Easter Baba

1 cup milk
31/3 cups all-purpose flower
2 packages active dry yeast
¼ cup lukewarm water
2/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
15 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract		 ¼ teaspoon almond extract
½ cup melted butter
3/4 cup mixed chopped candied citron and orange and lemon peel
½ cup chopped almonds
1/3 cup raisins
Blanched almond halves
Fine dry bread crumbs
  1. Scald milk; pour into a large bowl. Slowly add ¾ cup flour to hot milk and beat thoroughly. Cool.
  2. Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water 5 minutes; add 1 tablespoon of sugar. Let stand 5 minutes. Add to cooled milk mixture; beat well.
  3. Cover; let rise until doubled in bulk.
  4. Add salt to egg yolks. Beat until thick and lemon-colored, about 5 minutes. Add remaining sugar and extracts; continue beating. Combine egg mixture with milk mixture, beating thoroughly. Add remaining flour; mix well.
  5. Knead 10 minutes in bowl. Add butter and continue kneading 10 more minutes, or until dough leaves the fingers. Add candied peel, almonds and raisins; knead to mix well.
  6. Let rise until doubled in bulk. Punch down and let rise again.
  7. Generously grease a 12-inch fluted tube pan or turban mold. Press almond halves around sides and bottom of pan. Coat with bread crumbs.
  8. Punch down dough and put into prepared pan. Dough should fill a third of pan. Let rise 1 hour, or until dough fills pan.
  9. Bake at 350 F about 50 minutes, or until hollow sounding when tapped on top.

Culinary Arts Institute POLISH COOKBOOK
Adventures in Cooking Series

(05-03-01)