Polish Holiday Babka

Begin by heating milk in a small saucepan until it reaches just below boiling point. Next, add butter and stir constantly until the butter has fully melted. Remove the saucepan from heat and let it cool down to a lukewarm temperature.

In a separate bowl, combine cake yeast with 1/2 cup of lukewarm water. Use a spoon to gently break up the yeast, then set it aside.

In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer with a paddle attachment to beat together 4 eggs and egg yolks. Add 1 cup of sugar, salt, vanilla, orange liqueur, zests, and the yeast mixture. Continue to beat until the mixture becomes thick and pale. Gradually add 2 cups of flour, mixing on low speed until it's fully incorporated. Then, gradually add an additional 2 cups of flour and mix until the dough comes together.

If the dough is too sticky, you can add up to 1 cup of flour to help it come together. Mix in your choice of dried fruits, such as currants, raisins, golden raisins, and almonds.

Transfer the dough to a well-floured work surface and knead for about 8-10 minutes, adding more flour as needed to prevent the dough from becoming too sticky. Shape the dough into a ball and transfer it to a large, greased bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

Place the dough in a warm environment and allow it to rise until it has doubled in size, which should take around 1.5 to 2 hours. Once the dough has risen, punch it down and cover the bowl again. Allow the dough to rise for an additional 1.5 hours.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease three tube pans and set them aside.

In a small bowl, combine 1 cup of flour, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, and cinnamon. Use a pastry blender or your fingers to work the butter into the dry ingredients until you have a crumbly mixture. Divide this mixture evenly among the three pans.

Roll out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 1 minute. Cut the dough into thirds and flatten each piece into a rectangle. Roll each rectangle into a log, pinching the seam to seal it tightly. Place each log seam-side up in one of the prepared pans, pinching the ends together to form a ring. Cover the loaves loosely with plastic wrap and allow them to rise for 30 minutes.

Before baking, beat an egg with 1 tablespoon of water to make an egg wash. Gently brush the egg wash over each loaf to give them a golden brown color.

Bake the babkas in the preheated oven until they are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped, which should take around 30-45 minutes. Remove the babkas from the oven and transfer them to a cooling rack so they don't stick to the pan. Allow them to cool completely before slicing and serving.