Paska

Hard·40 min

A tall, cylindrical Easter bread, golden and richly enriched with eggs and butter, often studded with raisins and crowned with dough crosses or rosettes. It is glazed and sometimes iced, then carried to church in an Easter basket to be blessed.

Paska is the crowning bread of the Ukrainian Easter table, its name echoing Pascha, the feast of the Resurrection. After the long Lenten fast it marked the return of eggs, butter and milk to the kitchen, and the loaf's lofty crowned shape and decorations carried Christian symbolism layered over far older spring-bread traditions.

Light, feathery and faintly sweet, with a delicate eggy richness and little bursts of plump raisin. The crust is thin and deep gold, and the optional sugar glaze adds a sweet, melting finish to each tall slice.

A generous dose of yolks and butter enriches the dough so it bakes feathery and tender despite its height. Multiple long proofs develop the gluten and gas needed to lift such a tall loaf without collapsing.

Variations

Plain or raisin-studded, saffron-tinted dough, versions topped with white icing, almond or rum-scented variants

On the Palate

Where Paska sits in the Ukrainian flavor cloud

Ingredients

Serves 10

How it's made

8 steps · 40 min

1
10 min
Bloom the yeast in warm milk with a little sugar until frothy.
Watch out
The milk should be warm, not hot, and the yeast must go frothy — no foam means dead yeast and a loaf that never rises.
2
12 min
Whisk together egg yolks, sugar, melted butter and salt, then combine with the yeast, milk and flour.
3
15 min
Knead the enriched dough at length until smooth, soft and slightly tacky.
Watch out
Knead the rich dough long, until it turns smooth and just tacky — that stretch is the strength that holds the tall loaf up.
4
90 min
Fold in plumped raisins and let the dough rise in a warm spot until well doubled.
Watch out
Let it rise until well doubled — under-risen dough bakes dense and can't reach that feathery crumb.
5
15 min
Punch down, fill tall cylindrical tins about halfway, and decorate the tops with dough crosses or braids.
6
60 min
Let the loaves proof again until risen near the rim, then brush with egg wash.
7
45 min
Bake in a moderate oven until tall, deep gold and cooked through, tenting if the tops darken early.
Watch out
If the top browns before the middle sets, tent it with foil — tall loaves scorch on top long before they're cooked through.
8
30 min
Cool, then drizzle with white icing and decorative sprinkles if desired.