🧀🍞 Polish Cheese Babka (Babka Serowa)

🧀🍞 Polish Cheese Babka (Babka Serowa)
Soft, lightly sweet yeast bread with creamy cheese filling — a classic Polish bakery treasure.

Ingredients

Dough

• 3½ cups all-purpose flour

• ½ cup sugar

• 2¼ tsp active dry yeast (1 packet)

• ½ tsp salt

• ¾ cup warm milk (110°F / 43°C)

• 2 eggs, room temperature

• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• Zest of 1 lemon (traditional but optional)

Cheese Filling

• 12 oz farmer’s cheese or ricotta

• ⅓ cup sugar

• 1 egg yolk

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 1 tbsp cornstarch or flour

• Optional: raisins or candied orange peel

Topping

• 1 egg (for egg wash)

• Powdered sugar glaze (½ cup powdered sugar + 1–2 tbsp milk)

Instructions

Make Dough

1. Dissolve yeast in warm milk with 1 tbsp sugar. Rest 10 minutes until foamy.

2. Mix flour, remaining sugar, salt.

3. Add yeast mixture, eggs, butter, vanilla, lemon zest.

4. Knead until soft and elastic (8–10 minutes).

5. Place in greased bowl, cover, rise 1–1½ hours until doubled.

Make Filling

Mix all filling ingredients until smooth and creamy.

Assemble

1. Roll dough into a rectangle.

2. Spread cheese filling evenly.

3. Roll tightly from long side into a log.

4. Place in greased loaf pan or form a ring in bundt pan.

5. Cover and rise 30–45 minutes.

Bake

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

2. Brush with egg wash.

3. Bake 35–40 minutes until golden.

Finish

Drizzle glaze after cooling.