Polish Poppy Seed Bread

"This is a festive and complex bread that is typically served, in Polish-American homes, at Easter or for a Wigilia (Christmas Eve) buffet. Although it has an Old Country taste and feel it can be made in the bread machine." From Prairie Home Cooking

• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon lukewarm water
• 3 cups bread flour
• 3 tablespoons powdered whole milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3 tablespoons poppy seeds
• 1 1/2 tablespoons grated orange zest
• 1/4 cup honey
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 egg yolk, beaten
• 1/3 cup dark or golden raisins
• 1/3 cup slivered almonds

METHOD

Sprinkle the yeast over the lukewarm water in a small bowl; do not stir. Set aside for at least 5 minutes to proof to a foamy consistency. With a wooden spoon, mix together the flour, powdered milk, salt, and poppy seeds in a large bowl. Add the yeast mixture and mix evenly with an electric mixer. Add the orange zest, honey, butter, egg, and egg yolk, and mix until you have a firm dough. Mix in the raisins and almonds. Turn out the dough onto a floured board and knead for 5 minutes, or until the dough is elastic and not sticky. Lightly oil a large bowl, and transfer the dough to the bowl. Cover with a tea towel, and let he dough rise in a warm place until it is doubled in bulk, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours.

Punch the dough down and let it rise again, covered with a tea towel, until it is again doubled in bulk, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375°F and lightly oil a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan.

Transfer the dough to the loaf pan and let it rise, covered with a tea towel, for 15 minutes. Bake the loaf for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the loaf pulls away from the sides of the pan and a thump with your fingers yields a hollow sound. Remove from the oven and transfer to a rack to cool.

Makes 1 1/2 pound loaf

To make in a bead machine, add all of the ingredients except the raisins and almonds in the order suggested by the manufacturer for sweet breads. Use the sweet bread cycle. At the beep, add the raisins and almonds.

Reprinted with permission from Prairie Home Cooking, © 1999 Judith M. Fertig, published by The Harvard Common Press

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