This bread recipe is delicious and I have been making it for 20 years now. This is such a versatile recipe and I use this bread recipe for regular sandwich bread, cinnamon twists or cinnamon buns and of course Easter Bread!
Paska bread is popular in Eastern Europe and countries with Orthodox culture. I grew up Greek Orthodox and have been making Paska since I was a child, helping in the kitchen and learning what to do. I learned the dough flowers from my aunt and has been something I have kept throughout the years. My children grew up doing this as well, helping me in the kitchen, preparing the dough and Paska and adding items to the basket — we would place our Easter bread in our baskets along with meat, cheese, chocolate, beet relish (which is made with horseradish), green onions, butter, salt and pepper, decorated and dyed Easter eggs along with a few other delicious items and go to church in which we would get our baskets prayed over and blessed. We then took it all home and celebrated Easter with all the delicious goodies we prepared.
This dough is wonderfully soft and fluffy and simply delicious! It can be made with all purpose flour, all purpose organic flour and even whole grain flour.
Let’s get started!
First, proof the yeast by adding the sugar and yeast in a large bowl with warm water. Let proof for 10 minutes. Then add oil, warmed milk and 1-1/2 cups flour. Stir well.
Add eggs and stir until combined.
Add flour and continue stirring until dough forms. When flour is difficult to stir in, turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until no longer sticky, but just tacky, adding more flour if necessary.
Place dough into an oiled bowl and slightly oil dough as well to help prevent the dough from drying out.
Cover dough with parchment paper and a tea towel. Place in a cold oven with the oven light on. Let rise 1 hour.
The dough will have at least doubled in size. This batch of dough has risen wonderfully!
Time to shape our dough into Paska. First off, cut dough into 4 smaller pieces, one slightly larger piece and then divide the remaining dough into 3 pieces.
Take the 3 large pieces and stretch out, press together at the top and begin to braid the bread. Cross the outer pieces over the middle – first the right outer piece over the middle then the left piece over the right piece we just brought to the middle. Every time you braid, you are bringing the outer piece to the middle and crossing them over. Once you get to the bottom, press the pieces together.
We demonstrated this on our LIVE Facebook video, here: https://fb.watch/4GiFnRUv7i/
Place braided bread into a greased baking dish.
Next, we are making the dough “flowers.” Take the larger piece, roll out and then flatten. Cut the dough half way, making little notches in it and then roll. Pinch the end and place in middle of the braided Paska bread. Then continue for the 4 smaller “flowers.” Place one dough flower at the top, one at the bottom, one at the left and one at the right which essentially will form a cross.
The Paska Easter Bread should look something like this. Place a piece of parchment over top and place in the cold oven with the oven light on for 30 minutes to proof.
The dough should have at least doubled in size — our dough has risen wonderfully!! Bake at 350F for 25 to 35 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
It has been a while since I have made Paska and it has turned out so well. Fresh bread always fills the kitchen with the most amazing scent and reminds me of gramma’s house. It also reminds me of growing up at my aunty’s house where I have learned so many delicious things through the years (including doing all those dirty dishes by hand!!) This bread is soft and fluffy and is great the next day! Just be sure to place in a plastic bag, wrap well in saran wrap or place in an airtight container. It is delicious fresh, warmed up the next day and even toasted!
Remove from oven and let cool 20 minutes before removing from pan to cool. I always smear a bit of butter over top the bread which will keep it soft.
Does this not look delicious!?! I am looking forward to cutting into this delicious bread and enjoying for Easter.
Easter (and all the time) Bread Dough
1-1/2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp yeast
1/2 cup warm water
3/4 cup warm milk
1/3 cup oil or melted butter
1 tsp salt
4-1/2 to 5 cups flour
2 eggs
To a large bowl, add sugar and yeast. Pour in warm water and let it proof 10 minutes. Add warm milk, oil and salt. Stir. Add 1-1/2 cups flour. Mix vigorously. Add eggs and stir well. Add enough flour to make a dough. Turn out onto floured surface, adding flour if too sticky and knead until dough is just tacky (but not super sticky). Place in an oiled bowl, slightly oil top of dough. Place in cold oven (with oven light on), topped with parchment paper and a tea towel over top. Let rise 1 to 1-1/2 hours.
Once risen, you can make anything with this dough. It really is versatile!
To make Paska, take 4 small pieces and 1 slightly larger piece of dough and set aside. These will be our “flowers”. With the remaining dough, divide it into 3 pieces. Attach the pieces at the top and begin to braid the dough. When the braid is complete, press dough together. Place in a round, greased baking dish. Place dough in a circle and press ends together. Next is flowers. Take the larger piece of dough and roll in a “snake.” Flatten and cut edges, half way up and through the dough. Roll and press edge to seal. It’ll look a bit like a flower. This one will go in the middle. Do the same with the other 4 pieces of dough and place one on top of the braid at the top, bottom, left and right which forms somewhat of a cross. Place parchment over top and place in oven to rise for 30 minutes. Remove parchment. Bake at 350F for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Remove from oven and let cool 20 minutes before removing from pan. Let cool completely.
To make this dough a sweet dough, add 1/3 cup granulated sugar to the dough.
Watch our Facebook LIVE on how to make and shape the dough here:
Part 1: Making the Dough – https://fb.watch/4GiBYd8AsI/
Part 2: Shaping the Dough – https://fb.watch/4GiFnRUv7i/
Mini Update:
We had a day of bread making and the kitchen smells divine! After I had finished my bread for Easter, my daughter “H” decided to make one too with help from me of course!! I think bread making is an important skill to learn so I was happy that she wanted to make Paska too!! My girls helped proof the yeast, prepare the dough, mixed the dough, kneaded the dough and then helped braid it. Hers turned out absolutely amazing — it rose wonderfully, is extremely fluffy, soft and an excellent start to learning bread making!!
This looks amazing!!I really need to try it…intimidation gets the best of me when it comes to making breads.
I have talked to quite a few people lately about breads and they feel the same! I look at breads like a biscuit — if you can make good biscuits, you can totally make good bread! The more you make it, the better you get! And different flours respond differently but once you learn all that, it’ll come like second nature!