Houska is a braided bread found in Czech and Polish cuisine, often made with scalded milk, sugar, butter, eggs, and yeast. The dough is rolled out and twisted together before baking, and can be flavored with raisins, nuts, and dried fruit.
Houska is a type of braided bread typically made in a number of cuisines, including Czech and Polish cuisine. Although different recipes may call for different amounts of ingredients, the dough for this bread is often made with scalded milk, sugar, butter, eggs, and yeast to produce a fairly soft and light loaf. Before baking, the dough is usually broken into several pieces which are rolled out and twisted together. Houska can be made in a number of ways, though the intertwined pieces are often stacked on top of each other, sometimes in a spiral to create a conical or pyramid shape.
Sometimes called braided bread, houska is found in Czech or Bohemian and Polish cuisine and is often eaten for breakfast or for holidays and special occasions. While different ingredients may be used in bread, such as raisins, nuts, and other dried fruits, bread typically starts with a somewhat sweet dough that uses yeast to rise. The dough often starts with scalded milk, which means the milk is brought to a boil, sometimes with a little butter, and then allowed to cool.
Several eggs are typically used in houska dough, and some recipes call for a few whole eggs and just one yolk. Cooled, scalded milk is typically added to beaten eggs, with the yeast added. Some recipes may call for the yeast to be bloomed separately in warm water. A separate bowl of dry ingredients, such as flour, sugar, and salt, is prepared and set aside. The wet mix is then added to the dry ingredients and mixed thoroughly to form the houska dough, though not so much that an excess of gluten forms.
This dough is typically covered and left to rise for several hours. After rising, you can add other ingredients such as nuts, dried fruit and spices such as ground nutmeg, cinnamon and lemon zest. Some recipes call for them to be added before rising, though this may also depend on the preference of the baker.
The dough is then divided into several pieces, which are rolled out into thin strings. Many of these strings are then used to form braids of dough, which can be left straight or rolled into a coil. These braids are then stacked on top of each other and an egg white wash is brushed onto the dough. The houska is then cooked until golden brown and served hot.
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