Rising time: 2 1/2 hours
Cooking time: 40 minutes

Making the kvásek (yeast mixture)

1. In a bowl, crumble the yeast in half of the lukewarm milk, with one teaspoon of sugar, and one teaspoon of flour. Let sit in a warm spot for 10 minutes to proof.

Dough

1. In a separate bowl, beat the butter with the remaining sugar.
2. Add thee egg yolks, vanilla, lemon peel, salt, and a little rum. Mix well.
3. Slowly add the leavened yeast mixture and the rest of the warm milk (100 ml).
4. Gradually add in the flour, almonds, and raisins.
5. Knead the dough until it is no longer sticky. Sprinkle with a little flour, cover with a clean dish towel and let rise in a warm place for 2 hours until doubled in volume.
6. Shape into a round loaf and let it rise for another 30 minutes.

Baking

1. Place the loaf  on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
2. Make a cross on the top with a sharp knife or scissors. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with sliced almonds.
3. Bake at 180°C / 350°F for about 10 minutes.
4. Then lower the temperature to 100°C / 200°F and bake for another 30 minutes - the total amount depends on the size of the loaf. The bread is done wihen a knife inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool.