From the Kitchen of Joan Craig
2 yeast cakes and 2 tsp. sugar (I use 2 packs of Dry Active Yeast)
1� c. milk
2 sticks butter (or 1 butter and 1 margarine)
1 c. sugar
� tsp. salt (if you use margarine)
Flour (about 7� cups; 1 scoop is approx. � cup)
6 whole eggs
1 tsp. orange extract
� tsp. cream of tartar
Pinch nutmeg
� - � tsp. cinnamon
1 c. white raisins
Keep all ingredients at room temperature. Cover 6 eggs with warm water. Also cover 1-cup raisins with warm water.
Break up yeast cakes; sprinkle with 2 tsp. sugar and cover with � cup warm water (110�F). (Temperature of water is critical. I follow the directions on the back of the Dry Active Yeast packet.) Stir and put aside.
Put 1 cup sugar in large bowl and � tsp. salt (if margarine is used). In a saucepan, scald 1� cups milk (little bubbles around edge of pan � not boiling.) and then add butter. Stir till melted. Add milk and butter to sugar in bowl. Cool slightly. Add 6-7 scoops flour; use large whisk to mix (or an electric stand mixer with the whisk attachment may also be used).
Drain raisins on paper towel to dry.
Add 6 whole eggs to flour mixture, stirring after each addition. Add orange extract, cream of tartar, cinnamon, and nutmeg to mixture. (Optional: 1-tsp. vanilla.)
Stir yeast mixture and add to flour mixture; stir well. Add 2 scoops of flour; stir well. Beat with electric hand mixer until smooth (about 5 minutes). Add the remaining flour, one scoop at a time, mixing with the dough hook on an electric stand mixer. Add additional flour, if needed, until dough is not sticky. Add raisins and push into dough. Tuck under. Put in large bowl and cover with towel.
Put in warm place to rise (about 3-4 hours).
Punch down. Push together, knead and make 3 small loafs. Use a little flour and knead each loaf slightly. Make a ball and tuck under to make a round loaf. Put in pans sprayed with vegetable oil and cover with towel. Put in warm place to rise (about 4-5 hours or until it reaches top of pan). Brush with whole egg that has been beaten well.
Bake in 350� preheated oven for about 30 minutes (brown on top). Wait 5 minutes and remove from pan. Cool on rack.
Recipe Note: I remember sitting at my parents� kitchen table one day (I think when I was a teenager), when my Babci (Helen) Rakszawski taught us how to make her babka. She didn�t use any measuring cups or spoons. It was �a little bit of this� and �a little bit of that�. This is her recipe that she gave to us that day. My Mom (Ann Rakszawski) wrote it in her own words and it has been revised only slightly.