Recipe courtesy of the Polish Cultural Club of Greater Hartford, CT.

Babka (Polish Easter Bread)

• ¼ lb. Butter
• 1 Tbsp. Crisco (shortening)
• 2 pkg. Dry yeast
• ¼ cup warm water
• 8 cups sifted flour (2 lbs)
• ½ cup sugar
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1 ¾ cups evaporated milk
• 1 tsp. Salt
• 1 Tbsp. Vanilla
• Raisins (1/2 large box white)

Melt butter and Crisco; add sugar, salt and eggs. Warm evaporated milk. Dissolve yeast in ¼ cup warm water. (Add 1 tablespoon sugar and let set. If it starts to form small bubbles and raise in the cup, it is good.) Add to warm milk. Then combine with butter mixture. Add raisins and vanilla. Gradually add flour, working in until mixture forms a ball and leaves the side of the bowl. Turn out on a floured surface, cover with bowl and let rest 10 minutes.

Knead about 10 minutes until the surface is smooth and elastic and blisters appear on the surface. Place in lightly greased large bowl, turn dough to bring up greased side. Cover with a towel and let raise in a warm place (85°) until double in bulk (about 1 hour). Punch down dough with fist, turn out onto floured surface. Divide into thirds and shape into balls. Cover with towel and let rest 10 minutes.

Shape into loaves and place in lightly greased pans. Let raise until double in size, about 1 hour, covering with towel. After raising, glaze tops with mixture of one egg yolk and 1 tablespoon water; brush on with a pastry brush. Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes. Yield: 3 loaves.

For lighter tops, cover with foil after bread has baked 25 minutes. Just lay foil loosely on tops of loaves and the tops won’t get any darker.