Old Polish Babka (Easter Bread)

Name: Old Polish Babka (Easter Bread)
Ingredients: 300 g flour; 250 ml milk; 75 g sugar; 75 g butter; 5 egg yolks; 1 packet yeast (11 g); zest of one lemon; large pinch of salt; 100 g raisins; 2 tbsp cognac or orange juice; 100 g powdered sugar; 1–2 tbsp lemon juice

Different countries welcome Easter with delicious sweet baked goods, and today I'd like to introduce you to the Polish babka. In Poland, babka is traditionally baked in a tall pan with a hole in the middle, but of course you can also bake it in regular Easter bread pans — because Polish babka is, essentially, an Easter bread (or paska, depending on what you're used to calling it). We'll be using a fairly simple method, which is rare when it comes to Easter bread, but here everything is as straightforward as it can be. There will be just one rise for the sponge and one rise in the pans — I kept it as simple as possible since saving time is a priority for me right now ? The result turned out amazing — the babka came out incredibly moist, tender, and rich, which is exactly what I love about Easter breads! I'm so happy with how it turned out! I used a 2-liter pan; the ingredient quantities are given for that size, but feel free to scale up as needed. Also, here's my recipe for Easter Bread, which is also very popular on my site!

Ingredients:

300 g flour
250 ml milk
75 g sugar
75 g butter
5 egg yolks
1 packet yeast (11 g)
zest of one lemon
large pinch of salt
Add-ins:
100 g raisins
2 tbsp cognac or orange juice
Lemon Glaze:
100 g powdered sugar
1–2 tbsp lemon juice

How to cook old Polish babka (Easter bread)

This babka recipe uses a clever trick: a portion of the flour is scalded with boiling milk. This gives the babka a more tender, moist, and rich texture, and also helps it stay fresh and soft longer during storage. Pour boiling milk (200 ml) over 100 g of flour and mix thoroughly until no lumps remain. Let cool to warm.

Dissolve the yeast in the remaining 50 ml of milk and add 25 g of sugar.

Thoroughly combine the scalded flour mixture with the dissolved yeast. Let the sponge rise for about 30 minutes, or until it has doubled or tripled in size.

Soak the raisins in cognac, another alcohol of your choice, or orange juice.

Beat the egg yolks with the remaining sugar until light and fluffy.

This is what the risen sponge looks like.

Add the beaten egg yolks, melted butter, lemon zest, and salt to the sponge.

Mix to combine.

Add the remaining flour and knead the dough, folding in the raisins at the end. I used a stand mixer, but kneading by hand works too. You'll want to knead quite thoroughly, just as you would for Easter bread. If the dough seems a little soft to you, try to resist adding more flour — trust me, it's not necessary.

Transfer the dough right away into a pan that has been greased and dusted with flour.

Let it rise in a warm place for about 2 hours. I use a slightly preheated oven. Here's how nicely the dough rises in there.

Place the pan in an oven preheated to 170°C and bake for about 45 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. If the top starts browning too quickly, cover it with foil and continue baking.

Let the babka cool in the oven with the door slightly ajar, then carefully remove it from the pan.

The babka turns out tall, beautiful, and golden brown.

Make the glaze — mix the powdered sugar with lemon juice, adding the juice gradually until you reach the desired consistency. Spread the lemon glaze over the babka and decorate as you like. You could also use a classic egg white glaze like on a traditional Easter bread, but I highly recommend trying the lemon glaze — it's absolutely perfect here! Sliced view.