Czech Christmas Houska

1. Stage

Make the sponge: Dissolve yeast in warm water.

2. Stage

Cream sugar and butter with an electric mixer in a large bowl. Add beaten egg and salt. Stir in cooled milk, then yeast mixture. Sift in flour and beat until smooth. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

3. Stage

Make the dough: Stir orange zest, ginger, and mace into sponge. Add flour and mix until a soft dough forms. Transfer dough to a lightly floured board and knead until smooth and elastic. Knead in raisins and candied peel. Place dough into a well-oiled bowl and turn once to coat the surface. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.

4. Stage

Divide dough into 10 parts. Roll dough into ropes of desired length (make sure they are equal); let rise for 15 minutes.

5. Stage

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Generously grease a baking sheet.

6. Stage

Place 3 ropes dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Starting at the center and working toward each end, loosely braid ropes; pinch ends together to seal. Twist 2 more ropes together and place on the base of the braid. Repeat this process to form a second loaf with remaining dough.

7. Stage

Whisk egg yolk and milk together in a small bowl. Brush egg wash over each loaf and sprinkle with almonds. Let rise for about 45 minutes.

8. Stage

Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer loaves to a wire rack. Cover with a tea towel to make a soft crust; let cool completely.

9. Stage

Sprinkle cooled loaves with confectioners' sugar.