Best Babka
Description
This babka recipe makes a traditional Polish Easter bread loaded with dried fruit, almonds, lemon and orange zests, with a baked-in streusel topping.
Ingredients
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2 cups milk
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1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
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1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
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1 (3/5 ounce) cake cake yeast
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4 eggs, room temperature
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4 egg yolks, room temperature
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1 cup white sugar
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1 teaspoon salt
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3 tablespoons grated orange zest
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1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
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1 tablespoon orange liqueur
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1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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10 cups all-purpose flour, or as needed
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1 1/2 cups dried currants
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1 1/2 cups raisins
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1 1/2 cups golden raisins
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1 cup chopped slivered almonds
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1 cup all-purpose flour
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1/2 cup packed brown sugar
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1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
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4 tablespoons butter
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1 eggs
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1 tablespoon water
Directions
1
Heat milk in a medium saucepan until just below boiling; stir in 2 cups unsalted butter until melted. Cool until lukewarm.
2
Place ½ cup warm water and yeast in a small bowl; stir with a spoon to break up slightly. Set aside.
3
Beat 4 eggs and 4 egg yolks in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until well combined. Add 1 cup sugar and salt; beat until mixture is thick and pale. Stir in orange zest, lemon zest, orange liqueur, vanilla extract, and yeast mixture. Beat in 2 cups flour on low speed until well combined; beat in 2 cups more flour until well combined. Beat in milk-butter mixture on medium-low speed, alternating with 4 cups more flour.
4
Beat in up to 1 cup more flour if dough is sticky until well combined. Mix in currants, raisins, golden raisins, and almonds.
5
Transfer dough to a well-floured work surface; knead until shiny and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes. Knead in up to 1 cup more flour if dough is still sticky. Shape dough into a ball, transfer to a large, greased bowl, and turn to coat. Cover the bowl with greased plastic wrap.
6
Place dough in a warm place; let rise until doubled in volume, 1 ½ to 2 hours. Punch down dough, cover the bowl, and let rise again, 1 ½ hours more.
7
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 3 tube pans.
8
Combine 1 cup flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a medium bowl; cut in ¼ cup butter until coarse crumbs form. Sprinkle streusel in bottom of the prepared pans.
9
Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 1 minute; divide into 3 even pieces. Roll each piece into a log, pinching seams to seal. Place logs, seam-sides up, in the prepared pans, pinching ends together to form rings. Cover pans loosely with plastic wrap. Let rise for 30 minutes.
10
Beat 1 egg and 1 tablespoon water together; lightly brush over each loaf.
11
Bake in the preheated oven until golden; bread should sound hollow when tapped, 30 to 45 minutes. Turn loaves out onto a rack while still warm. Cool completely before slicing.