Margherita Pizza Babka

As I'm sure you all know by now, I grew up in Chicago, so deep dish pizza basically runs through my veins. I’ll defend its cheesy, saucy, fork-and-knife glory to anyone who dares question it. But I’ll also admit… sometimes it’s just a lot. Especially when it’s 90 degrees out and the idea of eating a slice thicker than a novel makes you want to take a nap.

Enter: Margherita Pizza Babka. Think all the best parts of a classic margherita pizza— tomatoes, melty mozzarella, and fresh basil—twisted up into a soft, golden, totally snackable bread. It’s light but still satisfying, summery (but really you can eat it in any season), and honestly? Kind of addictive.

Whether you're hosting a backyard hangout or just want something fun to bake, this babka’s got your back. It’s pizza, it’s bread, it’s basically a flavor party—no fork required.

Dough 

½ Cup milk, warmed

1 Tablespoon instant yeast

¼ Cup sugar

1 Egg

1 Egg yolk

½ Teaspoon kosher salt

2 Cups flour

1 Teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

¼ Cup Sun dried tomatoes, chopped roughly (not the ones that come in oil, the ones that come dry in a package!)

2 Tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

7 Tablespoons butter at room temperature

Filling

2 Cups shredded mozzarella cheese

½ Cup fresh basil, chopped

Whisk egg, egg yolk, sugar, garlic powder, black pepper, and salt in a large bowl until smooth and slightly pale in color. Whisk in warmed milk and yeast until combined.

Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix in the flour until almost fully mixed. Add in the sundried tomatoes and basil while adding butter about 1 tablespoon at a time (make sure it’s at room temperature!) and mix until incorporated. The dough should be smooth and slightly sticky.

Turn out the dough and knead for just a few minutes until very smooth. Transfer to a greased bowl and let rise for 1 ½ - 2 hours until doubled.

Once the dough is done proofing, place on a floured surface and roll into a large rectangle. The dough should be as thin as you can get it. This ensures the most swirls inside the bread.

 Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on top of the dough and sprinkle the basil on top of the cheese.

 Starting on the edge closest to you begin to tightly roll the dough away from you until you run out of dough and are left with a log of dough. Pinch the ends together to ensure no filling leaks out while baking.

Using a serrated knife, slice the log length wise and twist the two halves together to form a log.

Fold the log in half and twist together to form a thicker log, about half the length of the original.

Place the twisted babka in a loaf pan lined with parchment paper. Allow to rise for another half an hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Bake for 50-55 minutes.