Honey babka for Rosh Hashanah

DIRECTIONS

• If you’re using DRY ACTIVE YEAST, skip to instruction number 2.
  If you’re using INSTANT YEAST, make the dough using a stand mixer with the dough hook. Put flour and yeast in the mixer’s bowl and mix with a fork. Add sugar, then turn mixer on medium-low speed and mix for a minute. Add eggs and milk and continue to mix for about 2 minutes, until well incorporated. Stop the mixer as needed to scrape the flour from the sides using a spatula and continue to mix. Add butter, a tablespoon at a time, then add lemon zest and salt. Turn speed to medium-low and mix for 8 minutes. Stop the mixer to scrape the sides as needed. The dough is very soft, but don’t be tempted to add more flour into in.
  Skip to instruction number 3.
• If you’re using DRY ACTIVE YEAST you need to proof it first. Put ½ cup warm milk, the yeast and a teaspoon of sugar in a glass and stir briefly. Let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes until it visibly foams.
  To make the dough use a stand mixer with the dough hook. Put flour in the bowl and make a well in the center. To the well add yeast mixture, the rest of the sugar, eggs and the rest of the milk and mix for about 3 minutes on medium-low speed, until well incorporated. Stop the mixer as needed to scrape the flour from the sides using a spatula and continue to mix. Add butter, a tablespoon at a time, then add lemon zest and salt. Turn speed to medium-low and mix for 8 minutes. Stop the mixer to scrape the sides as needed. The dough is very soft, but don’t be tempted to add more flour into in.
• Remove bowl from stand mixer. Using a spatula, transfer dough into a lightly floured large bowl, cover in plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature, preferably in a warm space (near the oven, for example) until dough almost double in volume, about 2 hours.
• Check the dough, on a hot day it may be too soft at this point, and therefore hard to work with. Put it in the fridge for 30 minutes before rolling.
• To make the filling, mix butter, sugar, mahlab (if using) and lemon zest in a medium bowl. Keep aside.
• You can either make 2 loaf size babkas or one large flower-like babka, as shown in the photo.
• For 2 loaf babkas, spray two 8” x 4½” loaf pans with oil and line with parchment paper. Divide the dough into two. Generously dust a large working surface with flour and roll one half of the dough into a rectangle of about 3/16” thick. The size of the rectangle will be about 10” x 18”. Spread half the filling thinly on the surface, then drizzle with half the honey and sprinkle half the raisins and walnuts (if using.) Roll the rectangle starting from the 11” side like a roulade. (You will get an 10” long roulade.) Using a knife cut the roulade to its length almost until the end and make a braid by overlapping and wrapping one side over the other. Carefully transfer the babka into the loaf pan and repeat with the other half of the dough and filling.
• If you’re making one 9” babka, roll the dough in one piece into a 28” x 15” rectangle. Spread the sugar-butter filling and drizzle honey on top. Sprinkle raisins and walnuts (if using) all over. Roll up into a long log, starting from the long side. Gently cut log into 7-9 short logs (about 3 inches each) and transfer them, cut side up, into a 10” round spring form.
• Cover the babkas with a damp towel and let them stand for another hour. The dough will rise again.
• Oven to 350 degrees. Lightly beat egg yolk and brush it over the babkas. Bake the babkas for 45-50 minutes for the loaf babkas and 55-60 minutes for the large round babka. Touch the surface in the center of the babka to make sure it’s almost stable, but not completely firm. Remove to a cooling rack and let cool for 30 minutes (if you can) before serving.