Easter is just around the corner and I decided to make this Paska Easter Bread. This is an egg-based bread that is traditionally served in Ukrainian families. Paska is made using milk, butter, eggs, flour and sugar.
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Paska in the Ukrainian language means Easter. (Source Wiki). This bread is also made in Romania, Russia, Armenia, Belarus etc. Russia has its version of Easter bread which is almost similar and called Kulich.
Now My bread may or may not be a Traditional recipe. I have followed multiple recipes from the internet and arrived at one. Though the basic ingredients remain the same, I have just changed the ratio that suits me to bake soft and delicious bread. I have also replaced the all-purpose or plain flour with Whole wheat flour.
Baking Tin for Baking Paska Easter Bread
The bread is generally baked tall. I.e. baked in long bread moulds where you get the tall shape for the bread. So if you want to retain the shape, it is best to bake it in a small round tin, where you get the height or alternatively you can bake in tins.
To give it a height, I have lined the tin with parchment paper. If you have liners that will work too. I have simply used parchment paper, so that if it bakes the paper guides it and holds shape.
I have baked this bread in a 6-inch round cake tin and my cupcake tin. Cupcake tin because I wanted to make it individual portions and as I was going to ice it, wanted to give it a cupcake look. One can even bake it in a loaf tin.
Flavouring and decorations
Lemon or Orange Zest is occasionally added to flavour it. An egg wash is done to give it a nice golden colour. Traditionally raisins are added to the dough. Though now, one does add nuts, chocolate chips etc. It is then generally iced and then colourful decorations are topped on it to give it a festive cheer.
If you want to skip icing, you can decorate the top with some nice bread designs. Traditionally many even make a cross or religious symbols to symbolise the festive day.
Serving Suggestions
The bread comes nice and moist. The bread is best eaten on the same day it is baked. As it has bursting flavours from lemon zest. As I have iced it with white chocolate it was more like a treat for us. My daughter could not wait for the pic too. She grabbed one of the muffin shaped bread and ate it.
If you want to enjoy this as breakfast or have leftovers, toast the bread slightly. Enjoy it with butter, jam or chutney of your choice. Hot Coffee on the side would do no harm.
I am also sharing this bread for our Shhhhh Cooking Secretly Challenge group this month’s Easter Bread Theme. I suggested this theme for the month as Easter is just next month and I thought it would be good to showcase the traditional Easter bread around the world.
My partner for this month was Preethi from Preethi’s Cuisine. She gave me Orange Juice and salt and I baked this soft and yummy Paska- Easter Bread and I gave her salt and sugar and she baked this Traditional Italian Easter bread.
Few More Bread Recipes for Easter
Paska Easter Bread
Ingredients
- 1 + ⅓ cup (300 ml ) milk
- 1 cup raisins
- 4 cup (620 grams) Whole wheat flour (One can use all purpose /plain flour – maida too)
- ¼ cup (50 grams) sugar
- 2 ¼ teaspoon (7 grams) Instant yeast (One can use dry yeast too)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 Medium size eggs
- ¼ Cup (60 grams) Melted Butter at room temperature
- Zest of 1 Big lemon – Around 1 tablespoon
- 1 small egg + water for egg wash – One can use milk too
- 2 tablespoon Orange Juice/Vodka/Rum – For Soaking Raisins
Icing
- 1/2 Cup White Chocolate Chips
- Colourful Sprinklers
Instructions
- Soak the raisins in Orange Juice/Vodka/Rum the night before or upto 7 days in advance.
- The ingredients
- On the day of baking, warm the milk a bit. (Just luke warm not hot, or else you will kill the yeast)
- In a bowl of your electric mixer or a large bowl, sift the flour and salt.
- Add in the yeast, sugar, 2 eggs, melted butter, lemon zest and raisins.
- Give it a mix.
- Now add the milk. If using an electric mixer, knead it on medium for the first 5 minutes and then on high for the next 5 minutes to form a soft and elastic dough.
- If kneading by hand, knead it to a soft dough until it forms a nice and a soft dough.
- Transfer the kneaded dough into a greased bowl and let it rise for about 2 hours.
- After 2 hours pinch the dough and give it a quick knead.
- Depending on the mould used divide the dough.
- As I have used a 6 inch round tin and cupcake tin, I divided the dough into 3:1 part.
- For 3 parts, I made it into a round bread.
- For the remaining part, I divided it into 6 cupcake shaped small rounds.
- Grease the tins. To give it a height line the tin, with parchment paper, adding extra length wise. and
- Similarly for cupcakes, I have used muffin liners instead of cupcakes to give it a height
- Add the dough in the tins.
- Let the dough prove for another 1.5-2 hours.
- Bake it in a preheated oven for 35-40 minutes. The cupcakes/muffin shape would be done in 20 minutes.
Icing
- Melt the white chocolate in a double boiler or a microwave
- Once the breads are cooled completely, spread the melted white chocolate on it.
- Decoraete it with colourful sprinklers
Notes
- 1 teaspoon = 5 ml, 1 tablespoon=15 ml, 1 Cup=235 ml
- I am using Instant yeast, and hence I have not proved it separately. If you are using normal yeast, first prove it in lukewarm milk and sugar.
- If the top gets brown too much, cover it with aluminium foil and bake.
- The tin size will vary the baking time.
- One cane make a sugar syrup using icing sugar and water/egg and use it as an icing
YouTube Channel
Barbara
Friday 31st of March 2023
HI, I find your recipe interesting - however it is not Paska - it is Babka - paska is a flatter loaf that is baked either in a pie plate or springform pan and doesn't contain some of the ingredients (the fruit/citrus) you have listed. What you have made is Easter Babka - which is what I always made for my family and friends. Paska is the bread that is made, traditionally taken to the church to be blessed at Easter time. Round like a cake and highly decorated with bread decorations, not icing and sprinkles, that have Easter meaning (crosses and other religious symbols) much like a Ukrainian Easter egg. Paska also has more eggs and less milk (or in some recipes no milk, more butter). However I love, love the idea that this recipe you have is made with whole wheat flour and look forward to using this Babka recipe for my Easter bread this year along with serving my traditional Paska. Now if you can only come up with a whole wheat version of traditional Paska.
thank you
Renu Agrawal Dongre
Tuesday 11th of April 2023
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and info on this.
NARMADHA
Sunday 18th of April 2021
That is such a cute-looking paska easter bread. Beautifully baked bread in muffins cups and toppings make it so tempting. When I was going through your recipe, my daughter was checking the pictures and already told me to bake this for her.
Pavani
Thursday 15th of April 2021
I simply loved the idea of baking the bread into muffins and the paska bread looks so soft and delicious. Lovely clicks!
Anu Kollon
Thursday 15th of April 2021
Paska with white chocolate frosting and sprinkles looks super delicious. I absolutely love this recipe with the fact that it uses whole wheat flour. Great share.
Swati
Wednesday 14th of April 2021
Beautiful pics and eye catching easter bread topped with white chocolate and sprinkles.. I am sure your family especially kids must have had enjoyed this Easter treat.. I love all your bakes and this is now on my to bake list for sure.. Wonderful share Renu and a prefect lovely theme for the month.
Renu Agrawal Dongre
Wednesday 14th of April 2021
Thank You Swati