Paska Easter Bread
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What is Paska? Paska is a traditional Easter yeast bread in Ukraine and Russia. It is light, sweet, and typically contains raisins. It was decorated with icing, taken to the church in a beautiful basket, and blessed. After Easter lunch, Paska is served with other desserts for tea. This Paska Easter Bread recipe is just what you need for the upcoming Easter.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- If you are looking for traditional Ukrainian or Russian recipes, then this recipe is the best you can find. Check also my Syrniki or Kartoshka desserts.
- The texture of this bread is soft and sweet, similar to brioche.
- This bread, like Honey Cake Medovik or Kyiv Cake, can be made not just for Easter but all year round.
Ingredients
- Flour: All-purpose flour.
- Yeast: Active dry yeast.
- Milk: Lukewarm milk.
- Eggs: Use room temperature eggs.
- Sugar: Granulated white sugar and powdered sugar.
- Butter: Unsalted butter melted.
- Raisins: Use any of your favorite brands.
- Orange: Zest of one orange.
How to Make This Recipe
Soak raisins in warm water. Add a few spoons of rum or cognac (optional). In the mixing bowl combine lukewarm milk with active dry yeast. Add ½ cup of flour and mix well with a whisk. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and set aside in a warm place for about 30 minutes.
Whisk eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. Add yeast mixture and 1 cup of flour, followed by melted butter. Mix the rest of the flour into the dough in small portions. Using a dough hook attachment, knead the dough until it becomes elastic and a bit sticky. Cover the dough with a towel and set it aside to rise for about 30 minutes. Usually, I keep dough on top of the warm oven.
While the dough is rising, drain the raisins. Mix raisins and orange zest into the dough. Fill up each Paska bread mold with the oiled hands about halfway with the dough. Cover the molds with a towel and allow them to rise for about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake the bread at 350°F for about 30 minutes, depending on the size of your paska. Let the bread cool completely at room temperature.
Making the Paska Bread Topping
In the bowl, whisk sifted powdered sugar and milk together until smooth. Glaze top of easter bread. Optionally, add some sprinkles on top or buttercream flowers. Check the recipe for how to make buttercream.
Tip from Marina: instead of milk you can use orange juice or lemon juice.
Expert Tips
- Soak raisins well in advance before adding them to the dough.
- Make sure your yeast is active. Do not use expired.
- Bake in paper molds.
Recipe FAQs
Store Paska Easter Bread at room temperature in an airtight container to prevent drying out.
Freeze Paska Easter Bread in a Ziploc bag or plastic wrap for a few months.
Paska is a traditional Easter yeast bread in Ukraine and Russia.
Paska means Easter and symbolizes Jesus in Eastern Orthodox countries.
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Recipe
Paska Easter Bread
Equipment
- 1 stand mixer or electric hand mixer
Ingredients
Bread
- 6 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups lukewarm milk
- 2 packs active dry yeast (16gr)
- 6 eggs room temperature
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted (113 gr)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups raisins
- orange zest
Topping
- 1 cup powdered sugar (sifted)
- 2 Tablespoons milk
Instructions
How to Make Paska Easter Bread
- Soak raisins in warm water.
- In the mixing bowl combine lukewarm milk with active dry yeast.
- Add ½ cup of flour and mix well.
- Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap or kitchen towel and set aside in a warm place for about 30 minutes.
- Whisk eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. Add yeast mixture and 1 cup of flour, followed my melted butter.
- Mix the rest of the flour into the dough in small portions.
- Using the dough hook attachment, knead the dough until it becomes elastic and a bit sticky.
- Cover the dough with a towel and set it aside to rise for about 30 minutes.
- While the dough is rising, drain the raisins.
- Mix raisins and orange zest into the dough.
- With the oiled hands, fill up each paska bread molds about halfway with the dough.
- Cover the molds with a towel and allow them to rise for about 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350oF.
- Bake the bread at 350oF.for about 30 minutes, depending on the size of your paska.
- Let the bread cool completely at room temperature.
How to Make Paska Topping
- In the bowl, whisk sifted powdered sugar and milk together until smooth.
- Glaze the top of the Easter bread. Optionally, add some sprinkles on top or buttercream flowers.