Polish Babka Recipe
Ingredients
| Milk | 1 Cup (16 tbs), scalded | |
| Sugar | 1/2 Cup (16 tbs) | |
| Salt | 2 Teaspoon | |
| Butter/Margarine | 1/2 Cup (16 tbs) | |
| 2 packages active dry yeast or 2 cakes compressed yeast | ||
| Lukewarm water | 1/2 Cup (16 tbs) | |
| Eggs | 4 , Well beaten | |
| All purpose flour | 6 1/2 Cup (16 tbs) | |
| 1 tablespoon each of grated orange and lemon rind | ||
| Blanched almonds | 1/2 Cup (16 tbs) | |
| 1 cup raisins or dried currants | ||
| Vanilla extract | 1 Teaspoon | |
| Almond extract | 1/2 Teaspoon | |
| Orange Glaze | ||
Directions
Scald milk and pour into large mixer bowl with sugar, salt, and butter; cool to lukewarm.
Sprinkle dry yeast or crumble cake yeast into warm water.
Use very warm water (105° to 115°F.) for dry yeast; use lukewarm water (80° to 90° F.) for compressed.
Let stand for a few minutes, then stir until dissolved.
Add dissolved yeast, eggs, and half of flour to butter mixture.
Beat for 2 minutes with an electric mixer.
Stop the mixer and add more flour, a little at a time, along with grated rinds, nuts, raisins, and extracts.
Mix first with a spoon, then with the hand, until dough pulls away from the sides of bowl, but is still quite soft.
Turn out on lightly floured board; butter the fingers and knead for 100 strokes, until little bubbles can be seen beneath the surface.
Place in a greased bowl; turn once to grease the top.
Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled in bulk.
Punch dough down; turn over in bowl, and let rest for 15 minutes.
Shape dough into a smooth ring and place in well-buttered 10-inch tube pan.
Cover and let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes, or until dough comes within 1 inch of the top of the pan.
Bake in preheated moderate oven (350°F.) for 50 minutes.
Place a piece of unglazed brown paper over the Babka after first 10 minutes of baking so top will not get too brown.
Remove Babka from pan after cooling for 10 minutes.
Spread with Orange Glaze while still warm.
Sprinkle dry yeast or crumble cake yeast into warm water.
Use very warm water (105° to 115°F.) for dry yeast; use lukewarm water (80° to 90° F.) for compressed.
Let stand for a few minutes, then stir until dissolved.
Add dissolved yeast, eggs, and half of flour to butter mixture.
Beat for 2 minutes with an electric mixer.
Stop the mixer and add more flour, a little at a time, along with grated rinds, nuts, raisins, and extracts.
Mix first with a spoon, then with the hand, until dough pulls away from the sides of bowl, but is still quite soft.
Turn out on lightly floured board; butter the fingers and knead for 100 strokes, until little bubbles can be seen beneath the surface.
Place in a greased bowl; turn once to grease the top.
Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled in bulk.
Punch dough down; turn over in bowl, and let rest for 15 minutes.
Shape dough into a smooth ring and place in well-buttered 10-inch tube pan.
Cover and let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes, or until dough comes within 1 inch of the top of the pan.
Bake in preheated moderate oven (350°F.) for 50 minutes.
Place a piece of unglazed brown paper over the Babka after first 10 minutes of baking so top will not get too brown.
Remove Babka from pan after cooling for 10 minutes.
Spread with Orange Glaze while still warm.
Chef
