Last updated on April 29th, 2025.
Strawberry babka is a sweet, pillowy swirled bread made of an enriched dough and filled with juicy strawberry preserves.
I’ve shared a lot of Babka recipes—there’s the classic Chocolate Babka (because, duh), the cozy Cinnamon Babka, and even a Candied Apple Babka. Each one is loaded with flavor, texture, and an unapologetic dose of my personality. So when strawberries basically launched a full-blown invasion at the local markets, what was I supposed to do? Not spiral a mountain of sweet, juicy, vibrant strawberry filling into my babka dough? Please. Restraint is for soufflés.
And if you’re wondering—yes, strawberries are juicy, and yes, juicy fillings are notoriously annoying in enriched doughs. But with a layer of sweet almond cream, the right bake time, and a prayer to the gluten gods, we make it work.
BTW, if you love sweet yeasted pastries, check out my Israeli Chocolate Rugelach and my Bakery Style Cinnamon Rolls.
Let’s Make It
Baking strawberry babka isn’t hard, but it’s all about timing and technique. For this recipe we are using my ultimate Babka Dough, and it is best to plan ahead, and allow the dough to rest and even chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
Tip: The chill time is optional but highly recommended because if you ever wondered how to get those perfect babka swirls, note that chilled dough helps with shaping and rolling.
Make the Dough
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour.
- Dry milk powder, It is optional, but it increases the Babka’s height.
- Instant yeast.
- Sugar.
- Warm milk. Whole milk is preferred.
- Large eggs. For the dough and the egg wash.
- Unsalted butter, at room temperature.
- Optional: add a tablespoon of lemon zest to the dough during mixing time for a zesty lemony flavor.
Which ever you have. Instant yeast can be mixed into the dry ingredients. If you are using active dry, or fresh yeast, increase by one teaspoon and bloom them in the lukewarm milk with one teaspoon sugar.
Steps
- In a bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, mix flour, sugar, dry milk powder, salt, eggs and yeast.
- With the mixer on low speed, pour in the milk into the dry ingredients and mix for about three minutes,
- Increase speed to medium and mix until you have a dough ball slightly dense.
- Add the butter, one piece at a time waiting for each piece in incorporated before adding the next.
- Mix on medium-high speed until the dough is smooth and cleans the sides and bottom of the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place for 60-90 minutes, until double in size.
It’s normal for this type of yeasted dough to be a bit sticky, do not add more flour. During the dough rise, the dough will absorb the access moisture. Also, it is very important be accurate when measuring the ingredients. I high recommend using a kitchen scale.
The Filling
For this delicious recipe you can use this Homemade strawberry Jam, (or store bought) only, but I like to spread a layer of one bowl almond cream for texture. Of course you can skip it, or replace the almonds with pistachios, walnuts, cream cheese, or even shredded coconut.
Filling Ingredients
- Strawberry preserves.
- For the almond cream: Almond flour, melted butter, flour, sugar, egg and almond extract.
Tip: Skip the extract if you want to mute the almond flavor while enjoying the extra layer of texture.
To make the Almond filling: mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl until fully incorporated.
Do not fill the dough with fresh strawberries, it will cause the dough to be soggy. Do use the fresh fruit to make a delicious homemade strawberry preserve.
Assemble and Bake
- Divide the dough into two equal parts and roll each part into a 12×16-inch rectangle over a lightly floured surface.
- Spread an even layer of the almond cream, then top with the strawberry preserves.
- Roll the dough starting from the long end into a spiral log.
- Fold the log in half so the ends will be next to each other.
- Twist the two sides of the log around each other.
- Gently lift the dough and place it in a greased loaf pan. Repeat with the second piece of dough.
- Use a pastry brush to brush the tops with the egg wash and place dough aside to rise for the second time.
- Bake until the top of the babaks are dark golden brown and the inner temperature reads 180-190F.
Under baking can cause the babka to collapse as it cools down. The best way to know is to use a thermometer: 190F (99C) means it’s done. If you don’t have one, insert a wooden skewer to the center of the babka, it should be easy to insert, and should come out clean of raw dough.
Tip: If the top browns too quickly, tent with foil halfway through baking.
Yields
This recipe makes 2 8, or 9-inch loaves (about 12 pieces), or one large tube pan like this Baklava Babka (about 18-24 slices depending on the size of each slice).
Tip: If you like your Babka layers to be thin and heavy on the filling, divide the dough into three parts.
Storing and Making Ahead
To store: Wrap cooled babka in plastic wrap or foil. Store at room temp up to 3 days. Toast slices to revive texture.
To freeze: Wrap tightly and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw overnight and reheat before serving.
To make ahead: You can make the dough, and refrigerate overnight. Bake it fresh the next morning. To freeze unbaked babka: place it in the pan and wrap the pan with plastic wrap and foil, when ready to bake, remove from the freezer, and allow the babka to reach room temperature and rise.
Strawberry Babka Recipe
Sweet yeasted dough filled with strawberry preserves and shaped into a swirled bread.
Ingredients
For The Babka Dough
- 4 Cups + 1 Tablespoon (490g) All-purpose flour
- 1/4 Cup (30g) Dry milk powder
- 1/3 Cup (70g) Granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 teaspoons (7g) Instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 2 Large Eggs at room temperature
- 1 Cup (240g) Lukewarm milk (90-100F)
- 7 Tablespoons (100g) Unsalted butter at room temperature cut into 1-inch pieces
For the filling
- 1 Cup Strawberry preserves
- 1 Cup (120g) Almond flour
- 1/2 Cup (100g) Granulated sugar
- 1/2 Cup (113g) Unsalted melted butter
- 1 Large Egg at room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon Flour
- 1 Teaspoon Almond extract
- 1 Large Egg for egg wash
Instructions
Make The Dough
-
In a bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, measure the flour, dry milk powder, yeast, salt, sugar and eggs.
-
Mix on low while drizzling the milk until you have a shaggy mass.
-
Replace the paddle attachment with the dough hook and mix on medium-low speed for another 1-2 minutes, until you have a rough, dough.
-
Increase the speed to medium then add the butter, one piece at a time waiting for each piece to be mostly incorporated before adding the next.
-
Once you added the last piece of the butter increase the speed to medium-high and mix until the dough cleans the bottom and sides of the bowl and you have an elastic, smooth dough.
-
Spray the top with oil, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set a side to rise in a warm spot for 90 minutes, or until double in size.
-
Chill the dough for about 30 minutes before shaping.
Make the filling
-
Place the almond flour, sugar, melted butter, egg, flour and almond extract in a large bowl and mix until smooth.
Shape and Bake
-
Grease two 8, or 9-inch loaf pans and line with parchment paper.
-
Divide the dough into two equal parts and roll each part over a clean lightly floured surface into a 12×16-inc rectangle.
-
Spread half of the almond cream on top of the dough.
-
Spread half of the strawberry preserves on top of the almond cream.
-
Roll the dough into a spiral starting from the long side.
-
Fold the log into a U so the ends are next to each other.
-
Twist the two sides of the log around each other 2-4 times.
-
Gently lift and place the pastry in the prepared pan. Repeat with the second piece of dough.
-
Brush the top of the pastries with the egg wash and set it a side to rise for the second time.
Bake
-
Bake at a 350F (180C) preheated oven for 35-40 minutes until the inner temperature is 180F-190F (82-87C).
-
Remove from the over and allow the Babkas to cool in the pans for about 45 minutes before inverting and serving.
Recipe Notes
- Store at room temperature covered with plastic wrap, or foil for up to five days. To freeze wrap tightly and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw overnight and reheat before serving.
- You can prepare the dough, let it rise, shape it, and then refrigerate it overnight. The next morning, simply bake it fresh.
To freeze unbaked babka, place it in the pan, then wrap the entire pan tightly with plastic wrap and foil. When you’re ready to bake, take it out of the freezer, let it come to room temperature, and allow it to rise before baking - This recipe yields 2 8, or 9-inch loaves, each makes for 12-14 slices depending on the size of the slices. Or, one large tube pan yields 18-24 slices.
- You can skip the almond cream layer and only use strawberry jam, or replace the almonds with any other nut you like.
