Blueberry Babka

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1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, yeast, salt, and sugar. Slowly add melted butter and warm milk to dry ingredients and stir to combine. Knead the ball of dough until smooth (approximately 10 minutes).
2. Gently coat a large bowl with a light amount of vegetable oil. You will need a bowl that’s at least twice the size of your ball of dough. Cover bowl with plastic wrap or a damp towel and allow dough to rise until doubled in size, around 1.5-2 hours. You can speed up this process by placing your dough in the oven with only the light turned on. While the dough is rising, start on the compote.
3. When the dough has finished rising, coat a large bowl with oil and scoop the dough inside. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
4. When the dough is ready, take it out of the refrigerator and roll it out onto a floured surface to 10-inches wide and 12-inches long. Spread a thin layer of the blueberry filling over the dough in an even layer, leaving 1/2 inch all around the edges.
5. Coat a 9×5 1 lb. loaf pan with oil and line the bottom and sides with parchment paper.
6. Roll the dough up into a log (like making cinnamon rolls). Gently cut the log lengthwise and lay one piece on the top of the other to form an X. Make sure the cut sides are facing up. Working on one side of the X, twist the two pieces together twice, still making sure the cut sides are facing up. Do the same to the other side of the X. You should be left with a twisted log with the blueberry layers facing up.
7. Carefully lift the log into your loaf pan. Don’t worry if it looks messy at this point since the loaf will rise and look good in the end. Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and leave to rise at room temperature for 1½ hours until almost doubled in size.
8. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the plastic wrap and bake on the middle rack for 40-45 minutes, until golden brown on top. If it starts to brown too quickly around 30-35 minutes, cover it with foil. To know when it is ready, insert a toothpick or a fork, and you should feel almost no resistance. Let the babka cool completely.

1. Combine blueberries, lemon juice, lemon zest, and sugar in a small saucepan and mix to combine. Cook over medium heat for 25-30 minutes, until mixture is reduced and bubbling. Stir occasionally to prevent the bottom from burning.
2. Once the compote mixture has thickened, scoop it into a heat-safe dish. Cover and chill.

1. In a medium bowl, combine all glaze ingredients until smooth and a glue-like consistency. Drizzle it on top of babka once completely cooled.