💡 Quick Snapshot
- •The Sweet Bread: Traditional Eastern European baked good featuring a soft, fluffy dough, fruity jam filling, and signature swirls.
- •Time Commitment: Requires a bit of patience with two rise times, followed by a quick bake in the oven.
- •How It’s Made: The Thermomix® kneads the dough, which is then rolled out, sliced lengthwise, and twisted into a gorgeous braid.
Today I’m sharing this heavenly Jam Babka—a delicious combination of fluffy yeast dough and sweet, fruity jam.
Not only is this braided sweet bread insanely delicious, but it’s also a total showstopper on any table.
Don’t let those intricate swirls intimidate you! With my simple guide, whipping up this sweet treat is an absolute breeze, and it’s guaranteed to wow everyone you share it with.
In my easy step-by-step recipe, I’ll show you just how quick and simple it is to whip up an absolutely delicious homemade Jam Babka in your Thermomix® with minimal effort!
What is Jam Babka?
Jam babka is a traditional Eastern European sweet yeast bread that’s famous for its beautiful, signature swirls.
This tasty treat combines a soft, pillowy yeast dough with a sweet fruit jam filling, giving every single bite a bright, irresistible burst of flavor.
It’s totally beginner-friendly and perfect for anyone looking for a simple yet stunning recipe to level up their weekend coffee break or brunch spread.
This Jam Babka is:
- A total crowd-pleaser and the ultimate treat for anyone with a sweet tooth.
- Delicious for breakfast, a sweet afternoon snack, or weekend brunch.
- A gorgeous, show-stopping centerpiece for your table.
- Super beginner-friendly and practically foolproof to make.
- Super versatile—you can easily customize it with your favorite jam.
- Perfect for gatherings or as a sweet homemade gift for friends and family.
My Best Tips for Making Jam Babka
Always use fresh yeast to make sure your dough gets a great rise and yields that signature light and airy babka texture!
Give your dough plenty of time to rise. Place it in a warm, draft-free spot and let it do its thing until it has completely doubled in size.
Babka dough should be a little sticky, but it should still pull away from your hands pretty easily. If it feels too wet, go ahead and mix in a light sprinkle of flour—just don’t overdo it, or your bread will end up tough instead of tender!
Make sure to spread the jam in a nice, even layer over the dough so you get that perfect bite of sweet jam and soft bread every single time.
Every oven runs a little differently, so baking times can vary slightly. Keep a close eye on your babka while it bakes, and tent it loosely with aluminum foil if the top starts browning too fast.
Let the babka cool down a bit before slicing. This gives the jam a chance to set up so you get nice, clean slices!
Storage and Shelf Life:
Yeast breads are definitely at their absolute best fresh out of the oven on day one, as the dough starts to dry out after a day or so.
That said, you can easily store jam babka covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Pro tip: Pop individual slices in the microwave for a few seconds before serving to get them warm, soft, and pillowy again!
Freezing Instructions:
If you only want to bake one babka at a time, you can freeze either the unrisen dough or the fully shaped and twisted loaf.
When you’re ready to bake, just let the frozen dough (or twisted loaf) thaw slowly at room temperature.
Once thawed, let it rise according to the recipe instructions, then bake as directed!
Frequently Asked Questions About Babka
Ingredients You’ll Need for Jam Babka
- 480 g all-purpose flour
- 20 g cornstarch
- 220 g milk
- 1 egg (medium)
- 80 g softened butter, cubed
- 1/2 cube fresh yeast (or 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast)
- 50 g sugar
- 1 tsp salt
For the filling:
About 3 tbsp jam of your choice (preferably on the thicker side)
Simple syrup (for glazing):
150 g sugar
100 g water
Note: You’ll find the exact measurements and step-by-step instructions down in the recipe card.
How to Make Jam Babka
Instructions:
First, crumble the fresh yeast into the mixing bowl along with the milk, sugar, and salt. Warm for 2 min / 37°C (100°F) / Speed 2.
Add the flour and cornstarch, then set to 8 min / Dough Kneading Mode. After the first 3 minutes, gradually add the egg and butter pieces through the lid opening while it finishes kneading.
Transfer the yeast dough to a bowl, cover, and let it rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour.
Pro Tip: Yeast dough is super sensitive to drafts, so keep it tucked away from open windows or cold breezes!
Meanwhile, prepare the simple syrup. Add the sugar and water to the cleaned mixing bowl and bring to a boil for 6 min / 100°C (212°F) / Speed 1. Pour the syrup into a small bowl and set aside.
Grease two loaf pans (about 4 x 9 inches / 10 x 23 cm) or line them with moistened, wrung-out parchment paper. If you’re using silicone loaf pans, you can skip greasing and lining altogether!
Once your dough has finished rising, cut it in half. Working with one piece at a time, roll it out on a silicone mat or a lightly floured surface into a rectangle roughly 12×16 inches (30 x 40 cm). Spread the jam evenly over the top, leaving a 1/2-inch to 1-inch border around all the edges.
Starting from the short side, roll the dough up tightly into a log and place it seam-side down.
Now it’s time to shape your babka! A classic babka is made with two twisted strands.
To do this, use a sharp knife to slice the log lengthwise down the middle, leaving one top end intact by about an inch. Lay both strands next to each other with the cut sides facing up to show off those gorgeous layers.
Next, twist the two dough strands around each other to form a spiral.
Pinch the ends tightly together to seal them.
Gently transfer the twisted loaves into your loaf pans, cover them up, and let them rise for another 1.5 hours.
Towards the end of the second rise, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
Bake both loaf pans side by side on a wire rack in the lower third of your oven for about 30 to 35 minutes, until the babkas are fully baked through and beautifully puffed up.
Keep a close eye on them while they bake. If the tops start getting a bit too dark, loosely tent them with aluminum foil about halfway through the baking time.
Remove the babkas from the oven and cover them with a clean kitchen towel.
After about 5 to 10 minutes, brush them generously with a portion of the simple syrup. (Seal up any leftover syrup and store it in the fridge—
it will keep for up to 6 weeks.
Bonus tip: besides soaking sweet breads and cake layers, this syrup is also fantastic for mixing up craft cocktails!)
Let the babkas cool down in their pans until they’re warm to the touch before turning them out onto a wire rack.
Enjoy!
Note: You can find the exact ingredient amounts and step-by-step instructions further down in the recipe card.
The listed prep and baking times are average estimates.
Happy baking!
If you loved this quick recipe for jam babka, you might also enjoy my recipe for a moist cherry butter cake 🙂
Enjoy,
Christoph
P.S. Never want to miss a recipe? Follow along on Pinterest or Instagram ❣
Did you try this recipe?
If you enjoyed it, I’d love for you to leave a comment and rate it 5 stars! 🙂
Jam-Filled Babka
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Zutaten
Ingredients for 2 small babkas:
- 480 g All-purpose flour
- 20 g Cornstarch
- 220 g Milk
- 1 Egg medium
- 80 g Softened butter cubed
- ½ cube Fresh yeast
- 50 g Sugar
- 1 tsp Salt
Filling:
- 3 tbsp Jam of choice thick, not too runny
- Simple syrup for brushing:
- 150 g Sugar
- 100 g Water
Zubereitung
- First, crumble the yeast into the mixing bowl along with the milk, sugar, and salt. Warm for 2 min / 37°C / Speed 2.
- Add the flour and cornstarch, then set to 8 min / Dough Kneading Mode. After the first 3 minutes, gradually add the egg and butter pieces through the lid opening, and let it finish kneading.
- Transfer the dough to a bowl and let it rise in a warm spot for 1 hour. Tip: Make sure to keep yeast dough away from cold drafts!
- In the meantime, prepare the simple syrup. Add the sugar and water to the cleaned mixing bowl and bring to a boil for 6 min / 100°C / Speed 1. Transfer the syrup to a jar or small container and set aside.
- Grease two loaf pans (approx. 4 x 9 inches / 10 x 23 cm) or line them with parchment paper (wringing it out first makes it so much easier to fit!). If using silicone loaf pans, no greasing or lining is necessary.
- Once risen, divide the dough in half. Working with one piece at a time on a silicone mat or lightly floured surface, roll it out into a rectangle about 12 x 16 inches (30 x 40 cm). Spread with jam, leaving a 1/2-inch (1-2 cm) border around the edges. Roll up tightly starting from the short end, and place seam-side down.
- Now it’s time to shape your babka! A traditional babka consists of two twisted strands.
- Using a sharp knife, slice the dough log lengthwise down the middle, leaving one top end intact. Flip both strands so the open, layered sides are facing up. Twist the two strands over each other in a simple spiral braid.
- Pinch the open ends firmly together to seal.
- Gently place the braided loaves into your prepared loaf pans, cover, and let them rise for another 1.5 hours.
- Towards the end of the second rise, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) conventional heat. Bake both loaf pans side-by-side on a rack in the lower third of the oven for about 30 to 35 minutes, until the babkas are fully baked and beautifully golden and puffy.
- Keep an eye on them while baking! Cover the babkas loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil halfway through so they don’t get too dark on top.
- Remove the babkas from the oven and cover them with a clean kitchen towel. After about 5 to 10 minutes, brush them with a generous coat of the simple syrup. (Seal and store any leftover syrup in the fridge for up to 6 weeks—it’s fabulous for soaking cake layers or shaking up cocktails!)
- Let the babkas cool in their pans until warm to the touch before carefully unmolding.
Jam-Filled Babka
Click stars to rate now
Zutaten
Ingredients for 2 small babkas:
- 480 g All-purpose flour
- 20 g Cornstarch
- 220 g Milk
- 1 Egg medium
- 80 g Softened butter cubed
- ½ cube Fresh yeast
- 50 g Sugar
- 1 tsp Salt
Filling:
- 3 tbsp Jam of choice thick, not too runny
- Simple syrup for brushing:
- 150 g Sugar
- 100 g Water
Zubereitung
- First, crumble the yeast into the mixing bowl along with the milk, sugar, and salt. Warm for 2 min / 37°C / Speed 2.
- Add the flour and cornstarch, then set to 8 min / Dough Kneading Mode. After the first 3 minutes, gradually add the egg and butter pieces through the lid opening, and let it finish kneading.
- Transfer the dough to a bowl and let it rise in a warm spot for 1 hour. Tip: Make sure to keep yeast dough away from cold drafts!
- In the meantime, prepare the simple syrup. Add the sugar and water to the cleaned mixing bowl and bring to a boil for 6 min / 100°C / Speed 1. Transfer the syrup to a jar or small container and set aside.
- Grease two loaf pans (approx. 4 x 9 inches / 10 x 23 cm) or line them with parchment paper (wringing it out first makes it so much easier to fit!). If using silicone loaf pans, no greasing or lining is necessary.
- Once risen, divide the dough in half. Working with one piece at a time on a silicone mat or lightly floured surface, roll it out into a rectangle about 12 x 16 inches (30 x 40 cm). Spread with jam, leaving a 1/2-inch (1-2 cm) border around the edges. Roll up tightly starting from the short end, and place seam-side down.
- Now it's time to shape your babka! A traditional babka consists of two twisted strands.
- Using a sharp knife, slice the dough log lengthwise down the middle, leaving one top end intact. Flip both strands so the open, layered sides are facing up. Twist the two strands over each other in a simple spiral braid.
- Pinch the open ends firmly together to seal.
- Gently place the braided loaves into your prepared loaf pans, cover, and let them rise for another 1.5 hours.
- Towards the end of the second rise, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) conventional heat. Bake both loaf pans side-by-side on a rack in the lower third of the oven for about 30 to 35 minutes, until the babkas are fully baked and beautifully golden and puffy.
- Keep an eye on them while baking! Cover the babkas loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil halfway through so they don't get too dark on top.
- Remove the babkas from the oven and cover them with a clean kitchen towel. After about 5 to 10 minutes, brush them with a generous coat of the simple syrup. (Seal and store any leftover syrup in the fridge for up to 6 weeks—it's fabulous for soaking cake layers or shaking up cocktails!)
- Let the babkas cool in their pans until warm to the touch before carefully unmolding.
