Ukrainian Easter Babka

By
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek is a former chef who became a cooking school instructor and award-winning food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 02/3/22
Ukrainian babka recipe

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 60 mins
Total: 80 mins
Servings: 36 servings
Yield: 3 breads
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
181 Calories
7g Fat
23g Carbs
5g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 36
Amount per serving
Calories 181
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7g 9%
Saturated Fat 4g 20%
Cholesterol 86mg 29%
Sodium 130mg 6%
Total Carbohydrate 23g 9%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 0mg 1%
Calcium 25mg 2%
Iron 1mg 8%
Potassium 68mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Ukrainian babka and paska are two sweet yeast breads served at Easter. Unlike fluted Polish babka, Ukrainian babka is tall and cylindrical like Italian panettone and Russian kulich. It can be iced or left plain.

You will need cylindrical pans for this babka recipe, but 2-pound coffee cans will work. Make sure the cans are food-grade safe when heated and that their interiors do not have a coating inside (usually white) because the plastics and chemicals in this coating can leach into your babka and be unsafe. 

Ukrainian babka is sliced in rounds across the loaf beginning at the bottom. The sliced bottom crust is not eaten (until it's the only piece left) and serves as a protection to prevent the rest of the bread from drying out.

Babkas are baked at a high temperature at first so the dough will puff up and form a firm crust and then the temperature is lowered so the exterior dough doesn't scorch before the inside has finished baking.

Ingredients

For the Sponge

  • 1 cup milk

  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

  • 2 teaspoons sugar

  • 1/2 cup lukewarm water

  • 3 (1/4-ounce) packages active dry yeast

For the Dough

  • 10 large egg yolks, room temperature

  • 2 large eggs, room temperature

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1 cup sugar

  • 8 ounces (1 cup) unsalted butter, melted

  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest, grated

  • 6 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 cup raisins, light or dark, optional

  • 1 large egg, room temperature

  • 2 tablespoons milk, or water, room temperature

Steps to Make It

Make the Sponge

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for sponge cake
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga 

  2. Scald the milk and cool it to 110 F.

    Scald milk
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  3. Place 1/3 cup flour in a medium bowl and pour the cooled scalded milk over, beating until smooth. Set aside.

    Mix
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  4. In a measuring cup or small bowl, dissolve 2 teaspoons sugar in lukewarm water and stir in the yeast.

    Stir in yeast
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  5. Transfer the yeast mixture to the milk-flour paste, mixing well.

    Transfer yeast mixture
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  6. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until light and bubbly.

    Let rise
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Make the Dough

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for dough
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  2. In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the egg yolks, whole eggs, and salt.

    Eggs
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  3. Add 1 cup sugar and continue beating until light.

    Add sugar
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  4. Beat in the butter, vanilla, and lemon zest.

    Beat in butter
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga 

  5. Add the sponge to this mixture and mix well.

    Add sponge
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  6. Add 6 cups flour and knead 7 minutes by machine or 10 minutes by hand.

    Add flour
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  7. Knead in the optional raisins.

    Knead in raisins
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  8. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise until doubled.

    Cover
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  9. Punch down dough, knead a few times, and let it rise again.

    Punch down dough
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  10. Grease 3 babka cylinders or food-grade coffee tins and fill each pan 1/3 full.

    Add dough
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  11. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise until tripled.

    Let rise
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  12. Brush tops with 1 large egg beaten with 2 tablespoons of milk or water.

    Brush tops with eggs
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Bake the Babkas

  1. Heat oven to 375 F.

  2. Bake babkas 10 minutes.

  3. Then lower temperature to 325 F and bake 30 minutes.

  4. Then lower temperature to 275 F and bake 15 to 20 minutes longer. Cover tops with aluminum foil, if they are browning too quickly.

    Cover
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  5. Remove from the oven and let stand in the pan for 10 minutes.

    Bake
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  6. Turn loaves out of the pan, running a knife around them, if necessary, and cool completely on a wire rack.

    Turn loaves
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  7. If desired, the cooled loaves can be iced with a simple confectioners' sugar glaze, letting it drip down the sides for a decorative effect.

  8. Serve and enjoy!

    Ukrainian babkra recipe
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

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