Take your taste buds on a journey with our delicious Savory Cheese Babka recipe that's perfect for any meal. Made with a soft and buttery dough and filled with a savory cheese and herb mixture, this babka is the perfect blend of comforting and delicious. Impress your guests with this show-stopping bread that's easy to make with our step-by-step instructions.
The trick with the cheese filling is milk and fresh minced garlic that means it remains creamy even after baking and thanks to all the herbs is full of savory flavors in our cheese babka recipe.
Why you'll love these
Delicious flavor combination
The soft and creamy Boursin alongside fresh herbs and minced garlic and topped with grated cheese makes this savory babka recipe for a flavor explosion in every bite. With a hint of herbs, this babka will satisfy your savory cravings and leave you wanting more.
Perfect for sharing
Whether you're hosting a brunch or bringing a dish to a potluck, my Savory Cheese Babka recipe is a crowd-pleaser. Its impressive braided design and mouth-watering aroma make it a centerpiece dish that everyone will want to try.
Simple yet impressive
The recipe may look complex, but it's actually quite easy to make with step-by-step instructions and photos to guide you along the way. You don't have to be an experienced baker to create a stunning Savory Cheese Babka that will have your friends and family asking for the recipe.
Dough is a great make ahead
The dough is perfect to make ahead and rises in the fridge overnight which means you can finish a batch of these first thing in the morning and have these ready for breakfast.
Ingredients and substitutions for Savory Cheese Babka
- Yeast: Yeast doesn’t just help give our babka that fluffy bread texture, it also help it rise to create a nice crumb.
- Milk: This helps give our loaf a soft crumb and the golden crust. You could substitute with water in equal measure if you prefer. The milk helps add extra moisture to the filling so that it doesn’t clump or become too dry during baking.
- Bread flour: Bread flour has a higher protein which helps to produce the gluten content which we need to give our babka that firm dough that is easier to shape.
- Egg: Adding moisture and binding the dough together, the egg helps act as a leavening agent as well as giving our rolls that nice light crumb thanks to the fat from the yolks.
- Butter: We add room temperature butter to our dough once the gluten has begun to form to help create a smooth and luscious dough. You could substitute with non dairy butter in equal measure, however, I have not tried this so cannot confirm the outcome.
- Boursin cheese: Creamy and herby this cheese is perfect thanks to the extra moisture meaning it will still be creamy once baked.
- Garlic and parsley: The savory elements in our filling gives the layers of savory that both compliment the cheese and give fresh depth.
See recipe card for quantities.
Variations
You can definitely change up the dish by changing the following:
Pesto - you could smear with roasted tomato pesto or basil and some goat’s cheese alongside butter in the filling for a different savory take.
Cinnamon - you could place butter, sugar and cinnamon into the filling in place of your savory filling.
Spices - instead of simply placing ground cinnamon into your filling you could add pumpkin spice or a dash of ground cardamom or allspice.
Storage
The Cheese Babka is best consumed within 24 hours of baking and should be kept covered in a container to keep the dough nice and fluffy and soft. It will stay great for up to 3 days, any longer and it is recommended to warm slightly to freshen up.
You could also freeze the baked bread covered for 1 month. It’s not best to freeze the babka pre baking.
Equipment needed to make this
Mixing bowl: You’ll need a large mixing bowl to prepare the dough and a small or medium bowl to combine the cheesy filling ingredients together.
Stand or hand mixer: A stand mixer is best due to the length of kneading time. Though a hand mixer will do the job if you use the lowest setting and work slowly so as not to overwork it. You can also make the dough by hand.
Rolling pin: A rolling pin will help you achieve a nice consistent dough, however, you could substitute a wine bottle for similar results.
Bench scraper: This isn’t necessary, however, will make shaping the nice even edges of your dough to give you a perfect rectangle shape.
Loaf tin: The loaf tin used here fits 1 kilo or 2 pounds.
Grater: To grate your fine cheese topping.
FAQ’s for the best Savory Cheese Babka
Do my ingredients need to be room temperature for my dough?
Yes, the eggs and butter need to be room temperature so that they mix better with the dough and room temp butter will incorporate better into your dough to create that smooth texture. The cheese and butter will also incorporate best at room temperature to create a smooth filling.
Can I make the dough by hand?
Yes you can, however, you will have to knead the dough for approximately 20 minutes to achieve the same results as a mixer. You can knead in the mixing bowl directly or if kneading on a work surface, you’ll have to make sure it is best done without any additional flour to ensure the butter is properly mixed throughout without drying out your dough.
Can I make the savory babka ahead?
Definitely. This is best the day it’s made, however, if kept covered in a container in a cool dark place (but not the fridge, as that will dry it out and firm it up), the bread will remain nice and fluffy even the following day.
More cheesy recipes
Pao de Queijo - Brazilian Cheese Bread
How to make Savory Cheese Babka:
Place the yeast and milk in a bowl and allow to dissolve for 3 minutes.
Once bubbling, add the flour and sugar and beat on low until the mixture resembles a shaggy mixture.
Add in the egg and combine on low until fully combined.
On a low setting with your mixer, add in 1 cube of butter or 2 (if your cubes are small, no more than 5 grams or ⅓ tablespoon of butter at a time); and incorporate until you cannot see any butter remnants in your dough.
Continue by adding another piece of butter and mixing until it is fully incorporated into your dough.
Beat for a further 5 minutes until the dough it looks slightly glossy and is pulling away at the sides of your bowl.
Lightly butter a bowl and place the dough therein, placing in the fridge to rise until doubled in size, approximately 1 hour.
Remove from the fridge, lift and allow the dough to fully deflate.
For the filling, combine the Boursin cheese, butter, milk, garlic and parsley. Set aside.
Roll your dough out to an equal rectangle and ¼ inch thickness, approximately 1 ½ inches longer then your loaf tin on either side.
Smear the cheese mixture over the dough leaving the ¼ inch edge without any filling.
Slowly and carefully roll your dough from the base of your wide rectangle into a tight scroll with the edge of the dough facing the work surface.
With a sharp knife, cut into the center of the scroll, dividing equally.
Lay the two pieces of dough right next to each other and fold one side of the dough over the other in the top third section.
Fold the other piece under and over the piece of dough, slowly twirling the two pieces firmly together and pressing the ends together and folding ½ inch underneath itself to really firmly hold the dough in place.
Lightly butter a loaf tin and carefully place the dough into the tin.
Allow to proof at room temperature for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 190ºC/375F.
Top with grated parmesan and bake for 35 minutes or until golden on top.
Remove and allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before inverting and place onto a cooling tray until it is cooled to room temperature.
Slice it up and serve.
Enjoy!
Savory Cheese Babka
- Prep Time: 2 hours 45 minutes (proofing time included)
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf (8 thick slices) 1x
- Category: Bread
Description
Pillowy soft dough with layers of soft cheese folded within for a layered savory bread that is perfect for either a side or a perfect dish to bring to a picnic.
Ingredients
Dough
4 grams / 1 teaspoon instant dry yeast
100 milliliters / ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon whole milk, lukewarm
280 grams / 2 cups bread flour
14 grams / 1 tablespoon superfine/caster sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
45 grams / 3 tablespoons butter, cubed and room temperature
Herb Filling
150 grams / 5.3 ounces Boursin garlic and herbs cheese
35 grams / 2 ½ tablespoons butter, room temperature
44 milliliters / 3 tablespoons milk
4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
Handful fresh parsley, finely chopped
25 grams / 4 ½ tablesoons parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
Dough
- Place the yeast and milk in a bowl and allow to dissolve for 3 minutes.
- Once bubbling, add the flour and sugar and beat on low until the mixture resembles a shaggy mixture.
- Add in the egg and combine on low until fully combined.
- On a low setting with your mixer, add in 1 cube of butter or 2 (if your cubes are small, no more than 5 grams or ⅓ tablespoon of butter at a time) and incorporate until you cannot see any butter remnants in your dough.
- Continue by adding another piece of butter and mixing until it is fully incorporated into your dough.
- Beat for a further 5 minutes until the dough it looks slightly glossy and is pulling away at the sides of your bowl.
- Lightly butter a bowl and place the dough therein, placing in the fridge to rise until doubled in size, approximately 1 hour.
- Remove from the fridge, lift and allow the dough to fully deflate.
Herb filling
- Combine the Boursin cheese, butter, milk, garlic and parsley. Set aside.
- Roll your dough out to an equal rectangle and ¼ inch thickness, approximately 1 ½ inches longer then your loaf tin on either side.
- Smear the cheese mixture over the dough leaving the ¼ inch edge without any filling.
- Slowly and carefully roll your dough from the base of your wide rectangle into a tight scroll with the edge of the dough facing the work surface.
- With a sharp knife, cut into the center of the scroll, dividing equally.
- Lay the two pieces of dough right next to each other and fold one side of the dough over the other in the top third section.
- Fold the other piece under and over the piece of dough, slowly twirling the two pieces firmly together and pressing the ends together and folding ½ inch underneath itself to really firmly hold the dough in place.
- Lightly butter a loaf tin and carefully place the dough into the tin.
- Allow to proof at room temperature for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 190ºC/375F.
- Top with grated parmesan and bake for 35 minutes or until golden on top.
- Remove and allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before inverting and place onto a cooling tray until it is cooled to room temperature.
- Slice it up and serve.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Recipe by Roamingtaste
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 thick slice
- Calories: 305 calories per slice
Keywords: picnic recipe, snack bread
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