Memories of Thanskgiving and the holidays for me involved a delicious baked sweet bread called Houska. It is a Czech bread usually paired with roasted turkey, and bread dumplings. The bread was purchased from a local bakery in my younger years. As I got older and my grandparents were no longer with us, my dad came across the original recipe my great grandmother would make. It was always made with love. The smell of this sweet bread baking was a wonderful smell of the holidays. There are raisins, in the dough with slivered Almonds on top of a golden crust. This recipe is simple with easy to find ingredients.
Houska
Ingredients
- 8 cups All purpose flour
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp grated lemon zest
- 3 cups milk
- 5 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 package yeast (2 1/4tsp)
- 1 cup melted butter
- 1/4 cup slivered almonds (optional)
- 1/2 cup golden raisins
Directions
- Warm 1/2 cup of milk to lukewarm. Then add 1 Tbsp sugar and yeast. Let sit.
- In a stand mixer bowl add flour, salt, nutmeg, lemon zest rest of sugar and mix with the dough hook til blended. Then add butter, yeast milk mixture, 4 egg yolks and remaining milk. Mix again til well blended and add raisins.
3. Cover the mixture with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place for about an hour.
4. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until dough is more stiff.
5. Divide dough into 3 equal pieces and roll out with hands into long strips approximately 6 in long and carefully braid pieces together.
6. Let the braided loaf rise for about 45 min-1 hr.
7. Mix remaining egg with a touch of water and brush onto the top and slivered Almonds (optional).
8. Bake in a 380 degree oven for 30 minutes until top is golden brown.
9. Let cool before slicing.
