Ukrainian Easter bread (also called Paska) is a sweet bread that Ukrainians bake for Easter and take to church in their baskets together with other foods to be blessed.
Today I’m glad to share with you one more amazing Ukrainian recipe for Easter bread. You’ll like its tender, moist, and fluffy texture combined with soft raisins and vanilla flavor. This Easter bread is the one you should try. It’s really worth it!
Ingredients:
Predough
- 4 tbsp sugar
- 1l (liter) of milk
- 700 g (1,5 lb) flour
- 100 g (3,5 oz) fresh yeast/35 g (1 oz) dry yeast
Dough
- 5 eggs
- 2 kg (70 oz) flour
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
- 800 g (28 oz) sugar
- 500 g (17,5 oz) raisins
- 250 g (1/2 lb) margarine
- 500 ml sour cream (15-20%)
- vanilla – to taste
Topping
- 3 whites of eggs
- 200 g (7oz) sugar
- sprinkles – to taste
Cooking
Place raisins in a bowl and pour above boiling water. Set aside for half an hour and then pour out the water.
Pour milk in a waterproof bowl. Add sugar and stir to combine. Heat the milk (don’t bring it to boil, the milk should be warm!). Put the yeast in a bowl and pour the heated milk gradually above (the yeast should dissolve completely). Use a wooden or silicone spoon. Combine the yeast with the milk. Add the flour to the milk and stir until well combined. The batter should be like the batter for pancakes, but a little more thicker. Preheat an empty big pan and transfer the predough there. Cover the lid and set the predough aside for 30 minutes. Let it rise until doubled. Then stir the predough and cover it again, leaving for 15 minutes more.
Pour 5 eggs in a bowl and beat them until stiff. Add sugar gradually and whip the mass thoroughly. Add melted but not hot margarine. Mix until smooth. Stir in sour cream. Pour the prepared mass above the predough. Stir everything carefully until smooth. Add the raisins and mix. Then stir in flour. The more flour you add the more dough is stiffer and Easter bread is thicker and drier. The less flour you add, the more Easter bread is moister and more crumbly. Then add oil and knead the dough again. Set the dough aside for 5 minutes.
Put half of the dough in the second pan. Cover the lids of both pans and let the dough rise until light and bubbly (for about15-30 minutes).
Cover baking pans with baking paper and transfer the dough there. Fill half of each baking form with the prepared dough.
Preheat the oven to 200°C (392°F) and then bake Easter breads at 150-160°C (302-320°F) for about 40-50 minutes.
Let’s make a topping. Whip the whites of eggs until stiff peaks. Combine them with sugar and beat again until smooth and stiff.
Grease the Easter breads with the topping when they cool. Decorate each paska with sprinkles.
Enjoy your meal!
Do you have a favorite Ukrainian recipe for paska? If so, please let us know in the comments below or write us an e-mail.
