Name: Bread Maker Babka
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 1 egg; 3 egg yolks; 4 tbsp melted butter; 3 tbsp sugar; 3 tbsp powdered milk; ½ tsp salt; 2 tbsp orange juice; 1 tbsp grated orange zest; 1 tsp vanilla; 1 cup water (*minus 1 tbsp); 3 ¾ cup all-purpose flour; 1 tsp bread maker yeast; 1 cup raisins (washed); 3 egg whites (beaten); 3 large tomato juice (48 oz /1.36 L) or 5- 500 g/l lb coffee tins; ¼ cup shortening

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As a kid, Easter was an occasion second only to Halloween, summoning the kind of unadulterated delight that can only come from hunting your own living room for hordes of chocolate. Yet it was the Ukrainian Easter bread I really looked forward to.

Although bread is not typically the type of fare that kids yearn for, this bread was different. It was Ukrainian Babka.

And like any other child, I longed for kid food; candy, cakes, cookies, mac & cheese, pizza and sugary cereals, all of which happened to be the very same foods my mother had declared a moratorium on.

Except at Halloween and Easter. These were shining days for us – the days of junk food freedom. Emancipated from the shackles of parental food domination, we completely went to town on the sweet stuff; scarfing down that waxy, second-rate chocolate at every opportunity. We ate chocolate for breakfast, dessert and every snack in between, until just one more chocolate egg made us cry ‘uncle’.

So, in order to trump Easter chocolate, this was indeed, a special bread. You know, the kind of special that only comes once a year? The kind of special that infiltrates every fervent food thought in anticipation of the annual event it’s served at?

Of course I am talking about Babka- that light, buttery, slightly sweet, delicate cake-like type of Ukrainian Easter bread; bread that sent me reeling with the kind of gastronomical gratification only that breed of special food is capable of evoking. Then luring me back to the table, sawing off hunk after glorious flaky hunk, heaping with slabs of semi solid butter, barely clinging to its delicate crumbs; the Easter chocolate riding shot-gun….for now.

And after the celebration had finally ceased, ballooning above the belt, yet sated for another year, only then would I turn back to my Easter chocolate for consolation.

Bread is a big deal!

To Ukrainians, bread is kind of a big deal. In fact, Ukrainians regard bread as one of the holiest of foods. Not only is it brought to church on Easter Sunday as an offering, it used to greet honoured guests at home. Ukrainians celebrate almost every holiday and special occasion (like weddings and anniversaries) with bread. And if you ever have the honour of attending a traditional Ukrainian wedding, you will marvel at the towers of elaborately decorated breads.

I carry on the tradition and make this bread for my family now. However, unlike those that seek solace in the art of making home-made bread, I preferred when my Baba made it for me. Although I love to bake, I can do without the hard labor of bread making . I have weak wrists – really, it’s true!

So allow me to introduce a bread maker version of Babka that is every bit as good as the handmade version. Although the artisan bread maker may scoff at this method, I am not the type of person to take technological advances for granted, especially when it means less physical work for yours truly. And you still get your baking fix- the machine just does the unpleasant part for you! If you don’t have a bread maker, check out this great deal at Amazon! When my current one finally dies, I plan on buying this bread maker:

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