough:
• - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• - 1 package active dry yeast
• - 1/2 teaspoon salt
• - 1/2 cup warm milk
• - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• - 2 large eggs
• For the cheese filling:
• - 1 cup cream cheese, softened
• - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• - 1 large egg yolk
• For the streusel topping:
• - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Mix well.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the warm milk, melted butter, and eggs.
3. Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients while mixing. Knead the dough until it becomes smooth and elastic.
4. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover it with a kitchen towel, and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
5. In the meantime, prepare the cheese filling. In a bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract, and egg yolk. Mix until well combined.
6. Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and divide it into two equal portions.
7. Roll out one portion of the dough into a rectangle shape on a floured surface.
8. Spread half of the cheese filling evenly over the rolled-out dough.
9. Starting from one of the longer edges, tightly roll the dough into a log shape.
10. Repeat steps 7-9 with the remaining dough and cheese filling.
11. Twist the two logs together, forming a braid-like shape. Place the twisted babka in a greased loaf pan.
12. In a small bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, butter, and ground cinnamon to make the streusel topping.
13. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the babka.
14. Cover the loaf pan with a kitchen towel and let the babka rise for another 30 minutes.
15. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
16. Bake the babka for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
17. Remove the babka from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
18. Slice and serve the Cheese Babka while it's still slightly warm. Enjoy!

Interesting Facts