Pascha Bread (Paska)
A traditional bread made for Pascha (Easter). This super easy Pascha Bread recipe is delicious and makes a great Pascha Basket addition!
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Wire whisk
- Dutch oven (or another oven safe circular pan)
- Rubber Spatula
- Plastic wrap or tea towel
Ingredients
- 2 Eggs
- 2 1/2 Cups of all-purpose flour 350 g + more for kneading the dough
- 1 tablespoon of active dry yeast
- 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter softened
- 1/2 cup of milk + 1/4 cup of warm milk to activate the yeast
- 1/4 cup of sour cream
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup of raisins or nuts optional
- Glaze optional
- 1 cup of powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons of milk
- splash of lemon juice
- sprinkles optional
Instructions
- To start, activate the yeast. In a small bowl, add 1/4 cup of warm milk, yeast, and a pinch of sugar. Mix everything together and let the yeast mixture sit for about 10 minutes to activate. You'll know that the yeast is activated when it looks foamy.
- Next, beat the eggs in a mixing bowl and add softened butter, the rest of the milk, sour cream, salt, and sugar. Mix it all together.
- Then, mix in the yeast mixture and slowly add the flour, a little bit at a time, into the dough mixture. You will start to see the dough develop into a shaggy ball.
- Now, spread flour over a clean, flat surface and turn the dough out of the bowl. Start kneading the dough, adding more flour as you go. Knead for about 15 minutes or as my grandma says, "the dough feels as smooth as a baby's bum."
- First Rise
- Once the dough is soft, smooth, and elastic place the dough into a greased bowl in a warm place with either plastic wrap or a damp tea towel over the bowl.
- Next, let the dough rise for 1 to 2 hours.
- Second Knead
- Once the dough has doubled in size the dough is ready to knead for a second time.
- First, punch down the dough in the bowl. Then, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
- Next, start kneading the dough again for about 10 minutes. Then, fold in raisins, and/or nuts, or other dried berries. Knead a little longer, about 5 minutes, until the the raisins are incorporated into the dough. Place the dough into a small Dutch Oven or another pan similar in shape that is greased.
- Now cover and let rise again for another 1 to 2 hours.
- Bake
- When the dough has doubled in size, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Then place the dough in the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the bread is golden on top. You can also tell the bread is done by knocking on the bottom of the loaf. If it sounds hollow that's another sign of readiness. Additionally, you can insert a knife of the middle of the loaf and if it comes out clean, that's another indicator!Let the Pascha Bread cool for about 10 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool for about an hour. Next, decorate with glaze, optional, and enjoy!
- Glaze
- In a medium sized bowl, mix together powdered sugar, 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk (the amount of milk will depend on your desired consistency), a lemon juice. Drizzle the glaze over the Pascha Bread and add any toppings (optional). Then let sit for about 30 minutes and enjoy!
Notes
How to Store
To store the Pascha Bread, use either plastic wrap, a Ziplock bag, or aluminum foil. The bread should be good for at least a few days.
Another option is to store the Pascha Bread in the freezer. To do this, wrap the bread in plastic wrap or use a Ziplock bag. The bread can be stored for up to 3 months in the freezer.
Additional Notes
Don't have a Dutch Oven or pan that will work for the Pascha Bread? You could use a Pascha Bread mold. These molds make it easy to achieve the right shape and give the bread some extra nice detail!
Have a limited amount of time and don't feel like adding more sugar to the Pascha Bread? Then, feel free to skip the glaze step.