Easter Paska Bread
My families traditional Easter bread
Servings 6 people
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup raisins *optional
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast**
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup butter melted
- 1 tsp each grated orange zest and grated lemon zest optional
- 1 egg + splash of water for egg wash
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, add the milk and heat over medium heat until scalded (reaches 180 degrees F). Remove from the heat. Add the raisins to the hot milk and set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, yeast** and salt and whisk to combine.
- Add in the milk, raisins, eggs and melted butter. Add orange and lemon zest if using. Mix with a spoon until a rough dough is formed. Dump onto the counter and knead with your hands until a soft, cohesive dough is formed, about 5-8 minutes.
- Lightly oil a large bowl. Transfer the dough to the bowl and allow to rise for about 3 hours in a warm location.
- After 2 hours, or until the dough has doubled in size, punch it down. Cut off about 250 grams (very small handful) of dough for decorations.
- Form the remaining dough into a ball and place into a greased, round baking dish, about 8 inches wide and 4 inches deep.
- Form the remaining dough into decorations. I like to make braids, twists, and swirls. Use toothpicks to hold in place.
- Allow the dough to rise for about another hour.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Whisk together egg and water, and brush on the risen dough.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes. If the top gets too brown, cover with foil.
- Let cool in the pan. Once it's cool enough to handle, remove from the pan. Cool completely and store in an airtight container for up to a week.
Notes
**I use instant yeast, which means you don't have to proof the yeast in warm water and sugar - you just add it to your flour and move on! If you're going to use dry-active, you will need to proof it first, so you can use the warm milk with some sugar added.
Notes on Baking: You can also make the Paska in regular, rectangular bread pans, just adjust the baking time, as you will likely need to split the dough into two loaves.