- soak the raisins (1 hour) in hot water and brandy - drain the liquid, pat dry the raisins and apply 1 tbsp of flour to further absorb the moisture - activate the yeast - in a small bowl, combine warm milk, active dry yeast, and 1- 2 tbsp of sugar.
- prepare the dough - combine together flour, egg yolks, whole egg, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, lemon zest, poppy seeds, sea salt, activated yeast mixture, butter and raisins - knead the dough 15 min, until it becomes smooth
- liberally grease the baking pan - transfer the prepared dough into the prepared pan, spreading it out evenly - cover the pan with a towel, place in a warm spot and let it double in size
- preheat oven to 350F - bake the Babka 45 - 50 min until golden brown - you may need to cover the top of the pan with foil to avoid burning the babka
- remove the babka from the oven - let it rest and cool in the form for 10-15 minutes - prepare the lemon glaze - carefully remove the babka from the form and let it cool few minutes
- glaze and enjoy!