SOUTHINGTON, Conn. — Nothing smells better or tastes more delicious than a freshly baked loaf of bread!
Chef and owner of Flair restaurant, Hector Delgado, shows us how to make a fine and fresh loaf of babka bread just in time for Passover which begins Wednesday.
This loaf of bread is a braided sweet bread that originates from the Jewish communities of Poland and Ukraine.
Flair is a modern American restaurant found in the heart of Southington! Father and son duo Hector and Jose Delgado pour their hearts and passion into their culinary inspirations from Latin and European cooking. They also opened Mix Fine Bakery, which provides cakes and pastries for all occasions.
Ingredients
3 ounces of yeast
2 cups of whole milk, warmed to 115° F
6 cups of all-purpose flour, divided
1 cup of granulated sugar*
½ lb of unsalted butter soft
3 eggs
1 teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
Zest of lemon
Zest of orange
Instructions
In a large bowl, stir the yeast into the warm milk to dissolve and let it sit for 5 minutes.
Add 3 cups flour and mix with a wooden spoon.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in a warm, draft-free area until the dough has doubled in size, about 1 1/2 - 2 hours.
Transfer the dough to the bowl of an electric stand mixer and add the sugar, melted butter, egg yolks, salt, vanilla, and zest to just combine.
Add the 4 cups of flour, one at a time, mixing between each cup.
Mix on low to medium-low speed until the dough comes together, adding more flour one tablespoon at a time if needed. The dough will be a bit sticky.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until it forms a smooth dough, about 5 minutes, again adding more flour one tablespoon at a time if needed.
Divide the dough into three equal sections and shape it into loaves. Then transfer to three 8 x 4-inch greased loaf pans.
Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
When the dough has about 10 minutes left to rise, preheat the oven to 400° F.
Brush the tops of the loaves with the egg wash.
Bake the loaves for 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350° F and bake for another 40 minutes or until the loaves are golden brown.
Enjoy!
Jennifer Glatz is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. She can be reached at jglatz@fox61.com.
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