Paska Bread

As a child growing up in a New York City apartment, some neighbors in our building were from Ukraine, and I quickly learned to adore their Easter traditions. When the holiday came around, we would sit at their table for hours on end, decorating eggs with beeswax and brilliant-colored dyes, and eating slices of paska bread. The rich, eggy loaves were served for Easter brunch or dinner, but they’re so good you can enjoy them year-round.

What is paska bread?

Many Catholic countries, especially in Eastern Europe, have special Easter breads and cakes—from hot cross buns to Italian breads baked around hard-boiled eggs. Paska bread is a beautiful loaf, similar to brioche, made with an enriched dough that includes eggs, sugar and milk. It can be tall or wide, glazed or studded with dried fruit, and is often braided or decorated with elaborate (usually religious) symbols.

Many compare it to babka or kolach, another braided Ukranian bread, but they’re pretty different. Babka is typically sweeter and richer than paska and often includes flavorings (think chocolate babka, cinnamon babka or apple babka). It’s usually filled, rolled, then twisted into a loaf or round shape and baked before being sliced to reveal the fillings. Kolach (not kolaches, which are Polish or Czech) is also an enriched bread, only served for Christmas and other celebratory meals.

Paska Bread Ingredients

• Active dry yeast: The key to many leavened breads and other baked goods, active dry yeast can be purchased by the pound or by the packet, depending on how much you bake. Unlike instant yeast, active dry yeast needs warm liquid to bloom. Store yeast in the refrigerator or freezer to help prolong its life, and pay close attention to use-by dates for best results.
• Sugar: Sugar feeds the yeast and sweetens the loaf. It also helps create a tender crumb.
• Nonfat dry milk powder: Milk powder adds flavor, helps the bread stand tall and gives it a tender texture. It’s a win-win-win!
• All-purpose flour: All-purpose flour has a moderate gluten content (gluten makes baked goods chewy), which is why it’s the best type of flour for many baked goods.
• Eggs: Eggs from pasture-raised chickens tend to have deeper-colored yolks, giving your paska bread a lovely color. However, any large eggs will do.
• Butter: Use fresh, unsalted butter for the best results.
• Salt: Just 1 tablespoon of salt adds flavor and balances the sweetness in paska bread.

Directions

Step 1: Start the dough

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In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar in 1 cup of warm water. Let them stand for five minutes. Add the remaining 3 cups of water. Beat in the milk powder and 5 cups of the flour, mixing until smooth. Cover and let rise in a warm place until it’s bubbly, around 20 minutes.

Editor’s Tip: To dissolve yeast, you’ll want water between 105° and 115°F; temperatures above 120° can kill it. A stand mixer will make this dough easier to pull together, especially when adding eggs and butter in the next step.

Step 2: Enrich the dough

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Add the eggs, butter, salt and the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar to the dough and mix well.

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Stir in enough of the additional flour to form a soft dough.

Editor’s Tip: Enriched dough should be soft and supple to the touch and not too sticky.

Step 3: Knead and let rise

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Turn out the dough onto a smooth, floured surface such as a cutting board or countertop. Knead it until it’s smooth and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes.

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Place it in a greased bowl, turning the dough once to grease the top. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size, about one hour.

Step 4: Shape the bread

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Punch down the dough, then turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough in half and place one portion back in the covered bowl. Divide the remaining dough in half again, and press each half into a well-greased 10-inch springform pan.

Step 5: Decorate the bread with braids

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Divide the reserved dough into six equal-sized pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, and then, using the palms of your hands, turn each ball into a 30-inch rope. Use three pieces of rope to make a braid, then repeat with the other three pieces.

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Place a braid around the edge of each pan, forming a circle. Trim the ends of the braids, reserving the dough scraps, and pinch the ends of the braids to seal them.

Step 6: Add a little more decor

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Shape the scraps into two long thin ropes, then form them into rosettes or crosses. Place one decoration in the center of each loaf. Cover and let the loaves rise until they’ve doubled in size, about 1 hour. Halfway through, begin preheating the oven to 350°.

Step 7: Bake the paska

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Combine the final egg and water to make a glaze, and brush it over the dough to give it a shiny surface.

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Bake the bread for 50 to 60 minutes or until it’s golden brown. Remove the loaves from the pans and set them on wire racks to cool.

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Paska Bread Variations

• Add a powder coating: After the paska is out of the oven, you can decorate it with a dusting of powdered sugar. Mix the powdered sugar with cocoa, cinnamon, or other favorite sweet spices like grated nutmeg for even more flavor.
• Drizzle on a glaze: For more zing, try stealing the rich glaze from this lemon bundt cake and using it to ice your paska Easter bread. You could also make an easy glaze by mixing lemon juice, confectioners’ sugar and just a touch of milk.
• Stir in dried or candied fruit: Paska bread is lovely with raisins, chopped dried apricots, cranberries or pretty much any other dried fruit you desire. For best results, soak the chopped fruit in water, fruit juice or your favorite booze for a few hours before mixing it into the bread. You can also use candied fruit.

How to Store Paska Bread

Cool the paska bread completely and double-wrap it for storage. The first wrapper could be a clean tea towel or a layer of storage wrap. Then, pop the wrapped bread into a zip-top bag, press out the air, and seal.

How long does paska bread last?

The bread is safe to eat for up to five days but will begin to dry out after two or three days. However, stale paska bread is fantastic to use for French toast or in one of our favorite bread pudding recipes.

Can you freeze paska bread?

Sure thing! To freeze paska bread, ensure it’s cooled completely, then wrap it in storage wrap and cover wrapped bread with foil. Pop the bread into a zip-top bag, squeeze out the air, and store it in the freezer for up to three months.

Can you make paska ahead of time?

Like many breads, paska is best to eat the day it’s made. However, you can slow down the proofing process by refrigerating the dough ahead of time. One day before baking, follow the recipe through Step 6. Instead of letting the dough rise in a warm place, cover the pans tightly and place them in the fridge overnight. Remove the pans from the refrigerator one hour before adding the egg wash and baking in Step 7.

Paska Bread Tips

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How do you know when your paska bread is fully baked?

Paska bread should take around 50 to 60 minutes to bake and turn golden brown on the outside. However, you can also check the bread’s temperature with a thermometer; it should register 190°.

How should you slice paska bread?

You can slice paska bread across the circle like a regular bread loaf or into wedges. Whatever you prefer.

How can you serve paska bread?

Serve sliced paska bread plain or spread with butter, honey, all-day apple butter, elderberry jelly or any of your favorite jams.