Babka Recipe
Ingredients
| Warm water | 1 Cup (16 tbs) | |
| Active dry yeast package | 2 | |
| Granulated Sugar | 1/2 Cup (16 tbs) | |
| Salt | 1 Teaspoon | |
| Egg yolks | 6 | |
| All-purpose flour - 4 1/2 cups sifted | ||
| Butter/Margarine | 1/2 Cup (16 tbs) | |
| Seedless raisins - 1 cup light or dark | ||
| Candied lemon or orange peel - 1/2 cup finely chopped | ||
| Lemon peel | 1 Tablespoon, grated | |
| Walnuts | 1/2 Cup (16 tbs), finely chopped | |
| Butter/Margarine | 1 Tablespoon, melted | |
| GLAZE | ||
| Confectioner’s sugar | 2 Cup (16 tbs), sifted | |
| Golden rum- 1 tablespoon | ||
| Light cream | 2 1/2 Tablespoon | |
| Colored sugar crystals | ||
Directions
GETTING READY
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Lightly grease a 9-by-4-inch tube pan
3. Prepare the glaze by combining the confectioner-€™s sugar, rum and cream in a small bowl.
MAKING
4. Sprinkle the yeast on to a large bowl filled with warm water and set aside to rise.
5. Add the granulated sugar, salt, egg yolks, and 2 cups of flour to the yeast mixture and beat with a portable electric mixer at high speed till smooth. This will take 4 minutes
6. Add ½ cup butter to the liquid and mix well again
7. Gradually beat in the rest of the flour and mix well with a rubber spatula as the dough will start to come together.
8. Turn this dough out on to a lightly floured surface. Cover with a bowl and let this stand for 10 minutes. Knead the dough after 10 minutes till it is no longer sticky. This will take 10 minutes
9. Place the dough in a large greased bowl and then turn it greased side up. Cover with towel and then let it rise in a warm place free from drafts until it doubles in size. This will take 1-1/2 hours
10. Punch the dough and add the raisins, peels and walnuts and mix well by hand.
11. Turn out the dough onto a floured pastry cloth and shape into a round smooth ball. Use your finger to poke a 1-inch hole in center of dough and place in the baking pan.
12. Brush the top with melted butter, cover with a towel and let it rise again till it has doubled in size and spread out over the top of the pan. This will take 1-1/2 hours. Pop it into a hot oven and bake for 40-45 minutes till done. Remove from the oven and set it on a wire rack for 5 minutes to cool. This cake freezes well if it is wrapped with foil and frozen.
13. Just before serving, remove from the freezer and pop into a hot 400F oven.
SERVING
14. Serve hot covered with the glaze. Sprinkle on colored sugar if required
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Lightly grease a 9-by-4-inch tube pan
3. Prepare the glaze by combining the confectioner-€™s sugar, rum and cream in a small bowl.
MAKING
4. Sprinkle the yeast on to a large bowl filled with warm water and set aside to rise.
5. Add the granulated sugar, salt, egg yolks, and 2 cups of flour to the yeast mixture and beat with a portable electric mixer at high speed till smooth. This will take 4 minutes
6. Add ½ cup butter to the liquid and mix well again
7. Gradually beat in the rest of the flour and mix well with a rubber spatula as the dough will start to come together.
8. Turn this dough out on to a lightly floured surface. Cover with a bowl and let this stand for 10 minutes. Knead the dough after 10 minutes till it is no longer sticky. This will take 10 minutes
9. Place the dough in a large greased bowl and then turn it greased side up. Cover with towel and then let it rise in a warm place free from drafts until it doubles in size. This will take 1-1/2 hours
10. Punch the dough and add the raisins, peels and walnuts and mix well by hand.
11. Turn out the dough onto a floured pastry cloth and shape into a round smooth ball. Use your finger to poke a 1-inch hole in center of dough and place in the baking pan.
12. Brush the top with melted butter, cover with a towel and let it rise again till it has doubled in size and spread out over the top of the pan. This will take 1-1/2 hours. Pop it into a hot oven and bake for 40-45 minutes till done. Remove from the oven and set it on a wire rack for 5 minutes to cool. This cake freezes well if it is wrapped with foil and frozen.
13. Just before serving, remove from the freezer and pop into a hot 400F oven.
SERVING
14. Serve hot covered with the glaze. Sprinkle on colored sugar if required
Chef
