Ukrainian Country Babka

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 55 mins

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 cup lukewarm water
• 2 (1/4 ounce) packages dry yeast
• 1 cup scalded milk, lukewarm
• 1 cup flour
• 6 eggs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup melted butter
• 2 tablespoons grated fresh lemon rind
• 5 1/2 cups sifted flour, about
• 1 cup raisins (or more)

Recipe

• 1 dissolve the sugar in the lukewarm water, sprinkle the yeast over it, and let stand until softened.
• 2 for the sponge: combine dissolved yeast with the lukewarm milk and 1 cup of flour.
• 3 beat well, cover, and allow the sponge to rise in a warm place until light and bubbly.
• 4 beat the eggs with the salt, add the sugar gradually, and continue beating.
• 5 beat in the butter and lemon rind.
• 6 combine this mixture with the sponge.
• 7 stir in the flour and knead in the bowl for about 10 minutes.
• 8 this dough should be slightly thicker than for the usual babka mixture.
• 9 knead in the raisins.
• 10 cover and let rise in a warm place until double in bulk.
• 11 punch down, knead a few times, and let it rise again.
• 12 butter tall, round baking pans (or coffee cans) with soft butter sprinkling them lightly with fine bread crumbs and fill them one-third full.
• 13 i like to use greased parchment paper on the bottom and sides of pan.
• 14 for this recipe you will need about 2 or 3 large coffee cans.
• 15 if you are going to use smaller cans, you will need more of them and use your judgment to how many you will need.
• 16 adjust baking time for the smaller cans.
• 17 cover and let rise in a warm place until the dough reaches the brim of the pan.
• 18 brush the loaves with a beaten egg diluted with 2 tablespoons of milk or water.
• 19 bake in a moderately hot oven (400 degrees f) for about 15 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350 degrees f.
• 20 ,and continue baking for 40 minutes longer, or until done.
• 21 avoid browning the top too deeply.
• 22 if necessary, cover with aluminum foil.
• 23 remove the baked loaves from the oven and let them stand in the pans for 5 to 10 minutes.
• 24 tip each loaf very gently from the pan onto a cloth-covered pillow.
• 25 do not cool the loaves on a hard surface.
• 26 this is extremely important.
• 27 careless handling of the baked babka may cause it to fall or settle.
• 28 as the loaves are cooling, change their position very gently a few times to prevent settling.
• 29 if desired, the cooled loaves may be iced or glazed and decorated with bakers' confetti.
• 30 this is the custom in the old country.
• 31 babka is always sliced in rounds across the loaf.
• 32 the sliced bottom crust serves as a protective cover, and it is put back to prevent the loaf from drying.
• 33 babka with pumpkin: this is a very old recipe, but it is worth preserving.
• 34 mashed pumpkin imparts a mellow, yellow color to babka and keeps it fresh and soft for days.
• 35 a fewer number of eggs is required when pumpkin is used.
• 36 follow the preceding recipe for country babka.
• 37 add 1/2 to 2/3 cup of cooked, mashed pumpkin, 2 teaspoons vanilla, and 1/2 cup of orange juice and about 4 eggs.
• 38 add enough flour to give a soft dough.