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Polish Easter Babka

Author Melissa Crowe

Ingredients

  • 1 package dried yeast
  • 2 cups lukewarm milk
  • 8 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 cup butter softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 TBSP lemon zest
  • 1 cup golden raisins soaked in warm water, then drained

Instructions

  1. Combine yeast packet, 1 cup of the milk, 1 cup of the flour into a medium bowl and mix well. Set aside to rise in a warm place for an hour.

  2. After the yeast mixture has risen, cream together the butter and sugar in a stand mixer. Once creamed add in eggs one at a time. Add in salt. Mix well.

  3. Add the remaining 7 cups of flour, yeast mixture and remaining cup of milk alternately beginning and ending with flour. Lastly add in the lemon zest and drained golden raisins.

  4. If you have a dough hook for your stand mixer, add it on and knead the dough for about 3-5 minutes until smooth and elastic. You can also flour a surface and knead by hand as well. Place in a clean large bowl and set aside in a warm place to double in size.

  5. After dough has doubled in size place into greased and flour pans. You can use one bundt pan and on loaf pan or 3 loaf pans. Choose what you like! Let the dough rise again for about 30 minutes in pan while you preheat the oven to 325.

  6. Cook in 325° oven for 30 minutes. Then take out and brush with an egg mixed with a little milk and place back in the oven now at 350° for an additional 10-15 minutes until golden brown on top and a toothpick comes out clean or an instant read thermometer reads 190°.

  7. Let cool for about 20 minutes in pan, then remove and finish cooling completely on a cooling rack.

Recipe Notes

*RUM SYRUP: If you want to make a rum syrup to drizzle over the top (which I highly recommend!), combine 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup water and a 1/4 cup of rum in a small saucepan. Bring to boil and swirl until the sugar dissolves and set aside. Once the cake comes out of the oven poke a punch of holes in it with a toothpick and slowly pour the syrup over it. Let sit for about 20 minutes, then remove from pan and transfer to cooling rack to finish cooling.