Babka

Warm the milk so it’s warm to the touch (not hot). In a small bowl dissolve the yeast in the warm milk and let sit 10 minutes until foamy.

Stir 1 tablespoon of the sugar and 1/2 cup of the flour into the yeast/milk mixture to make a sponge; mix well.

Cover the sponge and let it rise until doubled in size (about 30–60 minutes depending on room temperature).

After the sponge has risen, beat in 3 whole eggs, one at a time. Reserve one egg white (set aside) as noted in the original recipe.

In a separate bowl (or the same mixing bowl after the eggs are incorporated), beat the butter while gradually adding the remaining sugar until combined and smooth.

Stir the remaining flour and the salt into the butter mixture to form a dough/batter.

Beat the risen yeast sponge into the butter–flour mixture until fully combined.

Beat the mixture until the dough/batter is silky and smooth, about 10–15 minutes of mixing (this can be done with a stand mixer or by hand with vigorous effort).

Stir in the raisins until evenly distributed.

Turn the dough into a well-oiled and floured loaf pan; cover.

Let the loaf rise until it has roughly tripled in bulk (about 1½ hours).

Bake in a preheated 350°F (175°C) oven for about 40 minutes, or until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.

Remove from oven and cool in the pan briefly, then transfer to a rack to cool further before slicing.