# Paska Bread (EasterBread)



## NaeKid

Ukrainian Easter bread or paska (which means Easter) is a slightly sweet egg bread that can be decorated with religious symbols. It's taken to church on Easter morning in a special basket with other foods to be blessed. Slovaks also serve paska at Easter but this is not to be confused with the molded Easter cheese dessert of the same name. Ukrainians also feature babka for Easter but instead of the fluted shape favored by the Poles, theirs looks more like a Russian kulich.

As per the other thread, I figure that I would do some sharing of Paska recipes over here. I loved eating it as a child and I can still find paska at speciality stores and farmer's markets.

:bullit: :bullit: The picture associated with this recipe looks right, but, can you see what is missing? From Ukrainian Easter Bread Recipe - Recipe for Traditional Ukrainian Easter Bread or Paska

Makes 1 large Ukrainian Easter Bread
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes

*Ingredients:*
•1/2 teapoon plus 1/2 cup sugar
•1/2 cup lukewarm water
•1 package active dry yeast
•1 1/2 cups milk
•2 1/2 cups plus 5 cups all-purpose flour
•3 beaten large eggs
•1/3 cup melted butter
•1 1/2 teaspoons salt

*Preparation:*
1.Scald the milk and set aside to cool to lukewarm. Dissolve 1/2 teaspoon sugar in water and sprinkle yeast over it. Mix and let stand 10 minutes. Combine yeast mixture with scalded milk and 2 1/2 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Cover and let rise until light and bubbly.

2.Add eggs, 1/2 cup sugar, melted butter, salt and 4 1/2 to 5 cups flour to make a dough that is not too stiff and not too slack. Knead until dough no longer sticks to the hand and is smooth and satiny (about 7 minutes in a mixer, longer by hand). Place in a greased bowl, turn to grease both sides, cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise until doubled. Punch down and let rise again.

3.Reserve 1/3 of the dough for decorating. Shape the rest into a round loaf and place in a 10- to 12-inch greased round pan. Now shape the reserved dough into decorations of choice -- a cross, swirls, rosettes, braiding, etc. Cover the pan with greased plastic wrap and let rise until almost doubled.

4.Heat oven to 400 degrees. Brush bread with 1 large egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake an additional 40 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer registers 190 degrees. If necessary, cover the top of the bread with aluminum foil to prevent overbrowning. Remove from oven and turn out onto wire rack to cool completely.

:bullit: :bullit: This next recipe has the missing ingredient in it, but, no picture to view. From Easter Paska Recipe @CDKitchen

****BASIC DOUGH****
2 packages yeast
1/4 pound butter
1 quart milk
1/4 pound vegetable shortening
1 cup sugar
3 1/2 pounds flour PLUS"PLUS" means this ingredient in addition to the one on the next line, often with divided uses
1 cup for flouring board
1 1/2 tablespoon salt
1 cup white raisins
4 each eggs

*Directions:*

Dissolve sugar in milk and heat until lukewarm. Crumble yeast into milk and let stand. Sift flour and salt into large pot or bowl. Put in eggs, melted vegetable shortening and butter. Add milk. Work until all dough is in one bulk, loose from hands and from sides of pot or bowl. Cover with pot cover or a damp cloth and set in a warm place to rise. It should be double in amount in about 2 or 2 1/2 hours. Take three large balls of dough, the size of large grapefruits, form into 10" strips 3" in diameter and braid. Paska is always baked in a round pan, 6" high. The temperature should be 400 deg. for the first 10 min. and then lowered to 375 deg. for the next 40 to 50 minutes. When the Paska is taken from the oven, spread with melted butter. This will make 4 Paskas.

:bullit: :bullit:

If you give this a try, let me know how it turns out ...

PS. The missing ingredient from the first recipe is the raisins ...


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## *Andi

Thanks for the recipe!  Sounds yummy.

I'll let you know how it turns out.


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## TechAdmin

Never heard of it but I'm going to give it a try this weekend.


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## gamom

Actually Pascha literally means "Passover" but Pascha is Eastern Easter hence the general mistaken translation ... I'm also Eastern Orthodox (Russian) and Pascha is my favorite holiday


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