1 1/4 cups butter, softened, divided
2 cups milk
2 packages active, dry yeast
1/2 cup warm, not hot, water
5 eggs plus 4 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon orange liqueur
3 tablespoons orange zest
1 tablespoon lemon zest
10 cups flour
1 1/2 cups dried currants
1 1/2 cups raisins
1 1/2 cups golden raisins
1 cup chopped blanched, slivered almonds (optional)
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1. Place yeast in a small bowl and pour warm water over it. Stir with a spoon to break up the yeast. Set aside for 2 to 3 minutes. Do not use hot water.
2. Scald milk in a small sauce pan. Add 1 cup of the butter and stir until melted. Remove from heat. Let cool slightly.
3. In a mixing bowl, beat 4 eggs and egg yolks with an electric mixer. Add sugar and salt, and continue to beat until mixture is thick and pale. Add vanilla, liqueur, citrus zests, and softened yeast. Gradually beat in 4 cups of flour. Alternately adding milk with another 4 cups of flour while beating batter on medium. Add another cup of flour if the dough is sticky. Mix in currants, raisins, and almonds.
4. Transfer dough to a clean bowl. Knead about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer dough to a large, buttered bowl, turning once to coat. Cover and place in a warm spot until dough reaches the top of the bowl, about 1 to 2 hours. Punch the dough down, recover, and let rise again.
5. Butter 3 angel food cake pans. In a small bowl, combine remaining cup of flour, remaining butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon to form crumb topping. Sprinkle in the bottom of each pan.
6. Preheat oven to 350F. Punch the dough down again and turn onto a floured surface. Knead for one minute. Cut into thirds and transfer dough to prepared pans. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise to the top of pan. Beat remaining egg and brush the top of the dough with the egg.
7. Bake at 350F until golden brown and hollow sounding when tapped, about 30 to 45 minutes. Immediately turn out onto a cooling rack. Cool.
Babka is best when fresh!
Posts
Those who think they know Polish cooking may find themselves delighted with the novel approach taken by Michael Baruch in The New Polish Cuisine. In his skilled hands the classics of Polish cooking find new life. A native of Chicago's Polish community, Baruch has toiled in the kitchens of restaurants around the U.S. and in Europe. He presents assorted doughs for wrapping pierogi, from classic mashed-potato dough to a rich sour-cream-based pastry. Pierogi fillings are similarly reinterpreted to include blueberry, cherry, spinach, and feta, and even "Sicilian style" with ricotta and Parmesan cheeses. In another reinterpretation, a stew earns flavor from decidedly un-Polish pancetta. In the style of Emeril Lagasse, Baruch compounds basic spice and herb blends, which he then calls for in his recipes. Appetizing, full-color close-ups of Baruch's reimagined recipes increase their attraction. (from Mark Knoblauch, American Library Association) Get the book New Polish Cuisine
from here.
