Grandma C's Placek

Grandma Chrzanowski (my mom) was also an excellent baker. My children called her Grandma C. No one could pronounce Chrzanowski, my maiden name. Every Saturday without fail my mother baked Placek, a Polish sweet bread. Sometimes rolled with poppy seeds or raisons, and often put on a large jelly roll pan and topped with cherry or apple pie filling and crumb topping. There is nothing quite like the smell of fresh baked sweet bread. I can still remember how it smelled as a small child. My mother like so many mothers never used a recipe, so you can imagine how hard it was to get this. When she did visit us in Cleveland, I finally made a copy. This makes a large batch, but it freezes beautifully and even a plain loaf makes company toast special. My mother also made Polish cruschki, those flaky bowknots sprinkled with powdered sugar. She also made the best pierogi I've ever tasted, even to this day I have not found a recipe that compares to hers. Her secret?. read on it some where in this book.I usually only make this at Easter and occasionally for Christmas. My brother-in- law, Manny, really likes the poppy seed bread. Okay, now we're ready to work with a lotta dough. I did cut this recipe down somewhat but be prepared and no whining. Hope you know how to knead.

Ingredients

6 extra large eggs
1 cup sugar
2 pkgs. yeast dissolved in 1/2 cup warm water
1 stick butter slightly melted in 2 cups
2 cups scalded milk cooled to lukewarm
5-7 cups flour about 5-7 cups to start (don?t be scared)
1/4 cup orange juice
2 T. vanilla
Solo poppy seed, nut filling, or cherry pie filling
beaten egg plus 1 T. milk

Instructions

Beat eggs with sugar until thick and lemon colored.
Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water
Add to eggs along with milk, butter, orange juice and vanilla (my mother always threw in a couple of shots of whiskey, she said this made it taste better).
Add about 4 cups of flour and beat at low speed until combined and soft dough is formed.
Turn onto a well floured surface and knead in more flour until dough is soft and no longer sticky.
Turn into a greased bowl,cover with plastic wrap and a towel.
Let rise until dough has doubled, about an hour to one and a half hours, (I turn my oven on to warm to 900 and shut the oven off and put the dough in there).
Punch dough down and let rise again, (no, you won?t be going out today, not even the mall), about another 45 minutes to an hour.
Turn dough out to a lightly floured counter and divide into one or one and a half pound portions, you will probably have more (use one of those cute scales to weigh the dough).
A one and a half pound piece of dough should cover a jelly roll pan.
Grease 9" x 5" bread pans.
Roll the dough about nine inches wide and 10-12 inches long.
Spread about 2/3 of a can of poppy seed or nut filling over dough.
Roll up from short side and place in greased pan.
If your making the cookie sheet version, use two cans of cherry or apple pie filling and top with the crumb crust for the apple pie recipe.
Cover the pans loosely with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled.
Just before baking the poppy seed rolls poke the tops with a fork 3-4 times then brush with egg mixture.
Heat oven to 350°
Bake about 35-40 minutes until top sounds hollow when tapped.
Let cool in pans for about 10 minutes remove pans and let cool completely on wire racks.

Notes

Now aren't you glad you didn't go to the mall? Now cut yourself a big piece with lots of butter, you'll feel better.

Grandma C’s Placek