Paska Recipe

Name: Paska
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 4 h 5 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: Ukrainian
Ingredients: 600 g strong white bread flour; 7 g instant dried yeast; 100 g caster sugar; 1 tsp fine salt; 240 ml warm whole milk; 3 eggs; 100 g butter, melted; 1 tsp vanilla extract; Zest of 1 lemon; 100 g raisins; 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tbsp milk, to glaze; 100 g icing sugar; 2 tbsp whole milk, for the icing; Coloured sprinkles, to decorate

Why This Paska Recipe Works

Paska is the Ukrainian Easter bread, a tall, golden, domed loaf that is the centrepiece of the Easter basket and the most important food of the Easter table. The word comes from the same root as Pascha, meaning Easter, and the bread is baked in the days before Easter, often on Holy Thursday or Saturday, when a household would set aside a whole day for the task. On Holy Saturday, it is placed in a basket with eggs, sausage, butter and cheese and carried to church to be blessed, and on Easter morning it is the first food eaten, after the fast of Lent. It is an enriched yeast bread, made with plenty of eggs and butter, and flavoured with vanilla and lemon zest, with raisins in some families, and it has a soft, fine, cake-like crumb and a thin, glossy crust. The height is part of its identity. It is baked in tall round tins, with a paper collar to hold the rising dough, so that it domes above the rim, and the top is decorated with a cross or a braid of dough, a symbol of the season. Ukrainian communities across Canada, especially on the prairies, have carried the tradition with them, and paska is baked in church halls and homes there every spring.

How to Make Paska

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Mix the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl, add the warm milk, eggs, melted butter, vanilla and lemon zest, and stir to a sticky dough. Knead on a lightly floured surface for 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic, then knead in the raisins.
Put the dough in an oiled bowl, cover, and leave to rise for 1 hour, until doubled.
Grease two 15 cm round cake tins, at least 8 cm deep, and line each with baking paper that stands 5 cm above the rim.
Set aside a sixth of the dough for the decoration. Divide the rest in two, shape into balls, and set one in each tin.
Roll the reserved dough into thin ropes and lay them across the top of each loaf in a cross or a braid, tucking the ends under. Cover and leave to prove for 45 minutes, until the dough has risen just above the rim.
Heat the oven to 175°C / 350°F, brush the loaves with the egg glaze, and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, covering with foil after 25 minutes, until deep golden and hollow-sounding when tapped, or the centre reads 93°C / 200°F.
Cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then lift out and cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes.
Stir the icing sugar and milk together to a thick icing, spoon it over the tops, and scatter with sprinkles.

Tips for Making Paska

Use a paper collar. The tall dough rises past the rim of the tin, and the collar holds it upright so that the loaf domes and does not spread.
Cover the loaves with foil half-way through. The rich dough browns fast, and the foil lets the centre cook without scorching the top.
Let the dough rise fully at each stage. The eggs and butter make it heavy, and it needs time and warmth to lift.

What to Serve with Paska

Butter
Sweet cheese spread
Coloured Easter eggs

Storing & Reheating Paska

Keeps wrapped at room temperature for up to 4 days and is best sliced thick. Freeze un-iced for up to 3 months and ice after thawing.

Paska FAQ: Common Questions

How long does Paska take to make?

About 1 hour 50 minutes of hands-on work — 1 hour of preparation and 50 minutes of cooking — plus 2 hours 15 minutes of Rising and cooling, so allow 4 hours 5 minutes from start to finish. The recipe serves 12.

What are the key tips for making Paska?

Use a paper collar. The tall dough rises past the rim of the tin, and the collar holds it upright so that the loaf domes and does not spread. Cover the loaves with foil half-way through. The rich dough browns fast, and the foil lets the centre cook without scorching the top. Let the dough rise fully at each stage. The eggs and butter make it heavy, and it needs time and warmth to lift.

What should I serve with Paska?

Butter; Sweet cheese spread; Coloured Easter eggs.

Can Paska be made ahead or frozen?

Keeps wrapped at room temperature for up to 4 days and is best sliced thick. Freeze un-iced for up to 3 months and ice after thawing.

Is Paska suitable for a special diet?

This recipe is vegetarian. Those labels are checked against the ingredient list, so a dish is only marked when nothing in it contradicts the claim.

How many calories are in Paska?

About 366 kcal per serving, with 9 g protein, 60 g carbohydrate and 10 g fat. The figures are calculated from the ingredient list and are an estimate.

Paska Nutrition

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.

366Calories

9gProtein

60gCarbs

10gFat

2gFibre

21gSugar

210mgSodium

Vegetarian

Paska

How to Make Paska

Tips for Making Paska

What to Serve with Paska

Storing & Reheating Paska

Paska FAQ: Common Questions

Paska Nutrition

Reader Reviews

Cooked this? Leave a review

How to Make Paska

Tips for Making Paska

What to Serve with Paska

Storing & Reheating Paska

Paska FAQ: Common Questions

Paska Nutrition

Reader Reviews

Cooked this? Leave a review

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