Instructions 1. Prepare the starter: Dissolve the yeast, sugar, and flour in warm water. Let sit for 5–10 minutes or until the mixture starts bubbling. If the surface looks still after 10 minutes, discard and start over with new yeast. 2. Prepare the dough: In the bowl of stand- in mixer, stir the flour, sugar, milk, egg, butter or oil, and sea salt with a wooden spoon. Add the starter, then knead using the dough hook of the mixer on low to medium speed for 8–10 minutes. The dough is ready when it no longer sticks to the bowl and starts rolling around the hook. The dough should be soft and barely sticky. Cover with a towel and let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free area, until doubled in size, about two hours. 3. Shape the dough: Punch down the dough and, using a dough scraper, transfer to a clean, lightly floured, kitchen surface. Divide the dough into two equally sized balls and let them rest for a couple of minutes. Roll each piece into a log, then shape into a coil. Transfer to two baking sheets covered with a silicon mat or parchment paper, leaving several inches of space between two coils. Cover loosely with a kitchen towel and let rise until almost doubled in volume, about 90 minutes. 4. Bake: Brush the tops with egg wash, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and transfer to an oven preheated to 350°. Bake until golden brown, about 45 minutes. Cool on a rack and serve warm or at room temperature. 5. For rolls, divide the dough into eight balls after the first rise and proceed with the recipe, making sure to decrease the baking time to 30 minutes. About the Author: ESTELLE TRACY is a French-born chocolate sommelier based in Kennett Square, PA. She is the founder of 37 Chocolates, where she shares the flavors and stories of craft chocolate through educational tastings and talks grounded in history, sensory exploration, and cultural context. Learn more at 37chocolates.com.
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followed my great-aunt’s lead by adding flour to the wet ingredients, first by the cup, then by the half cup, kneading the dough until the texture felt soft and tender like my earlobe. The indication of “cinnamon” stumped me. Most cake recipes call for a subtle teaspoon, but the dough was heavy, so I went for a bold tablespoon instead. The powdered spice tickled my nose. “Make the dough, let it rest, shape it. Let it rest and bake.” Those were Julya’s instructions for making bread. By then, I’d thankfully made enough loaves to settle on an oven temperature of 350° and start checking the doneness after 40 minutes. In the kitchen, grieving was a physical process. It meant scooping flour from a bucket, mixing wet and dry ingredients, punching and shaping dough. Grieving required strength, but it needed patience, too. I waited for the dough to rise—twice— then for the round loaves to bake and cool. I pulled the two roska loaves from the oven and presented them to my mom. This time, she looked at me and smiled. “They look good,” she said. At the table, we pulled the soft dough apart, letting the steam escape. The roskas were just like I remembered: barely sweet, slightly dense, with the familiar cinnamon scent that took me back to those Friday dinners. I sat back in my chair, feeling appeased. We had paid homage to Julya’s life; the time had come to let her go.
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Photo Credit: Estelle Tracy
Aunt Julya’s Roska Ingredients For the starter 2 tsp active dry yeast 1 tsp granulated sugar ¾ cup warm water ¼ cup all-purpose flour
For the Egg Wash
For the Dough 3¾ cups all-purpose flour ¼ cup granulated sugar 2½ tsp ground cinnamon ¾ cup milk 1 large egg, beaten 4 Tbsp unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted 1¾ tsp sea salt
1 large egg, beaten
For the Topping ¼ cup sesame seeds (optional)
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MARCH 2026 | JEWISH LIVING DELAWARE | ShalomDelaware.org
ShalomDelaware.org | JEWISH LIVING DELAWARE | MARCH 2026
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