Babka Osterbrot or Easter Bread

As you can tell from the tell that this is a sort of celebration bread baked around Easter time, some time with coloured eggs rapped in it as a decoration. It is a sort of front loaf a bit like a hot cross bun but in loaf form

You will need

14g/½oz dry yeast  or packages dry yeast

350ml/1pt lukewarm milk

1.2kg/2ld5oz strong flour

5 egg yolks beaten

225g/8oz sugar

225g/8oz butter

150g/50z currants

1tbsp vanilla

A good pinch of salt

Now to make this you have to sort of make it in two stages so first dissolve the yeast in  the milk then add almost half of the flour and work that into the milk. Then leave it ove night cover and let it rise to double its size.

The next day add the egg yolks, sugar, butter melted, currants, vanilla, salt, enough and the remaining flour and mix into a light dough. Then cover and let this rise once more in a warm place like you would do bread dough.

Turn our and knock back on a floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes  then them form into two loaves and set on some tray or greased bred tins . let the dough rise once more so it is doubles  in size.

Now pre heat you oven to 200c for 400f to start with, place the loves in the oven and start to bake them in a high oven but after about 10 minutes turn it down to about 170c or 350f for about another 50 minutes more

Now that is the basic recipe but you can have them with chopped almonds, orange zest or  lemon zest to give extra flavour to the bread. , to taste, are nice additions. Some even have crystallized ginger in them and spices. And to finish you can just drizzle with a little light icing or dusted icing sugar.