Paska (Ukrainian Easter Bread)

I used to be so excited to make Paska with my mother, a barely candy dense Ukrainian bread historically served at Easter. It’s a recipe effectively value the additional effort, and is as lovely as it’s scrumptious.

Tori and her mom making Ukrainian Paska together in the kitchen

Bounce to Recipe

What’s Paska?

Ukrainian Easter bread or paska (which accurately means ‘Easter’) is a barely candy egg bread! It’s just like Babka, however flatter. We had an enormous debate over icing our Paska, but it surely was fairly short-lived. Seems icing it’s the approach to go (I’m not an icing kinda gal, therefore no icing right here – perhaps subsequent yr!). It’s showy, satisfying to make and really nostalgic for me.

How To Make Paska

Making Paska is just like making a typical white bread, with a couple of added steps and substances. Eggs and milk add richness, and additional sugar provides sweetness. Listed here are the essential steps:

Scald the milk. Carry the milk to a simmer (83°C to be actual) and let it cool. This denatures the whey protein within the milk, and helps the yeast do its’ greatest work.
Make a sponge. A fundamental sponge, a bubbled combination of flour, water and yeast.
Make the dough. Knead within the remaining substances till easy. The dough must be comfortable and stretchy: don’t add an excessive amount of flour! Let the dough rise till doubled.
Type the Paska loaves. Get inventive and braid or twist the dough ropes!
Brush with an egg wash. As soon as risen once more, brush with an egg wash and bake till golden.

Tori and her mom baking Paska together in the kitchen

Tips on how to Retailer Paska

Baked Paska might be saved in an hermetic container or resealable bag for as much as 3 days or saved within the freezer for as much as 1 month.

Icing Recipe for Paska

If you happen to select to ice your Paska, right here is a straightforward recipe. Stir collectively 1 1/2 cups sifted icing sugar plus the zest and juice of 1 lemon (for a extra conventional glaze skip the lemon zest and juice and use milk as a substitute). Unfold over the cooled Paska and high with sprinkles if desired.

Easter Baking Recipes

If you’re on the hunt for extra Easter baking recipes you will have come to the fitting place. Not solely are these recipes scrumptious however they’re so beautiful to take a look at! Good to impress this season.

See my total Easter Menu right here!

homemade Paska Bread golden brown in a round baking dish

If you happen to make this recipe, you’ll want to tag me on Instagram with the hashtag #fraicheliving or depart a remark/ranking under. I might like to understand how you appreciated it!

xo Tori

Paska (Ukrainian Easter Bread)

Paska is a barely candy dense Ukrainian bread historically served at Easter. Be aware that this recipe makes sufficient for two loaves, however might be simply divided in half must you want to solely make one.

Components

Bread

3 cups 2% milk
1 cup heat water*
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
6 eggs crushed
1 cup sugar
10-11 cups all-purpose flour

Egg Wash

1 egg
2 tablespoons water

Directions

Scald the Milk

To scald the milk, place the milk in a medium saucepan and warmth over low warmth to 83 C. Take away from the warmth and put aside to chill to room temperature (that is necessary – too scorching and it’ll kill the yeast).

Make the Dough

In a small bowl, stir collectively the water and a pair of tablespoons of sugar. Sprinkle the yeast on high and let it sit for 10 minutes, till foamy.
In a big bowl add the cooled milk, yeast combination, eggs and sugar. Stir collectively to mix. Stir in 5 cups of flour to mix and proceed including flour 1 cup at a time till it’s too troublesome to stir. Switch the dough onto a well-floured work floor and knead the dough, including extra flour as wanted, to get a easy, elastic dough, round 10 minutes.
Divide the dough in 1/2, type right into a spherical ball, place every ball of dough into a big oiled bowl, and canopy every bowl with a clear dish towel. Let the dough rise till doubled, round 2 1/2 hours.

Assemble the Paska

Grease two 8-inch tall spherical baking pans with butter. Deflate the dough along with your palms, switch the balls of dough to a well-floured work floor, and divide every ball once more in 1/2.
Flatten two of the balls of dough to suit the pans, inserting every spherical within the backside of the pans and urgent to the perimeters.
Divide the remaining balls of dough once more in 1/2: you need to have 4 balls of dough. Divide every of those balls into 3 smaller balls to braid: you need to now have 12 small balls of dough. On a flippantly floured work floor utilizing the palms of your palms, roll every of the balls of dough right into a roughly 1/2-inch rope about 30 inches lengthy every. Taking 3 ropes, braid into a protracted braid. Repeat with the remaining balls of dough, braiding 3 ropes at a time. You’ll have 4 braids.
Taking one braid at a time, wrap the primary braid across the inside fringe of the pan in order that the ends meet (stretch the braid out if wanted). Take one other braid and wrap it inside the primary braid to slot in the center. Repeat with the opposite Paska.
Cowl every pan with a clear dish towel and put aside to rise till doubled.
Place the oven rack to the underside 1/3 of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.

Add the Egg Wash

In a small bowl, whisk collectively the egg and water to mix. Utilizing a pastry brush, brush the surface of every loaf with the egg wash.

Bake the Bread

As soon as doubled, bake the loaves for 50-60 minutes, till golden brown.
Switch the loaves to a cooling rack and as soon as cool, retailer every in massive hermetic luggage for as much as 3 days or within the freezer for as much as 2 weeks.