Polish Easter Bread Recipes

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.

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 EGG BREAD

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast packages in 1 cup of warm water; set aside.
• Bring milk to a boil. Remove from heat; add remaining 1 cup water, butter, and 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon of salt; stir until butter melts. Pour in sugar and stir until dissolved.
• When milk mixture has cooled to lukewarm, stir in dissolved yeast.
• In a separate bowl, beat eggs until combined. Whisk milk mixture into eggs. Gradually add 5 pounds of flour. Transfer dough to a floured work surface, and use a serrated knife to divide dough in half. Shape each half into a ball and place the dough in two large oiled bowls. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for about 1 1/2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Once risen, turn dough out onto a well-floured surface and divide into 6 equal portions. Shape the dough into balls. (Dough will be very sticky and soft at this point.) Keep the dough covered with greased plastic wrap while you divide one dough ball into 3 pieces. Shape the dough into three ropes, braid together, and place on a lightly greased baking sheet or parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining loaves. You should be able to fit two loaves per baking sheet.
• Bake loaves in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until hollow-sounding when tapped on top. Let cool, and enjoy!

10 TRADITIONAL POLISH BREAKFASTS

Steps:

• Select your favorite recipe.
• Organize all the required ingredients.
• Prep a Polish breakfast in 30 minutes or less!

POLISH WHITE BORSCHT (BIALY BARSZCZ)

Steps:

• Bring keilbassa and water to a boil in a large dutch oven or heavy bottomed soup pot. Reduce heat slightly and boil for 25 minutes. Remove keilbassa to a plate and set aside. Leave the broth in the dutch oven.
• In a medium, non-stick skillet, saute garlic and onion with a tsp of butter until soft, 5 min.
• Add onion mixture to kielbassa broth. Add diced potatoes, bay, salt, and pepper. Cook until potatoes are tender, 15-20 min.
• In a small bowl, whisk flour and sour cream together until smooth. Add ½ c of the soup broth to the sour cream mixture and whisk until smooth and thin. Pour mixture into the soup, stirring constantly. Simmer, stirring often, until thickened, 10 min.
• Cut the kielbasas into 1/2 inch slices, chop the hard boiled eggs. Add both to the soup. Taste the soup and adjust the salt an pepper as desired. Cook 1-2 minutes to heat through.

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.

PASKA EASTER BREAD

Steps:

• Warm the milk to between 100 to 110 degrees F (usually 30 seconds in the microwave does the trick!) and pour into a mixing bowl. Sprinkle the yeast over top and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes, until foamy.
• Add the sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla extract, and stir to combine.
• Add the flour and the salt and stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms. Add the golden raisins then, using the dough hook, knead on medium-low speed until a smooth, shiny ball of dough is formed, 3 to 6 minutes, adding additional flour as necessary. (You can also knead by hand until smooth ball is formed.) Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours (rise time will depend on temperature and humidity in your kitchen).
• Punch dough down and remove from the bowl to a clean work area. Remove one-quarter of the dough and set aside. Form the large piece of dough into a ball and place in a 9-inch round cake pan or springform pan.
• Divide the remaining piece of dough into three pieces and roll them each out into a 20-inch strand. Braid the three strands together for one long braid. Divide the braid in half and use it to form a cross over the top of the large ball of dough in the pan. (Alternately, you can wrap the braid in one length around the inside edge of the pan.)
• Cover lightly with plastic wrap and let rise until puffy and nearly doubled in size, 45 to 60 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Whisk together the egg and water, then brush evenly all over the top of the dough and sprinkle with sugar, if desired.
• Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for an additional 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer registers 190 degrees F. You can tent the pan with aluminum foil if it is browning too quickly. Remove from the oven, turn the bread out of the pan, and place it on a wire rack to cool completely.

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!