Catholic Recipe: Babka (Polish Easter Bread)

DIRECTIONS

Scald 1 pint milk. Remove from heat. Add flour, stirring hard to prevent lumping. Cool. Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup lukewarm milk with 1 teaspoon sugar. When bubbly, add to milk and flour mixture. Beat well. Cover, and let rise until doubled. Beat egg yolks with 1 cup sugar until thick and lemon-colored. Add to sponge with melted butter, 6 cups flour, raisins (plumped in warm water, drained thoroughly and dusted very lightly with flour), salt and grated lemon rind. Mix well then knead until dough is smooth and blistered and leaves fingers. Cover and let rise until doubled. Butter two 10-inch tube pans and sprinkle bottom and sides with bread crumbs. Divide dough, which will be soft, and place in pans. Cover and let rise until pans are full. Brush with egg yolk mixed with milk and bake in moderate oven (350 degrees F.) 45-50 minutes. Invert pans and let babkas cool about 15 minutes before removing. Drizzle thin confectioners' sugar icing over top and sides, if desired -- Sister Mary Ernestine, O.S.F.Bl.K.