#paska bread

[jujusorelli]

Paska Bread Recipe

Paska paskha is an Eastern European egg bread traditionally made at Easter. It is wonderfully light, with a slightly sweet flavor. Serve with butter or a sweet cheese spread.

[nekojitachan]

I finally got around to making paska bread (my one gram’s recipe) and the house SMELLS AMAZING.

The only thing is, what to do with six loaves with limited freezer space... (and a friend who just made it too, hence me finally getting off my butt to make it).

[dateademisexualpersonwho]

Date a demisexual person who hates Paska bread with a burning passion

[nekojitachan]

bread bread brEAD BREAD BREAD

Bread indeed! I always forget how long this recipe takes - you have to let it rise a bit, then ‘punch’ it down, then let it rise again, shape it into the loaves and let it rise again, then bake it (and since it made five loaves, that’s two batches).

I used my gram’s old wooden baking board and did it ‘old school’ (which is fancy talk for ‘oh sh!t, the egg mixture/butter mixture/yeast mixture is running for the edges, blend faster, dammit! - no, get away *insert cat’s name’). Nothing like a good panic while baking, but it’s the way I was taught, dumping the flour mix on a flat surface and then adding the wet mix to it rather than with a bowl (I think mainly because rarely is there a bowl big enough for it).

There were supposed to be more pictures, but no one was around to take them and my fingers were too coated for me to use my phone since it’s a VERY sticky dough. But here’s the finished product (more or less):

Too lazy to do the egg wash. With paska bread (easter bread as it’s sometimes called), you can also braid it or put an egg in it, but we never bother with it. Just love the sweet, slightly spiced bread that’s fantastic with butter.

Hmm, the house smells fantastic now.

[nekojitachan]

So basically I’ve been trying to message you and it won’t work? Idk what’s going on but I would really like your bread recipe :) thx

You weren’t the only one to ask, so here it is. :) Keep in mind that my one gram got this while volunteering at a church, so it’s meant to make a LOT. You can easily cut it in half, and maybe again if you can figure out how to reduce the yeast that much. But it’s SO GOOD and the bread freezes well, that and makes a nice gift.

Paska/Easter bread (I call it paska bread because really, I love it year round)

1 dozen eggs (plus one or two more if you decide to do an egg wash)

2 cups sugar + 3 Tablespoons for yeast

2 cups milk (maybe a bit more for the egg wash)

1 large cake yeast OR 2 oz cake yeast OR 1/4 cup dry yeast (I used active yeast)

1/2 pound butter

1 teaspoon salt

2 oranges - you’ll need the rind from them and you can use the juice from them (I always do, but it says the juice is optional)

1 lemon - for the rind

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger (or you can sub in 1/2 teaspoon allspice)

10 to 12 cups flour (you need at least 10 but count on 2 or more extra)

7-8 pie tins (unless you cut the recipe down)

Start by warming the milk (follow the instructions on the yeast package, but usually 100-110 F temp) with the 3T sugar in it so you can add the yeast - make sure it’s in a large pot or bowl since it’ll raise/bubble up! While that’s going on, melt the butter (you don’t want it too hot since it’ll be added w/ the yeast mixture eventually) separately. Yeah, it’s going to be a fair bit of bowls/pots going on.

Beat the eggs, sugar, orange juice, rinds from lemon and oranges together (it doesn’t say where to add the vanilla, you can add it here or w/ the butter - just make sure you add it somewhere!) until everything is incorporated.

Mix the flour (ten cups) with the salt and spices.

Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture. Be aware that this is a VERY sticky dough, so have the spare flour ready/at hand, along with the melted butter and yeast/milk mix (that or someone to help you). Once you blend the egg mix/flour together, add the melted (but not too hot) butter to the mix, and then the yeast. You’ll most likely need to add more flour, but do spend a little time mixing everything together and be aware that it will still be a bit tacky, the dough, when everything is incorporated. So don’t go too much over the 12 cups total of flour unless it’s a really humid day or the flour is still really ‘wet’ when all the ingredients are mixed in.

Put the dough in a really large container (or split into two or more), cover and place near a heat source (I place on the stove with the oven turned on) and let it rise - it’ll take an hour or so, probably. It should double in size, at least. Once that happens, punch down, cover again and let it rise once more.

Then you shape the loaves (round is how we always do it) and put in the greased pie pans (eight inches, usually the disposable ones) - the recipe says about a pound and a half for seven ‘small’ loaves, but I’d say a little more than a pound each for that many since I only got five loaves at that weight. Anyway, split them up however many you want, and let them rise again (another hour?)

If they’re around a pound, pound and a quarter each, it should take 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees F to bake (I wouldn’t put more than two in the oven at the time, but you should know your oven best). If it’s around a pound and a half or bigger, 40-50 minutes each.

If you mix an egg and milk together, you can put the ‘wash’ on top of the bread for the last ten minutes or so of baking and get a shiny coat on the crust.

That should be it?

(and hmm, not sure why you can’t message me?)

[ego-technique]

Hrudka Easter Cheese - European Many Eastern European Easter tables require the simple custard cheese known as hrudka pronounced hur-UT-ka. It is sliced and eaten on its own or, more frequently, as a component of a ham or kolbassi sandwich on paska bread with beet horseradish spread on it. The recipe is straightforward and nutritious.

[donnettethomas]

This traditional Polish egg bread is wonderfully light with a slightly sweet flavor.

[brighteyedfemme]

This traditional Polish egg bread is wonderfully light with a slightly sweet flavor.