Bobka Polish Easter Bread Recipes

BABKA WIELKANOCNA: EASY POLISH EASTER BABKA

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water and set aside. If the mixture doesn't look bubbly after 15 minutes, it could mean your yeast is old. Start again with fresh yeast before proceeding to the next step.
• Place butter, sugar, and salt in a large bowl or stand mixer, and pour the scalded milk over it. Using the paddle attachment, mix until the butter has melted and the milk has cooled to 110 F or below. Mix in the vanilla and eggs. Add yeast and mix until well combined.
• Add the flour, lemon zest (if using), and raisins and mix thoroughly. The dough will be of a thick cake batter consistency.
• Heat oven to 350 F. Lightly coat a 10-inch babka pan , kugelhopf pan , Turk's head pan (turban pan), Bundt pan , or tube pan with cooking spray.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and cover lightly with greased plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk or until dough reaches the top of the pan but no higher.
• Bake about 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, or until an instant-read thermometer registers 190 F.
• Cool completely on a wire rack and dust with confectioners' sugar before serving or, immediately after cooling, with the optional icing.
• Gather the ingredients.
• In a small bowl, whisk together 2/3 cup confectioners' sugar, lemon juice, and boiling water until smooth.
• Drizzle over cooled cake.

CHEESE-FILLED EASTER POLISH BREAD (BABKA)

Steps:

• Mix 1 teaspoon sugar, water, and yeast together in a small bowl. Let stand until yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam, about 5 minutes.
• Heat milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until it begins to bubble. Pour into a large bowl. Stir in 6 tablespoons butter until melted. Let mixture cool to 110 degrees F (43 degrees C), about 5 minutes.
• Mix remaining sugar, yeast mixture, 2 egg yolks, and salt into the milk mixture. Add 3 1/3 cups flour; knead dough until shiny and elastic.
• Place dough in a greased bowl, turning to coat both sides. Cover with greased plastic wrap; let rise until doubled, 1 to 2 hours.
• Combine cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, 2 egg yolks, orange liqueur, orange zest, and 1 vanilla extract in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer until smooth.
• Mix 1/2 cup sugar and 6 tablespoons flour together in a bowl. Cut in 1/4 cup cold butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives. Stir in almonds.
• Grease two 9x5-inch loaf pans and line the bottom with parchment paper.
• Punch down dough and divide in half. Roll 1 half into a rectangle 1/8-inch thick; keep the other half covered. Spread 1/2 of the cream cheese mixture over the dough. Fold in the short ends of the dough and roll up tightly like a jelly roll. Transfer to a prepared loaf pan. Repeat with remaining dough and cream cheese mixture.
• Brush beaten egg white over the loaves; sprinkle almond topping evenly on top. Cover loaves with greased plastic wrap and let rise until dough reaches above the rim of the pans, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bake loaves in the preheated oven until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 190 degrees F (88 degrees C), 40 to 50 minutes. Cool in the pans for 5 minutes. Run a knife along the sides to loosen; let cool completely, about 30 minutes.

POLISH EASTER BREAD - BOBKA

Steps:

• Measure 2 cups flour onto piece of waxed paper.
• Combine other 2 cups flour, yeast, sugar, salt and cinnamon in mixing bowl and mix well.
• Melt butter and add lukewarm milk.
• Gradually add dry ingredients and beat at low speed, scraping sides of bowl, 2 minutes.
• Add 4 egg yolks and 1 more cup of flour.
• Beat at medium speed 2 minutes or until think and elastic.
• Gradually stir in last cup of flour with wooden spoon, making a soft dough.
• Cover and let rise until double.
• Stir in raisins and lemon rind.
• Put in a well greased 3 quart fluted tube pan or heavy Bundt pan.
• Beat 5th egg yolk with 2 tablespoons water and brush top of dough with this mix.
• Sprinkle almonds over the top and let rise for one hour uncovered.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 30-40 minutes. Turn out of pan and cool on rack.

BOBKA - POLISH EASTER BREAD

Steps:

• To begin, add 2 cups of flour, the yeast, the sugar, the cinnamon, and the salt to a large mixing bowl and combine.
• Then, warm the milk to lukewarm (about 45 seconds in the microwave will do it) and stir it into the dry ingredients in your bowl.
• Next, melt the butter (20 seconds or so in the microwave) and add that to your mixture as well. Keep the wrapper to grease the pan. Blend well.
• Add in another cup of flour and combine.
• After that, add four egg yolks to the bowl and keep stirring. (You will not need the whites for this recipe, so feel free to set aside for an egg white omelette for later.)
• Add in your final cup of flour and blend thoroughly. The dough will be soft and stretchy.
• Now, cover the dough and set it in a warm place to rise until about double in size. This could take an hour or two depending on your climate. (For best practices on getting your dough to rise, see the notes on my baba al rum recipe.)
• While the dough is rising, zest your lemon and dice the dried apricots into small pieces. Set aside.
• Once that's done, grease the bundt pan well with the butter from the butter wrapper, and then sprinkle some powdered sugar over the butter and shake the pan to coat it with a light layer of powdered sugar.
• When the dough looks ready, preheat your oven to 350°.
• Now, blend the lemon zest and dried apricots into the dough.
• Place the dough evenly in a ring in your bundt pan and let it rise a little more until the oven is done pre-heating.
• Once hot, place the pan in the oven and bake about 32-34 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.
• Let the cake cool completely.
• Turn it out of the bundt pan onto your cake stand (in my case cutting board).
• Now, mix your lemon juice and powdered sugar, then pour the glaze over the bobka. Sprinkle your slivered almonds over the top while the glaze is still wet so they will stick. Serve and enjoy!

EASTER BABKA

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, scald milk. Add butter and stir until melted. Remove pan from heat and let mixture cool to lukewarm.
• In a small bowl, stir yeast into warm water; let sit for 5 to 10 minutes, or until foamy.
• In a large bowl, beat eggs, yolks, and sugar until thick. Add salt, zests, vanilla, and liqueur. Stir to combine. Stir in milk mixture, then yeast.
• Add flour, a cupful at a time, until dough is moist but not sticky, mixing with a wooden spoon or your hands. Stir in almonds and raisins.
• Knead dough on a floured board, adding more flour if dough is too sticky, until dough comes away from your hands, about 6 minutes. Place dough in a very large buttered bowl.
• Cover dough with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch down and let rise again until doubled, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter three 9- or 10-inch kugelhopf or angel-food cake pans. Sprinkle pans with a tablespoon of confectioners' sugar, if desired. Divide dough into 3 portions; arrange in pans and cover loosely. Let dough rise to tops of pans, about 30 minutes.
• Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until cakes are golden brown and tops make a hollow sound when tapped with knuckles. Cool for 5 minutes in pans; turn out onto racks and cool for 20 minutes more.
• Spoon glaze onto babka, allowing it to drip over sides.