Recipe: Babka

Here are several for you to choose from. Enjoy!
BABKA
(Polish Coffee Cake)
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 c. butter
1 1/4 c. scalded milk
2 yeast cakes
5 c. flour
4 eggs
1/2 c. chopped almonds
1 c. raisins
1 Tbsp. grated orange rind
1 Tbsp. grated lemon rind
Cream sugar and butter. Add scalded milk and mix until
smooth. Dissolve the yeast in a very little lukewarm milk.
Add the dissolved yeast and half the flour to the mixture and
beat well. Beat eggs and salt and blend into mixture with rest
of flour. Fold in raisins and almonds and orange and lemon
rind. Knead 15 minutes. Cover and let rise until double in
bulk. Place in a buttered tube pan and bake about 45 minutes
in a 350 degrees oven.
CHOCOLATE CHIP BABKA
1/4 c. milk
1 pkg. dry yeast
1/4 c. warm water
1/4 c. butter, cut into pieces
1/4 c. sugar plus 1 tsp.
3 eggs
2 1/3 c. flour
1/4 c. golden raisins
1/4 to 1/2 c. chopped walnuts
1/2 c. chocolate chips
Measure 1/4 cup of water into a 2 cup measuring cup;
sprinkle yeast and the teaspoon sugar into the water, stir to
dissolve. Set aside to proof 10 minutes. Measure flour, sugar
and butter into bowl. Beat until well blended. Add milk and
eggs to yeast mixture. With mixer running, add yeast liquid to
the flour mixture and beat for approximately 30 seconds (or
until you feel it is well blended). Scrape dough into buttered
mixing bowl. Mixture will be sticky. Cover and let rise 1
hour. Stir in fruit, nuts and chocolate. Turn into a buttered
and floured 2 quart tube pan. Let rise again until doubled,
about 30 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Cool in pan
10
minutes, invert on rack.
EASTER BABKA
1/2 c. soft butter
1/2 c. sugar
4 egg yolks
1 c. scalded milk
1 cake yeast
1/4 c. lukewarm water
1 tsp. vanilla
4 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 c. white raisins
1 egg yolk, beaten
2 Tbsp. water
1/4 c. chopped almonds
Mix butter and sugar in large bowl. Add salt to egg
yolks; beat until thick. Add to sugar and butter mixture. Add
yeast softened in the lukewarm water. Add vanilla. Add flour
alternately with milk; beat well to make smooth batter. Add
raisins; knead with your hand until batter leaves the fingers.
Add extra flour, if needed. Let rise in warm place until
double in bulk; punch down and let rise again until double in
bulk. Butter a fluted tube pan generously; fill with dough.
Brush with mixture made by beating 1 egg yolk with 2 table-
spoons water; sprinkle with almonds. Let rise; bake 30 minutes
in 350 degrees oven.
PUMPKIN BABKA
5 c. flour
1 pkg. dry yeast
3 Tbsp. warm water
1 c. milk
2 eggs
1 c. pumpkin
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. (1/4 lb.) butter
1 Tbsp. grated lemon peel
1 tsp. vanilla
confectioners sugar
Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water. Add milk, which has
been scalded and cooled. Add sugar, lemon rind and vanilla.
Add pumpkin and half of flour, beat well with spoon. Add the
rest of the flour, beating or kneading well. Add melted, but
cooled butter. Beat well. Fill a greased floured container
half full. (You may use three 1 pound coffee cans.) Let rise
to almost the top of the container. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes
in a 375 degrees oven. It should sound hollow when tapped. It is
difficult to give exact time because of varying pan size.
Allow to cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove. Sprinkle sugar over
it.
This is a very old recipe. The smashed pumpkin adds a
mellow yellow color to Babka and keeps it fresh and soft for
days.