Polish Easter Bread Recipe

Image by avlxyz via Flickr

The most typical Polish Easter cake, virtually universal, is the Babka [bob-kuh], a rich bread-like cake, often shaped in a "bundt" shape, reminiscent of a woman's skirts, hence its name Babka (Grandmother Cake). An ingenious form is often used in the U.S. when the cake is baked into a coffee can. (Often mini Easter babka, Babeczka, is blessed for the children.) Also prominent are the lamb cake, the Polish specialty of Makowiec [ma-ko-vee-ets](poppy seed cake), Sernik[sair-neek] (Polish style cheesecake) and other sweets.

The centrality of food, celebration and hospitality to Polish Easter are reflected in the most typical Polish proverb:

"Gosc w Dom, Bog w Dom." 

(Guest in the home is God in the home.)

The proverb is realized in everyday Polish life through the legendary Polish hospitality, especially concerning food. Stranger or friend is always welcome and never bid farewell without a serving of food, even in the most modest of circumstances.

"Czem chata bogata, tem rada." 

(The little cottage shares what it has.) 

Lemnis and Vitry's study of Old Polish cookery in the Middle ages presents two medieval fragments from old Polish Palm Sunday songs. These charming fragments show the eagerness for the Easter feast following Lenten austerity:

Fragment 1: 

Layer cakes 

And stuffed kielbasy are good 

Let me, Christ, taste this 

Let me see these Easter delicacies.

Fragment 2: 

I shall praise you that you are good, Lord, 

When I eat some ham for breakfast. To Poles, the holiest of all edibles is bread. Often when cutting into a loaf or round initially, the knife is maneuvered so as to make the Sign of the Cross. When bread is dropped to the floor (a sacrilege), the loaf is often kissed when picked up. This sacredness, so valued by Polish culture, is reflected in the Easter bread which is especially marked with a Cross (in contemporary times, often a purple paper decal.) The purple hue reflects the color of liturgical vestments and altar linens during the Lenten season. It is indicative of the Lord's Passion. Thus two predominant Easter foods are Beet Salad (Buraczki) (a deep purple) and beet-colored Horseradish (Chrzan).

A typical Easter Breakfast often consists of cold-cuts served with horseradish sauce and beet salads, breads, bigos, scrambled eggs, smoked or fried salmon or herring, marinated vegetable salads, coffee, tea and cakes, i.e. chocolate cake, mazurek, etc.

Ingredients:

1/2 c. milk

1/2 c.

sugar

1/2

tbsp. salt

1/4 c.

butter

1/4 c.

warm water

1 pkg.

active dry yeast

2 1/2

c. flour

1/2

tbsp. lemon peel

1/2 c.

chopped almonds

1/2 c.

raisins

1 c.

confectioners’ sugar

1 tbsp.

milk

2 eggs,

beaten

Procedure:

1. Scald milk. Stir in sugar, salt and butter. Cool to lukewarm. 

2. Pour lukewarm water into large bowl. Sprinkle yeast over water. Stir until dissolved. 

3. Add milk mixture, eggs and flour. Beat vigorously 5 minutes. Cover, let rise in a warm place free from draft for 1/2 hour or until doubled in bulk. 

4. Stir batter down, beat in almonds, raisins and lemon peel. 

5. Pour batter into greased and floured 1 1/2 quart casserole. Let rise for 1 hour. 

6. Bake in 350 degree oven for 50 minutes. Let cool in pan 20 minutes before removing. 

7. Beat together 1 cup confectioners’ sugar and 1 tablespoon milk to form glaze and drizzle on top.

Try a different easter bread this lenten season. After all, we only pass this way  once.