Cheese Babka is a Polish bread traditionally made for Easter. This loaf is filled with cream cheese and brightened with lemon zest.
As many of you know, one of my goals is to learn more about baking and cooking. Bread is one of those things that I wanted to learn more about. I love baking bread, but there are some very technical aspects to baking bread that I have yet to master. I was pretty excited to try this Cheese Babka.
With Easter, I wanted to find a bread that would work on my table. I went online and started investigating “holiday breads”. The recipe that I decided to make was called Cheese Babka and it said that it was a Polish bread traditionally made for Easter.
This recipe exceeded my expectations. It has a sweetened cream cheese filling flavored with lemon zest. The crumb was moist as was the crust. It’s baked in a bundt pan and is so pretty and stands tall when it’s popped from the pan.
I learned a few things when I made this bread. After you spread the filling over the dough, the recipe has you roll the bread into a log and then twist it into a rope.
I was a bit nervous doing this because I didn’t want all of my filling to squish out. I ended up twisting the bottom a bit tighter than the top.
The result was that I didn’t lose the filling but there was a gap where the filling met the dough at the end that was rolled loosely.
I made a few changes to the ingredients. The recipe calls for farmers cheese and I substituted cream cheese. It also called for dried lemon peel. I used fresh, and can’t imagine doing it any other way. I will definitely use this technique again. This bread is delicious!
Cheese Babka Bread Recipe
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 .25 ounce package active dry yeast
- 1/8 tsp white sugar
- 1/4 cup warm water 110 degrees F
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1/4 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup
milk
warmed - 3 eggs
- 4 cups all-purpose flour divided
Filling
- 1 1/2 cups farmers cheese or cream cheese
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp sour cream
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp dried lemon peel I used fresh
- 2 tbsp butter melted
Instructions
- In a small bowl sprinkle the yeast and a pinch of sugar over the warm water and stir to dissolve. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.
- Combine the butter, sugar, salt, vanilla, milk,eggs and 1 cup of flour and mix well. Add the yeast mixture and stir to combine. Gradually add remaining flour. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and kneed until smooth and elastic. Shape the dough into a round and place it in a large greased bowl, turning once to coat. Cover with a plastic dough and allow to rise at room temperature until doubled, approximately 1-1/2 hours.
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, combine the farmers’ cheese, sugar, sour cream, egg, vanilla extract and lemon peel. Beat together until smooth. Set aside. Lightly oil a bundt pan.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and pat into a 10-inch by 12-inch rectangle. Spread the 2 tablespoons over the surface of the dough and then the cheese over the butter. Roll the dough up like a jelly roll, starting from the long end; twist the dough 6 to 8 times to form a rope. Pinch the seams and ends closed and arrange the rope of dough in the greased pan. Cover loosely and let rise, 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake until deep golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes; invert onto a wire rack and remove the pan. Allow to cool for at least 2 hours before slicing.
Notes
Nutrition
TwelveLoaves is no longer active but the amazing recipes from our baking party are!
- Buttermilk Goat Cheese Biscuits from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Cheddar Chive Bread from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Cheddar Dill Twists from blackberry eating in late september
- Cheese Babka from Hostess At Heart
- Cheese Soda bread from Ma che ti sei mangiato
- Cream Cheese and Cherry Buns from girlichef
- Feta & Olive Swirls from The Bread She Bakes
- Pimento Cheese Straws from Kudos Kitchen By Renee
Kim says
Hi there! I have been making this recipe for a couple years now and my family loves it. I have a question though, because the dough is always so sticky and hard to work with for me. I always end up adding more flour than is called for. Is that okay or am I doing something wrong? Also the filling is always overflowing, it gets kind of messy so I don’t know what I’m doing wrong there either. Either way it always is delicious in the end but I just wish I knew if I was doing something wrong or if this is just to be expected. Thank you so much, like I said my husband’s family who are Polish, love it!
Julie Menghini says
Hi Kim! You aren’t doing anything wrong. This dough is very sticky. Your filling can seep out if you roll you dough tightly. That wouldn’t bother me. I didn’t roll mine very tightly and you can see that I ended up with a gap. I’m going to redo this one and experiment a bit. My new son-in-law is Polish! I’ll have to make this for him. Thank you for stopping by and your lovely comment!
FrugalHausfrau says
I thought your last bread looked great, but this one! My mouth is watering!
Julie is Hostess At Heart says
Thank you! It was a show stopper. Sometimes the oven god shines on Julie’s kitchen. 🙂
FrugalHausfrau says
lol! And modest, too! 🙂
kudoskitchen says
Your babka looks delicious and I love that you chose cream cheese and fresh lemon zest. I love the way you write too. Lovely post, lovely recipe.
Julie is Hostess At Heart says
I apologize for not responding earlier! Your message went to spam for some reason. I appreciate your commenting on the babka! It was delicious and so fun to put together.
Nancy says
Bravo to you, Julie, for your successful Babka! It looks picture perfect and I imagine it tasted fabulous. Love your substitution of cream cheese for the farmer’s cheese!
Julie is Hostess At Heart says
Thank you Nancy! I saw where someone else had done that and I also liked that idea. So happy to hear from you!
stephysweetbakes says
Julie bang up job on this and I just KNOW how amazing it was, I can smell it from here. We both share the love of breads and cakes, yummy lol
Julie is Hostess At Heart says
Thank you! It was fun and did turn out well.
stephysweetbakes says
It looks so awesome and fab
Julie is Hostess At Heart says
Thank you Stephy!
veronica gantley says
Beautiful Moist and delicious!
Julie is Hostess At Heart says
Thank you Veronica! What a great timed theme.
Traditionally Modern Food says
First time hearing about this, looks delish
Julie is Hostess At Heart says
Thank you!
indusinternationalkitchen says
Julie, this looks like one delicious bread! The cheese and the lemon peel would make it so flavorful too!
Julie is Hostess At Heart says
Thank you! It makes for a great soft texture.
Lili says
It’s great to finally see your cheese babka!! Looks delicious Julie!!! Look forward to making it with cheese and ham one day! 🙂
Julie is Hostess At Heart says
Thank you Lili!
Jhuls says
If I could just grab a slice. I am taking my tea right now and a slice of this would be perfect. This looks really simple and delicious, Julie. Have a great week. xx
Julie is Hostess At Heart says
Thank you Jhuls. It was simple and a joy to make.
Lily says
Looks delicious Julie! The texture looks like a cake to me:)
Julie is Hostess At Heart says
Thanks Lily. It has a soft moist crumb but more bread than cake.
Lily Lau says
This recipe looks beyond fabulous, Julie! Need to try it as soon as possible 😀
Julie is Hostess At Heart says
Thank you! If you do let me know what you think.
breakfastdramaqueen says
Oooh, that looks so good! Given this was your first attempt at making it, I can’t wait to see what you’ll be making by the end of the year!!
Julie is Hostess At Heart says
First for this recipe…I’ve been baking bread for a long time. I had fun doing this braid.
Loretta says
Wow Julie, you’ve become quite daring in the bread-making department. This Cheese Babka looks just gorgeous, and I’m sure with all those yummy ingredients, it went down a treat. How beautiful it looks! This was your first attempt? Bravo to you. Taking those challenges has got to make it pretty motivating for you and definitely more confident in bread baking eh? I still use your English Muffin Bread recipe all the time, it’s so quick and easy to whip up. I hope you are fairing well and that PT is doing it’s thing. I’ve missed this post of yours again, not sure how??
Julie is Hostess At Heart says
Thank you Loretta! This is my first attempt at this recipe and it was fun and I learned a few things. I do enjoy baking bread and there is still a lot to learn which is fun. I’m down to one crutch and moving quicker! I do love that English muffin bread recipe too. I’ts great for breakfast with a great texture.
thehungrymum says
sheer perfection! I heart cheese and I heart babkas – this is calling me 😉
Julie is Hostess At Heart says
Thank you so much for stopping by! I am a weakling when it comes to cheese too! 🙂
illcookyouwash says
That looks great, Julie! I’ve never had cheese babka before but I have plans to make at some point because I LOVE cheese and will try any and every cheese related thing lol.
Julie is Hostess At Heart says
Thank you! It is yummy and this filling made the bread creamy. I saw a chocolate babka that may have my name on it next. Cheese and chocolate…life is good.
charmbutterfly19 says
Bread with cheese in it! I’ll take it thank you very much for sharing! Looks yummy
Julie is Hostess At Heart says
Thank you! It is a match made in heaven for me too!
Ginger says
This looks amazing! I love the idea of a bread filled with cheese, so I’ll definitely bookmark this. Yummy!
Julie is Hostess At Heart says
Thank you! It makes for a nice soft texture.
chefjulianna says
Wow, I take my hat off to you, Julie! This looks amazing! I am also trying to learn a bit more about baking and breads, but then I have to find time to do that too! Congrats on your Babka and thanks so much for sharing this with us today at FF! 😀
Julie is Hostess At Heart says
Thank you Julianna! I really liked this bread. Thank you so much for helping host FF!
Sarah 'n Spice says
I’ve never make a Babka before, but I think I will now. This looks absolutely delicious!
Julie is Hostess At Heart says
Thank you Sarah! It was my first time with this recipe too and it was a lot of fun to put together.
Cecilia says
I started some years ago my own breadmaking adventure. And now I cannot imagine buying any bread anymore – except it’s an emergency. Babka is one of my favorites, the chocolate of course. Now I have your recipe that I want to try, it sounds so great! Thank you for sharing.
Julie is Hostess At Heart says
Thank you Cecilia! I agree with you on making your own. It just takes abit of planning. Chocolate anything is my favorite! Thanks for stopping!
Robin @ A Shaggy Dough Story says
Mmm, that looks so good. A babka with cream cheese and lemon? I’m so there. I’d say your first effort was a major win!
Julie is Hostess At Heart says
Thank you Robin! I had a great time and couldn’t believe all of the delicious submissions this month! I would like to try every single one of them.
pattisj says
Panera Bread has a babka from time to time. It is wonderful! Glad yours turned out for you!
Julie is Hostess At Heart says
They have some darned good bakery too. I used to get their cinnamon crunch bagels until I saw one was almost a full days calories. Yikes!
The Burlap Kitchen says
This look so delicious! I have yet to master bread making, as well. =)
Amanda says
What a beautiful bread!! Baking is something I’m trying to master as well, and I must say, bread is one that always makes me nervous. There’s just something about it that can be intimidating. You did GREAT! I love that #TwelveLoaves idea as well 😀
Julie is Hostess At Heart says
Thanks Amanda! It’s a fun group. I had a lot of fun making this. I do have my kitchen fears too ad these groups are good at pushing me out of the box.
apuginthekitchen says
Absolutely gorgeous Julie, love the cheese filling. The loaf looks delicious.
Julie is Hostess At Heart says
Thank you Suzanne! It was so tender and delicious.
Heather Schmitt-Gonzalez | girlichef.com says
It sounds like this bread belongs at the Easter table! I’d only ever heard of a chocolate babka before seeing yours, and now I’ll be obsessed with trying it until I do. I love that you made it in a bundt pan – so pretty. 🙂
Julie is Hostess At Heart says
Thanks Heather! I had a lot of fun making this and loved that it was in a bundt pan too. My 90 yr old mother in-law just gave me hers.
Chitra Jagadish says
This looks and sounds interesting. … can’t wait to give it a try. . 🙂 🙂
Julie is Hostess At Heart says
Thank you Chitra!
chef mimi says
That is beautiful! And the filling sounds amazing!
Julie is Hostess At Heart says
Thank you Mimi!
skd says
Ooo lala! Isn’t this gorgeous. it turned out so even without any cracks. looks super delicious 🙂
Julie is Hostess At Heart says
Lol! Thanks skd!
Selma's Table says
Julie, this looks amazing – and I absolutely love the combination of cream cheese and lemon zest! Gorgeous – would never think that it was your first go!!
Julie is Hostess At Heart says
Thank you Selma! It was fun to make, and I learned a few things for the next time.
lapetitepaniere says
It looks really tasty, Julie 🙂
Julie is Hostess At Heart says
Thank you!
Elaine @ foodbod says
That looks amazing!!! And that was your first attempt???
Julie is Hostess At Heart says
Yes thank you! It was so much fun too.
treats-and-travel says
How interesting! Will definitely give this a try! Thank you!
tentimestea says
Oh yum, this sounds delicious, and an interesting filling! It must make a wonderful breakfast 🙂
12 loaves sounds like an interesting event; I’m interested in forcing myself to bake bread more often so I may take a look!! 🙂
Julie is Hostess At Heart says
Thank you! It is a great group. Very easy going and you can choose whether you participate each month. #BreadBakers is another one that I am involved in.
tentimestea says
Thanks for letting me know! I’ll check out both of them 🙂
Giramuk's Kitchen says
This is awesome Julie! I love Babka of any kind and I need to try it with cheese now 🙂
Julie is Hostess At Heart says
Thank you Dini!
culinarycam says
This looks fantastic! I always had in my head that babka was a pastry. This looks amazing. Thanks for sharing.
Julie is Hostess At Heart says
Thank you! I saw a couple variations on Babka but they were always a slightly sweet bread. There is one stuffed with chocolate that probably made you think it was pastry?
simplyvegetarian777 says
This is just gorgeous Julie! I wish to join this party at sometime too. Sounds like so much fun. I can’t imagine the textures and flavors of it..:must have been awesome! Bookmarking it!
Julie is Hostess At Heart says
Thank you Sonal! The recipes that I have seen so far are great. Not what you see every week and a wide variety of methods.
simplyvegetarian777 says
I can see that
coconutcraze says
This looks very tempting. I would like to try it!
Julie is Hostess At Heart says
It was a lot easier than it looks, and it was yummy!
Karen @ Karen's Kitchen Stories says
Gorgeous in the bundt pan! Sounds delicious!
Julie is Hostess At Heart says
Thank you Karen! Appreciate your stopping by!
Nance says
Oh YUM! This is a must make for me now — thanks for sharing!
thatskinnychickcanbake says
Julie, your babka looks marvelous! I’d love this for Easter next year—but I may not be able to wait that long!
Julie is Hostess At Heart says
Thank you! It was pretty simple and yummy.
Celebrating Sunshine says
That looks great and I’m sure it was very tasty. Besides, it was perfect for Easter. 🙂
Julie is Hostess At Heart says
Thank you Ana! Hope you had a wonderful Easter.