Guava Cream Cheese Babka Recipe
Soft and tender sweet sough filled with cream cheese and guava paste
Servings 2 9" loafs
Ingredients
Dough
- 4 1/4 Cups AP Flour (500 g/ 17.5 oz)
- 1/3 Cup Sugar (70 g /2.5 oz)
- 2.5 tsp Instant Yeast (8 g/ .25 oz)
- Dash Salt
- 1 Large Egg
- 2 Large Egg Yolks
- 3/4 Cup Whole milk, lukewarm (180ml)
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 7 Tablespoons Soften Butter (100g)
- 1 Large Beaten Egg, to coat the dough
Cream Cheese Filling
- 1 1/2 Box Cream cheese (340 g/ 12oz)
- 1/4 Cup Sugar (50 g/ 2 oz)
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 1 LB Guava Paste Placed ontop of the cream cheese filling
Simple Syrup (Optional)
- 1/2 Cup Water
- 1/2 Cup Sugar (100 g/ 3.5 oz)
Instructions
To Make The Dough
- Place the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt in a bowl of a standing mixer and use the paddle attachment to blend.
- Add the egg, egg yolk, vanilla and slowly drizzle the warm milk and mix until you have a shaggy mass.
- Replace the paddle attachment with the dough hook and mix for about three minutes until you have a dough ball.
- With the mixer on medium speed, add the butter one piece at a time and mix until the sides and bottom of the dough are clean and you have a smooth, stretchy, and soft dough.
- Cover with a kitchen towel or a plastic bag and place in a warm place to rest for about 2 hours or until double in size.
To Make the Cream Cheese Filling
- Place all the ingredients (excluding the guava paste) in bowl of a standing mixer, with the whisk attachment mix to combine.
Assemble and Bake
- Grease two 9"3 loaf pans. (you can use what ever pans you have available, but make sure the Babka will have space to rise during the second rest and baking)
- Place the dough on a clean and smooth surface, lightly floured. Divide dough into two even parts.
- With a rolling pin, roll each dough piece into a rectangle 12" wide and twice as long as the pan you are using.
- Spread cream cheese filling, leaving 1" empty space at the center of the dough and the edges.
- Cut the Guava paste into thin slices and place them on top of the cream cheese filling. The Guava does not need to be crowded, some gaps between the stripes are best.
- Roll the filled dough starting from the farther edge towards you and fold it in half in a way the ends meet.
- Twist the dough once or twice then place it in the pan, brush it with egg wash.
- Allow the braided Babkas to rest and rise for about 2 hours.
- Bake the Babkas at 350F (180C) for 45-50 minutes or until the temperature at the center of each loaf is 180F, and the top is dark golden and shiny.
- Take the Babkas out of the oven and brush with the simple syrup.
To Make the Simple Syrup
- Combine the water and sugar in a pan on top of a medium heat and let simmer for about 5 minutes.
Notes
Allow the dough to rise in a warm, draft-free location to achieve optimal results.
If you don't have guava jam or puree, you can easily substitute it with another fruit jam, like blueberry, cherry, or raspberry.
This Guava Cream cheese babka recipe can be baked in two 8 or 9-inch loaf pans, or a large tube or bundt pan.
The Babkas are best stored at room temperature for up to 4 days. To freeze, wrap with plastic wrap and place in a plastic bag, freeze for up to three months.