There are many different traditional Easter Breads from around the world. Usually, they are a sweet, yeasted bread made with milk, eggs, and butter. Often, the loaves are braided or decorated with whole eggs. This version, Paska, comes from the Ukraine and has a beautifully soft texture and mild sweetness.
On the Ingredients
- Active dry yeast is a form of baker’s yeast used for leavening bread and other yeasted confections. The earliest known use of yeast leavening was in Ancient Egypt, but for most of human history, yeast had to be fermented either by leaving dough in warm environments or with starters like with modern sourdough. It wasn’t until the end of the 19th century that commercial yeasts began to be developed. At first, it was available as slurry or cream yeast, then as yeast cakes, which required refrigeration. The most familiar dry granulated yeast was developed during WWII by Fleischmann’s for the US armed forces so that refrigeration was not needed for storage. Today, this is the most common type of baker’s yeast. Active dry yeast requires warm water to activate. Instant yeast is a different product that can be mixed directly with dry ingredients and takes less time to rise.
Ukrainian Easter Bread (Paska)
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hoursThere are many different traditional Easter Breads from around the world. Usually they are a sweet, yeasted bread made with milk, eggs, and butter. Often, the loaves are braided or decorated with whole eggs. This version, Paska, comes from the Ukraine and has a beautifully soft texture and mild sweetness.
Ingredients
1 cup warm milk
2 1/4 tsps active dry yeast
1/2 cup of sugar OR monk fruit sweetener
3 whole eggs (room temp)
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup butter (melted)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
4-5 cups all-purpose flour
Directions
- In a large bowl, combine the warm milk, yeast, and 1 tbsp of sugar. Let it rest for 10 minutes until foamy.
- Add the whole eggs, sugar, melted butter, salt, and vanilla. Mix until fully incorporated.
- Gradually add the flour, one cup at a time, until a soft dough forms. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes).
- Place the dough in a lightly oiled mixing bowl and cover it with a damp towel. Let the dough rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size (about 1.5-2 hours).
- Punch down the dough, then divide it into thirds. Make each third into a long rope, then connect them at the top by pinching the dough together. Braid the ropes and pinch the ends together. Either leave the loaf as a long braid or create a round loaf by connecting the two ends. Set the loaf on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover it with a damp towel, and let it rise for 45 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Combine the egg yolk with a tbsp of water and brush the loaf all over with the egg wash.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes, until baked through. You can test the doneness by tapping on the bottom of the loaf. If it sounds hollow, it's done. If it gets brown before the center is baked, you may need to shield the loaf with aluminum foil.
- Let the loaf cool for 15 minutes before slicing and serving. It's sensational with butter!
Notes
- Nutritional Info Per serving (approx. 12 serving per loaf)
Unmodified recipe:
325 Calories
7g Protein
10g Total Fat
49g Carbs
Recipe with sugar substitute:
293 Calories
7g Protein
10g Total Fat
41g Carbs
And that’s all we’ll say!
#bl