The Spruce / Loren Runion
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving) | |
---|---|
189 | Calories |
11g | Fat |
16g | Carbs |
7g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
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Servings: 12 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 189 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 11g | 14% |
Saturated Fat 5g | 26% |
Cholesterol 167mg | 56% |
Sodium 480mg | 21% |
Total Carbohydrate 16g | 6% |
Dietary Fiber 1g | 3% |
Protein 7g | |
Calcium 76mg | 6% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |
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. Slovaks also serve paska at Easter but this is not to be confused with the molded Easter cheese dessert of the same name.
Ukrainians also feature another type of sweet bread known as babka for Easter but instead of the fluted shape favored by the Poles, theirs looks more like a Russian kulich which is tall and cylindrical in shape.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1/2 cup sugar (plus 1/2 teaspoon)
- 1/2 cup water (lukewarm)
- 1 (0.25-ounce) package active dry yeast
- 7 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (divided)
- 3 large eggs (room temperature; beaten)
- 1/3 cup butter (melted)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- For the Egg Wash:
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
- 2 tablespoons water
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients.
The Spruce / Loren Runion
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In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, scald the milk and set aside to cool until lukewarm.
The Spruce / Loren Runion
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In a large bowl, dissolve 1/2 teaspoon sugar in water and sprinkle yeast over it. Mix and let stand for 10 minutes.
The Spruce / Loren Runion
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Add the lukewarm scalded milk and 2 1/2 cups flour to the yeast mixture. Beat until smooth. Cover and let rise until light and bubbly.
The Spruce / Loren Runion
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Add eggs, the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, melted butter, salt, and 4 1/2 to 5 cups of the remaining flour to make a dough that is not too stiff and not too slack.
The Spruce / Loren Runion
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Knead until dough no longer sticks to the hand and is smooth and satiny (about 7 minutes in a stand mixer, longer by hand).
The Spruce / Loren Runion
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Place dough in a greased bowl, turn to grease both sides, cover with greased plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled.
The Spruce / Loren Runion
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Punch down, cover, and let rise again.
The Spruce / Loren Runion
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Reserve one-third of the dough for decorating. Shape the rest into a round loaf and place in a 10- to 12-inch greased round pan.
The Spruce / Loren Runion
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Shape the reserved dough into decorations of choice—a cross, swirls, rosettes, braiding, etc—and arrange on top of the dough.Â
The Spruce / Loren Runion
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Cover the pan with greased plastic wrap and let rise until almost doubled.
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Heat oven to 400 F. Brush bread with 1 large egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water.
The Spruce / Loren Runion
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Bake 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 F and bake an additional 40 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer registers 190 F. If necessary, cover the top of the bread with aluminum foil to prevent over-browning.
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Remove from the oven and turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
The Spruce / Loren Runion
Tip
- Some cooks make a stiffer, non-yeast, sculpting dough for the decorations so the shapes won't distort when baked. You can use the one as described in this Serbian cesnica recipe.
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