Blueberry and Soft Cheese Babka

• strong white bread flour↗500g g

  plus extra for dusting

• instant dry yeast packet7g g
• golden caster sugar↗3½ tbsp tbsp
• dried blueberries↗50g g

  (optional)

• whole milk↗250ml ml
• eggs↗2

  beaten

• unsalted butter50g g

  cut into cubes and softened

• soft cheese↗275g g

  at room temperature

• sunflower oil↗

  for the bowl and tin

• honey↗1 tbsp tbsp
• blueberries↗350g g
• golden caster sugar↗225g g
• lemon↗1

  juiced

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   To make the dough, place the flour, yeast, 2 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp fine sea salt in the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook. Mix well. Add the dried blueberries if using, milk and most of the egg, leaving 1‑2 tbsp. Knead on medium speed for 8‑10 minutes until the dough becomes elastic and smooth. Add the butter cube by cube, until the streaks disappear, adding a new portion only after the previous one is fully incorporated. Add the 50 g soft cheese in the same way, mixing gradually until it fully melts. Continue kneading until the dough cleanly releases from the bowl. The whole process will take 8‑10 minutes, and the ready dough will be soft and sticky. Shape a ball and transfer it to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover and let rise in the refrigerator overnight (at least 12 hrs).

2. 2

   Meanwhile, if you are making jam, place the blueberries, sugar and lemon juice in a deep saucepan and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Cook 15‑20 minutes, stirring occasionally and crushing the blueberries with a spoon, until the mixture thickens and reduces. Set aside to cool completely. It will keep for a week in a sterilized jar in the refrigerator.

3. 3

   Grease a 27×14 cm (or 2 kg) loaf pan with oil and line it with parchment paper. Mix the remaining soft cheese with the rest of the sugar. Knead the jam well to soften it, adding 1 tsp hot water if it is too thick. Place the risen dough on a lightly floured work surface and roll it into an approximate rectangle 60 × 30 cm. Spread the remaining soft cheese, leaving a 1‑2 cm border. Then spoon the blueberry jam on top. Roll it tightly into a spiral from the long side, sealing the seam downwards. Cut the spiral in half lengthwise, obtaining two long parallel pieces. Carefully braid them together with the cut sides up, and place them in the loaf pan, gently tucking both ends. Cover. Let rise in a warm place for 30 mins‑1 hr, until the volume doubles.

4. 4

   Preheat the oven to 180 °C/160 °C fan/gas 4. Brush the babka with the remaining egg and bake for 30 minutes, until deeply golden. Lightly cover with foil, raise the temperature to 200 °C/180 °C fan/gas 5 and bake for another 30‑45 minutes, until the bottom sounds hollow when tapped. Brush with honey and cool in the pan for 30 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely. Slice for serving. Best eaten on the day of preparation, but will keep in an airtight container for two days.