Bobka Polish Easter Bread Food

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 BOBKA EASTER BREAD RECIPE

Steps:

• 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, orange juice, 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 1 cup of the 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.
• Mix the walnuts and rest the raisins with the sugar and cinnamon.
• Sprinkle walnut mixture 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.
• Mix the powder sugar with 1 tablespoon of the orange juice, add the second one if you need the glaze to be thinner, the drizzle it over the top the bread.
• Slice it up and ENJOY!

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.

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.

EASTER BABKA

Steps:

• Scald 1 cup milk and slowly add 3/4 cup flour and beat thoroughly.
• Cool.
• Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm milk, mix in 1 tbsp sugar.
• Add to the cooled flour mixture and beat well.
• Let rise until double in bulk (30 minutes).
• Add salt to eggs yolks and beat until thick and lemon colored.
• Add sugar, vanilla and almond extract and continue to beat.
• Add to sponge (flour-yeast mixture), add remaining flower.
• Knead for ten minutes.
• Add butter and knead 10 minutes or until dough no longer sticks to your fingers.
• Add fruit and nuts mix into dough, cover and let rise until double in bulk (60 minutes).
• Punch down and let rise again (60 minutes).
• Punch down.
• Butter a fluted tube pan and sprinkle with bread crumbs.
• Fill with dough to cover 1/3 of the pan.
• Let rise 1 hour* and bake at 350°F for 50 minutes.
• Cool and decorate with lucre.
• Lucre: Mix ingredients and spread over top of cake, letting it drip down the sides.
• Note- rising times are approximate.
• Keep dough covered in a warm place free from drafts.

POLISH EASTER BREAD

Steps:

• Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until blended.
• Beat in egg yolks until well blended.
• Dissolve yeast in warm water.
• Stir yeast mixture, orange peel, lemon peel, cinnamon and salt into butter mixture.
• Stir in flour alternately with the milk, beating well after each addition, until soft dough forms.
• Stir in raisins.
• Cover; let rise in warm place until double, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Stir down dough; spoon into greased and floured10 x 4-inch tube pan or 12 cup bundt cake pan.
• Cover; let rise until double, about 1 hour.
• Heat oven to 350 degreesF
• Bake until bread is golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes.
• Cool 5 minutes.
• Remove from pan; cool completely.
• Sprinkle with confectioners sugar if desired.

POLISH BABKA, ROBERT STRYBEL, NO-KNEAD, EASY

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mash the yeast cake with the sugar (note: the compressed yeast cake can be substituted with a package of active dry yeast; to activate, follow the directions on the package).
• Beat the 3 eggs and add to the yeast mixture.
• Heat the milk to very warm and dissolve the butter in it. Let cool slightly. Add to the yeast/egg mixture and add the flour, salt, grated lemon rind, vanilla extract and the dried fruit (I like cranberries, raisins, walnuts.) Mix well to blend all ingredients, but do not knead.
• Grease (here's where Kittencal's pan coating comes in handy, #78579) a 9-1/2 inch Babka pan, brioche mold, Bundt pan, or other tube pan and fill with the dough to about 1/3 full. (I use two 8" fluted babka pans.) Cover with cloth and let stand in warm place for about 2 hours (until the Babka dough has doubled in size.).
• Towards the end of the rising, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. When risen, place the Babka inside and bake it for about 40-45 minutes. (Note, if you use bakeware that is dark or colored on the outside, set the oven at 325 deg Fahrenheit.) It is fully baked when a wooden pick comes out clean. Should be a medium brown. If too light it will be underdone and damp.
• After baking, remove the Babka from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes. Carefully remove from pan and dust it with confectioner's sugar or glaze with icing.
• For the icing, combine the confectioner's sugar, lemon juice, and boiling water in a small bowl and mix together.
• If you glaze the Babka with the icing, sprinkle it with chopped walnuts, slivered almonds, raisins or finely chopped candied orange rind, before the icing sets.
• Let it cool completely before serving. Wrap leftovers tightly with plastic wrap for storage at room temperature. For longer storage, you can freeze the Babka, tightly sealed in a plastic bag.
• Cooking Tips: Soak dried fruits in brandy or Grand Marnier before using.