Ukrainian Paska bread | an Easter Tradition
Bring a taste of tradition to your Easter table with this delicious Ukrainian Paska bread! Made with simple, wholesome ingredients and a generous amount of eggs, this sweet bread is soft, buttery, and perfect for sharing. Whether toasted for breakfast or enjoyed as a centerpiece during your festive feast, Paska is sure to bring joy to your table!
Looking for some inspiration?… For more Easter recipes, click HERE! ; for more Blood Orange Recipes, click HERE! ; for more Recipes with Lemon, click HERE! ; for more Recipes with Oranges, click HERE!; for more Citrus Recipes, click HERE! ; for more Cookie Recipes, click HERE! ; for more Christmas Cookies, click HERE! ; and for more French Bredele Holiday Cookies, click HERE!
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Ukrainian Paska bread | an Easter Tradition
Ingredients
- 2.12 oz (60 g) Spring Water (Warm)
- 1/2 tsp (2 g) granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 tsp (7 g) active dry yeast (1 package)
- 3 oz (85 g) butter (Softened | At Room Temperature)
- 3.53 oz (100 g) granulated sugar
- 4 eggs (Large | At Room Temperature)
- 2 blood orange zest (From 2 blood oranges)
- 3.35 oz (95 g) blood orange juice (From 2 blood oranges)
- 1/2 tsp (3 g) sea salt
- 6.45 oz (180 g) scalded milk (Cooled)
- 1.65 Lbs (750 g) all-purpose flour (Divided)
- 1 egg yolk (Large | At Room Temperature)
- 1/2 Tbsp (7.5 g) Spring Water
Instructions
- Line 2 9-inch | 22 cm pans like you would usually do and set aside. NOTE: For this recipe, I used 2 of my Round Molds placed on top of a large perforated baking sheet. Set aside.
PASKA BREAD PREPARATION
- In small bowl, stir the sugar into the warm water. Gently incorporate the active dry yeast. Let it sit for 10 minutes covered with a plastic wrap: Foam will form. NOTE: This is a great test to see if your yeast is still active.2.12 oz Spring Water, 1/2 tsp granulated sugar, 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the paddle attachment on, cream the softened butter together with the sugar until light and fluffy.3 oz butter, 3.53 oz granulated sugar
- Add the eggs, the blood orange zest, blood orange juice and sea salt. Mix until combined. NOTE: If you do not have 2 blood oranges, replace with once lemon and one small orange.Add the cooled scalded milk, continue to mix until well incorporated and smooth.4 eggs, 2 blood orange zest, 3.35 oz blood orange juice, 1/2 tsp sea salt, 6.45 oz scalded milk
- Add half of the all-purpose flour together with the yeast mixture and mix for 1 minute on the lowest setting of your stand mixer.1.65 Lbs all-purpose flour
- If you have a dough hook attachment for your mixer, affix it now.Knead until the dough comes together for about 4 minutes on the second lowest setting of your stand mixer. IMPORTANT: The dough is ready once you get a smooth soft dough that is only very slightly sticky to the touch – not super sticky, and not really DRY.
- Turn dough out onto a floured surface, and knead for a few minutes. Dough should be smooth, elastic, and no longer sticky when it’s been kneaded enough. Place the dough into a lightly greased bowl.
FIRST RISE | 2 hours
- Cover with a plastic wrap and let it rise for about 2-3 hours at room temperature or 1 1/2-2 hours in a turned off preheated oven (100F/37C). It will double in size.
SECOND RISE | 1 hour
- Once doubled, beat down the middle of the dough and allow to rise another hour in a turned off preheated oven (100F/37C).
THIRD RISE | 30 minutes
- Divide the dough in half on your work station. Then, set aside one third from each dough, which we will use later for decorations.
- Place each large dough in each of your prepared pans. NOTE: For the main body of your breads, you will want the dough to fill about 1/3 of each baking pan – they’ll rise a lot! Cover the baking pans and reserved 1/3 dough loosely with plastic wrap. Allow to rise another 30 minutes in a turned off preheated oven (100F/37C).
FOURTH RISE | 30 minutes
- Once your 30 minutes are up, use the reserved dough to make designs on the top of each loaf. Here I did 2 strands braids on top.NOTE: Braids, twists, curls, crosses and rosettes are popular/traditional, but have fun with it. (Google can be a great source of design inspiration as well). Toothpicks can be used to help secure designs in place until after baking.
- Cover loosely with a plastic wrap, allow to rise one last time, 30 minutes.
BAKE!
- Preheat oven to 350F/180C.
- Once the final rise is finished, brush entire top of each loaf with egg wash by whisking the egg yolk and water together. NOTE: This glaze will give your finished Paska a shiny, dark brown finish. Beautiful!1 egg yolk, 1/2 Tbsp Spring Water
- Bake for 10 minutes at 350F/180C. Without opening the oven door, lower the heat to 325F/165C and continue to bake for another 40 minutes.(Every oven heats differently, monitor your bread from 30 minutes). It is ready when golden dark brown and does not feel hallow to the touch.
- Once your Ukrainian Paska bread is out of the oven let it cool down for 10-15 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack or wooden cutting board to continue cooling. Enjoy & Bon Appétit!
- NOTE: Wrap left over bread in plastic film and store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Credit: Marie from the blog Celebration Generation ; Recipe: Paska. After making a lot of research to find the most authentic recipe for the Ukrainian Easter Bread. I am over the moon with this recipe, which was handed down to Marie from her neighbor ; it turned out better than expected: All you need is love and patience. Thank you for the recipe Marie! ~Nessa
La Paska est le pain traditionnel de Pâques par excellence en Ukraine. Chaque famille a ses petits secrets de préparation pour cette brioche qui demande beaucoup d’amour et de patience. Il est parfait pour faire votre centre de table à Pâques mais aussi excellent le lendemain grillé pour le petit-déjeuner!
