Ukrainian Paska

Ukrainian Easter bread or paska (which means Easter) is a slightly sweet egg bread that can be decorated with religious symbols.

Ukrainian Easter bread or paska (which means Easter) is a slightly sweet egg bread that can be decorated with religious symbols.

It’s taken to church on Easter morning in a special basket with other foods to be blessed.

Ingredients

  • 1For the Sponge
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1/2 cup water (lukewarm)
  • 3 (1/4-ounce) packages active dry yeast
  • For the Dough
  • 10 large egg yolks (room-temperature)
  • 2 large eggs (room-temperature)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 8 ounces butter (melted)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest (grated)
  • 6 cups all-purpose flour
  • Optional: 1 cup raisins (light or dark)
  • 1 large egg (room-temperature)
  • 2 tablespoons milk (or water, room-temperature)

Steps to Make It

Note: while there are multiple steps to this recipe, this Easter babka is broken down into workable categories to help you better plan for preparation and baking.

Make the Sponge

  1. Gather the ingredients.
  2. Scald the milk and cool it to 110 F.
  3. Place 1/3 cup flour in a medium bowl and pour the cooled scalded milk over, beating until smooth. Set aside.
  4. In a measuring cup or small bowl, dissolve 2 teaspoons sugar in lukewarm water and stir in the yeast.
  5. Transfer the yeast mixture to the milk-flour paste, mixing well.
  6. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until light and bubbly.

Make the Dough

  1. Gather the ingredients.
  2. In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the egg yolks, whole eggs, and salt.
  3. Add 1 cup sugar and continue beating until light.
  4. Beat in the butter, vanilla, and lemon zest.
  5. Add the sponge to this mixture and mix well.
  6. Add 6 cups flour and knead 7 minutes by machine or 10 minutes by hand.
  7. Knead in the optional raisins.
  8. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise until doubled.
  9. Punch down dough, knead a few times, and let it rise again.
  10. Grease 3 babka cylinders or food-grade coffee tins and fill each pan 1/3 full.
  11. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise until tripled.
  12. Brush tops with 1 large egg beaten with 2 tablespoons of milk or water.

Bake the Babkas

  1. Heat oven to 375 F.
  2. Bake babkas 10 minutes.
  3. Then lower temperature to 325 F and bake 30 minutes.
  4. Then lower temperature to 275 F and bake 15 to 20 minutes longer. Cover tops with aluminum foil, if they are browning too quickly.
  5. Remove from the oven and let stand in the pan for 10 minutes.
  6. Turn loaves out of the pan, running a knife around them, if necessary, and cool completely on a wire rack.
  7. If desired, the cooled loaves can be iced with a simple confectioners’ sugar glaze, letting it drip down the sides for a decorative effect.
  8. Serve and enjoy!

Sugar Glaze

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons butter 
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 to 4 tablespoons milk (or hot water, for desired consistency)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.
  2. Melt the butter in a saucepan, or in a bowl or cup in the microwave.
  3. Sift 2 cups of powdered sugar into a medium-size bowl.
  4. Add the melted butter, 2 tablespoons of milk or hot water, and the vanilla to the powdered sugar. Stir to blend.
  5. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, adding a little more milk or hot water if necessary.
  6. Drizzle the finished glaze over a cooled cake, quick bread, coffee cake, cupcakes, or other desserts.

At Easter one says “Khrystos Voskres” (“Christ is risen!”) and responds “Voistynu Voskres” (“He is truly risen”).