Easter is coming and there is no better time to bake Easter cakes. We are glad to share the recipe for fragrant Podilska paska with dried fruits. The origin of this recipe takes its roots from Podillia (the part of Ukraine that lies along the left bank of the river Dnistro. It is the southern territory of modern Khmelnytsky, Ternopil and Vinnytsia regions).
This paska has soft and tender dough swirled with dried apricots and raisins. The dough also has a light sweet flavor of honey, vanilla, and cognac.
Ingredients:
- 400 ml milk
- 700 g (24,5 oz) flour
- 50 g (2 oz) fresh yeast
- 1 tbsp honey
- 15 yolks
- 200 g (7 oz) sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 200 g (7 oz) dairy butter
- vanilla – to taste
- 150 g (5 oz) dried apricots + raisins
- 100 ml cognac
- 1 egg for greasing
Cooking
Filling
Ensure all the ingredients are of room temperature before you start cooking.
Put dried apricots and raisins in a bowl and pour boiling water above. In a couple of minutes drain water and pour cognac above. Set aside the mixture for 8 hours.
Pre-dough
Put 125 g (4,5 oz) of flour in a bowl. Stir in 300 ml of boiled milk. Stir the mass and set it aside for a while.
Dissolve yeast in the remaining milk. Add to the cooled pre-dough and leave the mass for 20 minutes.
Whip yolks with sugar and salt. Melt the dairy butter and let it cool slightly.
Dough
Add the remaining flour, vanilla, honey, yolks, and butter to the pre-dough. Knead the dough. It should have a sticky consistency. It’s important to knead the dough until it is smooth – 6-8 minutes in a mixer on medium speed or 12-15 minutes manually (the dough is sticky and the process of kneading manually is not easy).
Cover the bowl with the dough, after mixing, with a slightly damp towel. Let it stand for 1,5 hour. Cover dried fruits with flour. Add them to the dough.
Baking
Arrange the dough into baking molds and leave for 40-50 minutes.
Grease paska with whipped egg. Bake them at 190°C (374°F). Baking time depends on the size of paska. Its top should become golden brown.
Do not open the oven for the first 15 minutes after putting Easter bread in the oven.
Glaze
The Easter bread should cool completely before you cover it with glaze. You can use any glaze you like)
Enjoy your meal!
Have you liked the recipe for meatless holubtsi?
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