Ingredients
Scale
For the dough
- 3 cups (360 g) plain all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 packet (7 g) instant yeast
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup (120 ml) milk, warmed to lukewarm
- 60 g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
For the mascarpone filling
- 250 g mascarpone cheese
- 1 large egg yolk
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Zest of 1 lemon (optional, but lovely)
Instructions
- Make the enriched dough
- In a mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook), whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, and instant yeast. Add the eggs and the warm milk, and mix until the ingredients come together into a rough, shaggy mass.
Work the softened butter into the dough a little at a time — either by hand or with the mixer — until the dough becomes smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky. This should take about 8–10 minutes of kneading. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp towel and set it somewhere warm to rise until doubled in size, about 1½–2 hours.
- In a mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook), whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, and instant yeast. Add the eggs and the warm milk, and mix until the ingredients come together into a rough, shaggy mass.
- Prepare the mascarpone filling
- While the dough proofs, combine the mascarpone, egg yolk, sugar, vanilla, and lemon zest in a small bowl. Whisk until silky and uniform. Chill the filling in the fridge so it holds its shape when you spread it later.
- Shape and fill
- Punch the risen dough down gently and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll it into a rectangle roughly 10 × 14 inches (shape doesn’t need to be perfect). Leave a thin border around the edges and spread the chilled mascarpone mixture evenly across the dough. Roll the dough tightly from the long side into a log, sealing the seam as you go.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the log lengthwise down the center to expose the swirled filling. With the cut faces up, braid or twist the two halves together, keeping the cut sides visible so the filling shows through. Transfer the twisted loaf into a greased loaf pan, tucking the ends under if needed.
- Final rise and bake
- Cover the pan loosely and allow the shaped babka to rest and puff for 30–45 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F) while the loaf finishes its second rise. Bake the babka for 40–45 minutes, or until the crust is golden and a skewer inserted near the center comes out clean (no raw dough).
- If the top is browning too quickly, tent the loaf with foil for the last 10–15 minutes of baking.
- Cool and serve
- Let the babka sit in the pan for about 10 minutes, then remove it and cool on a wire rack. Once slightly cool, dust with powdered sugar if you like. Serve warm or at room temperature; slices reheat beautifully.