Ukrainian Country Babka Recipes

UKRAINIAN EASTER BABKA

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Scald the milk and cool it to 110 F.
• Place 1/3 cup flour in a medium bowl and pour the cooled scalded milk over, beating until smooth. Set aside.
• In a measuring cup or small bowl, dissolve 2 teaspoons sugar in lukewarm water and stir in the yeast.
• Transfer the yeast mixture to the milk-flour paste, mixing well.
• Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until light and bubbly.
• Gather the ingredients.
• In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the egg yolks , whole eggs, and salt.
• Add 1 cup sugar and continue beating until light.
• Beat in the butter, vanilla, and lemon zest .
• Add the sponge to this mixture and mix well.
• Add 6 cups flour and knead 7 minutes by machine or 10 minutes by hand.
• Knead in the optional raisins.
• Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise until doubled.
• Punch down dough, knead a few times, and let it rise again.
• Grease 3 babka cylinders or food-grade coffee tins and fill each pan 1/3 full.
• Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise until tripled.
• Brush tops with 1 large egg beaten with 2 tablespoons of milk or water.
• Heat oven to 375 F.
• Bake babkas 10 minutes.
• Then lower temperature to 325 F and bake 30 minutes.
• Then lower temperature to 275 F and bake 15 to 20 minutes longer. Cover tops with aluminum foil, if they are browning too quickly.
• Remove from the oven and let stand in the pan for 10 minutes.
• Turn loaves out of the pan, running a knife around them, if necessary, and cool completely on a wire rack.
• If desired, the cooled loaves can be iced with a simple confectioners' sugar glaze , letting it drip down the sides for a decorative effect.
• Serve and enjoy!

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 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.

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.