Lemon Blueberry Babka

A summery take on a bakery-favorite bread, this lemon blueberry babka looks impressive but is completely doable in your home kitchen. A rich lemon-hinted dough is beautifully swirled with a homemade blueberry filling, and topped with buttery brown sugar crumbles. A drizzle of lemon icing is the perfect finishing touch!

Have you ever made homemade babka before? Babka is made from a rich, buttery dough. It originated in the early 1800s with the Jewish community. Leftover challah dough was filled with jam or cinnamon, rolled up, and baked in a loaf pan. The babka we see all over the place today is richer and sweeter than its ancestor, typically filled with chocolate or other fillings like pesto or almond paste.

• 2/3 cup (160g/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, 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 salt
• 2 and 3/4 (358g) bread flour or all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more as needed

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

• 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