Sourdough Ukrainian Easter Bread (Paska) by my Odessa grandmother - cooking at home recipes with photos and instructions

Sourdough Ukrainian Easter Bread (Paska) by my Odessa grandmother

  • Prep time: 2 hours + 3-8 hours’ proving, time to make icing
  • Cook time: 1 hour
  • Makes: 10-15
  • Difficulty: challenging
  • Course: pastry
  • Cookware: baking dish, egg separator, kitchen scales, Kitchen Aid stand mixer, silicone baking sheets, pastry bag with nozzles, copper bowl, cooling rack
  • Cuisine: Odessa

Ingredients

  • 600 g thick sourdough, refreshed 2 times before baking
  • 600 g strong flour
  • 400 g butter
  • 330 g sugar
  • 300 g milk
  • 300 g raisins (mix different: light and dark raisins)
  • 10 egg yolks
  • 6 g fresh yeast
  • 3 g salt
  • ½ tsp cardamom
  • zest of 2 lemons and 1 orange
  • a pinch of saffron
  • seeds of 1 vanilla stick or 1 tsp vanilla paste

For icing:

  • 450 g icing sugar
  • 2 egg whites
  • juice of ¼ lemon

Cooking method

STEP 1

Pour a pinch of saffron with 1 tsp warm water. Let it brew. Sprinkle the raisins with flour and mix. Remove the zest from the lemons. Set aside.

STEP 2

In the bowl of the Kitchen Aid, mix the sourdough, flour, milk, yeast, half the yolks and spices. Using a mixer, knead the dough until it begins to gather into a ball. Add the remaining egg yolks and mix until the dough is smooth. Add sugar and knead the dough until it becomes soft and smooth.

STEP 3

Add salt and butter to the dough in several portions. Knead the dough until it “takes” all the butter and becomes smooth. At the end of the kneading, add the raisins to the dough and knead for another 2 minutes. Butter the dough container, lay out the dough, cover with cling film and leave to rise in a warm place for 3-4 hours. During the proofing time, the dough should rise significantly.

STEP 4

Sprinkle the work surface with little flour. Transfer the dough to the surface. Divide into parts of the desired size, give them a round shape, put in ramekins, filling the ramekins by ⅔. Leave the dough in the ramekins for 4 hours.

STEP 5

Preheat the oven to 160C.
Bake the paskas for 40-50 minutes. Remove the paskas from the ramekins and place on a cooling rack.

STEP 6

Prepare icing. Pour the icing sugar into a high container. Add egg whites and lemon juice. Whisk with a mixer on high speed. The icing should be thick and not lose shape. If you would like to make the drip icing, reduce the amount of sugar, and add it gradually while whisking to adjust the thickness. When the paskas have cooled, top them with icing. Decorations (meringues, flowers, and sugar pearls) should be placed while the icing hasn’t set. Paskas stay fresh for a very long time. They are most delicious on the second or third day after baking.


Sourdough Ukrainian Easter Bread (Paska) by my Odessa grandmother
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: pastry
Cuisine: Odessa
Serves: 10-15
Ingredients
  • 600 g thick sourdough, refreshed 2 times before baking
  • 600 g strong flour
  • 400 g butter
  • 330 g sugar
  • 300 g milk
  • 300 g raisins (mix different: light and dark raisins)
  • 10 egg yolks
  • 6 g fresh yeast
  • 3 g salt
  • ½ tsp cardamom
  • zest of 2 lemons and 1 orange
  • a pinch of saffron
  • seeds of 1 vanilla stick or 1 tsp vanilla paste
For icing:
  • 450 g icing sugar
  • 2 egg whites
  • juice of ¼ lemon
Cooking method
  1. Pour a pinch of saffron with 1 tsp warm water. Let it brew. Sprinkle the raisins with flour and mix. Remove the zest from the lemons. Set aside.
  2. In the bowl of the Kitchen Aid, mix the sourdough, flour, milk, yeast, half the yolks and spices. Using a mixer, knead the dough until it begins to gather into a ball. Add the remaining egg yolks and mix until the dough is smooth. Add sugar and knead the dough until it becomes soft and smooth.
  3. Add salt and butter to the dough in several portions. Knead the dough until it "takes" all the butter and becomes smooth. At the end of the kneading, add the raisins to the dough and knead for another 2 minutes. Butter the dough container, lay out the dough, cover with cling film and leave to rise in a warm place for 3-4 hours. During the proofing time, the dough should rise significantly.
  4. Sprinkle the work surface with little flour. Transfer the dough to the surface. Divide into parts of the desired size, give them a round shape, put in ramekins, filling the ramekins by ⅔. Leave the dough in the ramekins for 4 hours.
  5. Preheat the oven to 160C. Bake the paskas for 40-50 minutes. Remove the paskas from the ramekins and place on a cooling rack.
  6. Prepare icing. Pour the icing sugar into a high container. Add egg whites and lemon juice. Whisk with a mixer on high speed. The icing should be thick and not lose shape. If you would like to make the drip icing, reduce the amount of sugar, and add it gradually while whisking to adjust the thickness. When the paskas have cooled, top them with icing. Decorations (meringues, flowers, and sugar pearls) should be placed while the icing hasn’t set. Paskas stay fresh for a very long time. They are most delicious on the second or third day after baking.