Ukrainian Easter Babka Food

UKRAINIAN COUNTRY BABKA

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine 2 teaspoons sugar, 1/2 cup water, yeast, milk and 1 cup flour. Mix until well blended, then cover and allow to rise in a warm place until light and bubbly, about 30 minutes.
• In a large bowl, beat the eggs, salt and 1 cup white sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the melted butter and lemon zest. Stir in the sponge, then gradually mix in the flour. Knead in the bowl for about 10 minutes, then knead in the raisins. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume.
• Punch down dough and knead for a couple of turns then let it rise again. Grease 4 smaller coffee cans with soft butter. Fill the prepared pans about 1/3 full and let rise until the dough is even with the rim. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, then turn down the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Continue baking the bread for another 40 minutes. Avoid letting the top get too brown, if it begins to brown too quickly, cover the top with aluminum foil. Remove baked loaves from the pans and cool on a wire rack.

UKRAINIAN EASTER BREAD (PASKA)

Steps:

• In a small saucepan over low heat, heat the milk and 1 tablespoon of the sugar until very warm (120 to 130 F). Pour into a large mixing bowl, and sprinkle over the yeast. Allow to stand until foamy, about 15 minutes.
• Sift 1 cup of the flour over the yeast mixture and with a wooden spoon, stir until a batter forms. Cover the bowl with a clean dish towel and leave in a warm place (80 F to 85 F) until mixture looks puffy and spongy, about 1/2 hour.
• In another bowl or a 4 cup measure whisk the eggs and egg yolks together with the vanilla extract, grated lemon zest, and salt.
• Sift another 2 cups of flour over the risen yeast flour mixture, and make a well in the center. Pour in the egg mixture, and stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture becomes a soft, sticky dough; the dough should be as soft as possible, so do not add more flour unless it is very wet.
• Using your hand, spread the butter over the dough and work into the dough, folding it over itself and kneading into the dough until the butter is completely incorporated. Cover with the dish towel and leave to rise again in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 3 hours.
• Butter a 2 pound coffee can. Line the bottom with nonstick baking parchment, and butter again.
• Punch down the dough and turn onto a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle the raisins, golden raisins over the dough, and knead until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
• Form the dough into a ball shape, and ease into the coffee can. Cover and leave to rise again until the dough reaches the top of the can, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 400°F Brush the top of the dough with a little milk and if you like sprinkle with about a tablespoon of sugar. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake about 1/2 hour longer; if the paska browns too quickly, cover with foil. Remove to a wire rack to cool in the can for about 5 minutes, then carefully unmold, top side up, to cool completely. Makes 1 loaf.

UKRAINIAN EASTER BREAD

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, combine yeast, 1 tablespoon flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, and warm water. Mix until smooth. Set bowl aside until mixture is bubbly, 10 minutes.
• Add 4 cups flour and milk to yeast mixture. With a wooden spoon, mix until well combined. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
• In the bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat 3 whole eggs, 8 egg yolks, and sugar until light and pale yellow, about 5 minutes. Add the yeast mixture. Add salt, vanilla extract, lemon and orange zests, rum or brandy, melted butter, and vegetable oil. Whisk on medium speed until combined.
• Remove whisk attachment from machine, and fit with the dough-hook attachment. With mixer on medium-low speed, gradually add enough of the remaining 8 cups flour until dough comes away from side of bowl. Transfer dough to a clean work surface. Knead dough, adding any remaining flour if necessary, until smooth and elastic, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer dough to a large bowl, and cover with a cloth or plastic wrap. Place in a warm spot away from drafts, and let it rise until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.
• Place rack in lower two-thirds of oven, and heat to 350 degrees. Butter two 9-inch ovenproof saucepans. Cut a piece of wax paper about 2 inches longer than the circumference of the saucepan. Fold this in half crosswise to make a double thickness. Place inside the saucepan, patting it to adhere to the butter. The collar should extend 3 to 4 inches above the rim of the saucepan. Seal the 2-inch flap with more butter.
• When dough has doubled in bulk, punch down, and set aside one-third of dough in a medium bowl covered with plastic wrap for decorations. Divide remaining two-thirds dough evenly between saucepans. Place bowl and saucepans of dough in a warm place to rise for about 30 minutes.
• On a clean work surface, shape reserved dough into desired motifs: suns, crosses, rosettes, birds, braids, scrolls, etc. Keep any dough that is not being used covered with plastic to prevent it from drying out. Brush surface of risen dough in saucepans with 3 lightly beaten egg whites. Attach decorative dough ornaments, using a toothpick if necessary to secure to loaves. Place in a warm place to rise until it reaches almost the top of pans, 20 to 30 minutes.
• In a small bowl, whisk together remaining 3 egg yolks with 1 tablespoon water. Brush egg wash on surface of loaves. Bake for 10 minutes; lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees, and bake for an additional 50 minutes. Cool paska in pans for 30 minutes. When bread has cooled but is still warm, gently remove from pans, and transfer to a rack to cool.

UKRAINIAN COUNTRY BABKA

Steps:

• Dissolve the sugar in the lukewarm water, sprinkle the yeast over it, and let stand until softened.
• FOR THE SPONGE: Combine dissolved yeast with the lukewarm milk and 1 cup of flour.
• Beat well, cover, and allow the sponge to rise in a warm place until light and bubbly.
• Beat the eggs with the salt, add the sugar gradually, and continue beating.
• Beat in the butter and lemon rind.
• Combine this mixture with the sponge.
• Stir in the flour and KNEAD IN THE BOWL for about 10 minutes.
• This dough should be slightly thicker than for the usual babka mixture.
• Knead in the raisins.
• Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in bulk.
• Punch down, knead a few times, and let it rise again.
• Butter tall, round baking pans (or coffee cans) with soft butter sprinkling them lightly with fine bread crumbs and fill them ONE-THIRD FULL.
• I like to use greased parchment paper on the bottom and sides of pan.
• For this recipe you will need about 2 or 3 large coffee cans.
• If you are going to use smaller cans, you will need more of them and use your judgment to how many you will need.
• Adjust baking time for the smaller cans.
• Cover and let rise in a warm place until the dough reaches the brim of the pan.
• Brush the loaves with a beaten egg diluted with 2 Tablespoons of milk or water.
• Bake in a moderately hot oven (400 degrees F) for about 15 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350 degrees F.
• ,and continue baking for 40 minutes longer, or until done.
• Avoid browning the top too deeply.
• If necessary, cover with aluminum foil.
• Remove the baked loaves from the oven and let them stand in the pans for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Tip each loaf very gently from the pan onto a cloth-covered pillow.
• Do not cool the loaves on a hard surface.
• This is extremely important.
• Careless handling of the baked babka may cause it to fall or settle.
• As the loaves are cooling, change their position very gently a few times to prevent settling.
• If desired, the cooled loaves may be iced or glazed and decorated with bakers' confetti.
• This is the custom in the old country.
• Babka is always sliced in rounds across the loaf.
• The sliced bottom crust serves as a protective cover, and it is put back to prevent the loaf from drying.
• BABKA WITH PUMPKIN: This is a very old recipe, but it is worth preserving.
• Mashed pumpkin imparts a mellow, yellow color to babka and keeps it fresh and soft for days.
• A fewer number of eggs is required when pumpkin is used.
• Follow the preceding recipe for Country Babka.
• 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.
• Add enough flour to give a soft dough.