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Ingredients
    Dough
  • 2 ¾ cups plus 2 Tablespoons All-purpose flour

  • ¼ cup C&H® Granulated Sugar Easy Baking Tub
  • 1 ¼ teaspoon Fast rise yeast
  • 2 Large eggs, room temperature
  • ¼ cup plus 1 Tablespoon Milk, warmed to 110 °F
  • ½ teaspoon Salt
  • 5 TBSP Unsalted butter, room temperature

  • Strawberry Jam
  • 1 ½ cups Fresh strawberries, washed, dried, and quartered

  • ½ cup C&H® Granulated Sugar Easy Baking Tub
  • ½ Tablespoon Lemon Juice
  • 1 Tablespoon Water

  • Strawberry Filling
  • ¼ cup Unsalted butter, room temperature

  • ¼ cup C&H® Granulated Sugar Easy Baking Tub
  • 1/3 cup Ground freeze dried strawberries
  • Zest 1 large lemon

  • Sugar Glaze
  • 3 Tablespoons Water

  • 3 Tablespoons C&H® Granulated Sugar Easy Baking Tub

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Instructions
Prep Time: 3 hours 30 minutes / Cook Time: 50 minutes / Yields: 8 servings
Dough

Step 1

Using a stand mixer with a dough hook, mix flour, sugar, and yeast. In a microwave safe bowl, heat the milk for 15-20 seconds until 110°F. Set aside. In a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs together.

Step 2

Pour eggs, milk and salt into the dry ingredients. Mix on medium-low until a dry dough forms. It will be slightly crumbly. This will take 2-3 minutes.

Step 3

Add in 1 TBSP of butter at a time into the dough. Let it get fully incorporated before adding more. This takes 10 minutes total. Once butter, is fully incorporated, beat on medium for 10 minutes to knead the dough.

Step 4

5 minutes into kneading the dough, if the dough is too wet and is sticking to the bottom of the bowl, add in the extra flour. Add 1 TBSP at a time. The dough should be slightly tacky, but not stick to your fingers.

Step 5

Preheat oven to 200°F. Spray a large mixing bowl with non-stick spray. Once dough is done kneading, form into a ball using your hands and place in greased mixing bowl. Cover tight with cling wrap. Place bowl in oven, turn off the oven, and crack open the door. This will provide a warm place for dough to rise. Let it rise for 90 minutes.

Strawberry Jam

Step 1

While dough is rising, start the jam. Heat a saucepan over medium heat. Mix cut strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, and water. Heat on medium until the sugar is fully melted. Once melted, reduce heat to medium-low.

Step 2

Cook the jam for 15 minutes. It will start with a pink foam. As it cooks it will turn into a dark red foam. Halfway into cooking, use a potato masher or a wooden spoon to mash the strawberries slightly.

Step 3

Jam is done cooking when it coats the back of the spoon. Pour jam into a glass measuring cup. It should equal 1 cup. If there is more, then cook for a few minutes longer.

Step 4

Allow the jam to completely cool before using.

Strawberry Filling

Step 1

Using a mixer, mix the butter, sugar, ground freeze dried strawberries, and zest of 1 lemon. Mix on medium for 2 minutes until fully combined and fluffy.

Assembly

Step 1

When dough is double in size, place dough on a lightly floured surface. Flatten slightly with your hands. Sprinkle a small amount of flour on top of the dough and roll to a 10 1/2 X 12 ½ inch rectangle.

Step 2

Spread strawberry filling over the dough. Leave ½ inch around all the edges clean. Use your hands to spread the filling evenly.

Step 3

Spread ½ of the strawberry jam over the filling. Leave the ½ inch around the edges clean.

Step 4

Roll the dough long ways, to create a long log. Wrap it tight. Cut the dough in half the long way to create 2 half logs. Cut off the uneven ends. Make an X with the dough by placing 1 dough log on top of the other. Twist each half of the X tight together. Roll each half 2-3 times tightly.

Step 5

Spray a 9X5 loaf pan with baking non-stick spray. Place parchment paper along the bottom and two sides of the pan and spray again. Place the babka in the loaf pan.

Step 6

Cover with kitchen towel and let it rise for 30 minutes.

Step 7

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Once the dough is done rising for the second time, loosely cover with foil.

Step 8

Bake for 50-60 minutes. Around 50 minutes in, if the top is looking pale, take off the foil to brown the top. It should be golden brown on top. The babka is done baking when you look in between the layers and the bread is baked. If it appears raw still, bake for another 5 minutes and check again.

Step 9

Let it cool for 10 minutes in the pan before transferring to a cooling rack.

Sugar Glaze

Step 1

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the water and sugar. Stir until the sugar is completely melted.

Step 2

Use a pastry brush and brush the sugar glaze over the top of the babka. Serve slightly warm.

Chef's Tip
  1. If making the dough by hand: Use a rubber spatula to fold in the milk and eggs. Once it thickens, use your hands. Drop the butter in 1 TBSP at a time and use your fingers to incorporate the butter. Knead the dough on a floured surface for 15 minutes.
  2. The strawberry jam can be made ahead of time. Keep at room temperature and store in an airtight container. It is good up to 5 days.
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Recipe by

Stephanie Rutherford

@stephaniesweettreats

Stephanie is the founder of Stephanie's Sweet Treats, a decadent dessert food blog. This baking blog has the most decadent cakes, cookies, cupcakes and most importantly cheesecakes. These recipes are designed to have the most show stopping desserts with tips and tricks, so anyone can make them!