Authentic Babka Recipe Poland, Europe

Moist, spongy and bright yellow, babka is a sweet bread commonly served for Easter in Poland, Ukraine, Belarus and other Central and Eastern European countries. According to Polish Heritage Cookery, the term babka covers a wide range of cakes which need to be taller than they are wide, and be narrower at the top than at the bottom. The preparation of babka starts with mixing yeast with sugar, flour, and milk. The mixture is then left to rise in a warm place. Next, the egg yolks are mixed with sugar and sometimes salt, until they become light yellow and foamy. Yeast and egg yolk mixtures are combined with flour, melted butter, and other additions such as rum, raisins, various candied fruits or citrus peels. Then, the dough can be left to rise. Some recipes suggest doing three rounds, while others do not insist on this step. The dough is transferred into a babka pan which is similar to a classic bundt pan and can have either straight or pleated sides. The babka is baked ... Read more