Lemon Poppyseed Blueberry Babka is a mouthful. Did I mention that there is sourdough in it too? Yes all the good things in one beautiful loaf. Making a babka used to intimidate me, so I came up with this easy, fuss-free recipe that is delicious and so fun to make. It is also a great way to use up sourdough discard, and tastes like a cross between a pastry and bread. I combined two of my favorite flavors, lemon poppyseed and blueberry to create a Spring Babka to brighten up your day.
Look at those swirls of blueberry jam! Don't you want to slice yourself a piece? Dave loves it the next day toasted with some cream cheese, but I love it when its still warm from the oven.
LEMON POPPYSEED BLUEBERRY BABKA
(MAKES ONE 9 INCH LOAF)
INGREDIENTS
DOUGH
120 g sourdough starter, discard
360 g all purpose flour
1 stick unsalted butter, room temp
2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
24 g sugar
8g salt
2 eggs, room temp
150 g water, warm
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
FILLING
Bonne Maman Intense Blueberry Spread (or 1 cup of blueberry jam)
SYRUP
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
METHOD
For the dough, place all the ingredients in a bowl of a stand mixer and knead with the dough hook for 8-10 minutes. The dough will be smooth and pulling away from the bowl.
Place dough into a lightly oil mixing bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 1/2–2 hours, then chill for 30 minutes so you can roll it out.
Spray a 9 inch loaf pan and line with parchment with an overhang over the sides.
Roll out the dough onto a lightly floured surface into a a large rectangle approximately 12 x 9 inches. Spread the blueberry filling evenly over the dough with an offset spatula, leaving a half inch border along the sides of the dough. Starting at bottom edge roll up the dough like you would if making cinnamon rolls. Seal the edges and place seam side down.
Using a sharp knife, cut the dough in half and place the 2 pieces together side by side. Working from the middle out twist the 2 pieces around each other. Gently tuck the ends under.and place in the prepared loaf pan. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make the syrup by heating the sugar and juice until the sugar is dissolved.. Brush 1/3 of the syrup over the top of the babka and bake for 55-60 minutes until golden brown or a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle. Halfway through the baking time, rotate the pan and brush with more syrup. Remove the babka from the oven and brush with the remaining syrup. Cool in the pans for 15 minutes then remove to a cooling rack. Let cool completely before serving.
TIPS
Chilling the dough will help keep the jam in place when rolling it up. If it is warm in your kitchen you can chill the dough in the fridge for 15 minutes before slicing it in two.
Don't worry if it is messy, it will bake up nicely in the loaf pan and the parchment will help lift the bread out of the pan.
Try toasting it the next day and spreading ricotta or cream cheese over it.
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