Babka (yeast Cake) Recipe

Topping: Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a pan.

Remove from heat and add 2 tablespoons sugar and 1/4 cup flour.

Stir with a spoon to combine, then work with your fingers until you achieve a crumb topping.

Set aside.

Cake: Break up yeast in a bowl and mix in 1 tablespoon sugar.

Combine well until it liquifies.

Stir in water.

Set aside.

Combine butter with milk and heat to scald.

Cool to lukewarm.

Use a large bowl to beat egg yolks with sugar and then add the milk mixture.

Stir in the salt, raisins and yeast.

Add the flour all at once.

Beat with wooden spoon until smooth.

Add additional 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups of flour and mix it in well with your hand.

Knead on a lightly floured surface about 10 minutes.

Round up the dough in a greased bowl, turn greased side up.

Cover with damp towel and let rise in a warm area approximately 2 1/2 hours (bulk will double.

) Punch down and let rise 1 1/2 hours or until double.

Grease 10 inch tube pan.

Punch down dough and place it in tube pan, cover, and let rise for an hour or until double.

Brush top with 1 egg yolk beaten with 2 teaspoons of water.

Distribute crumb topping lightly and bake at 300 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.

Cool in pan 10 minutes.