Babka Paska
(Ukrainian Easter Bread) Recipe

Origin: Ukraine      Period: Traditional

This is the Ukrainian version of the Russian Easter bread known as Kulich and just like the Russian version it is traditionally baked in empty, round, coffee tins to give the spire and cupola shape of an Orthodox church.

Ingredients:

3 packets active, dried, yeast
1 tbsp brown sugar
120ml warm water
7 egg yolks
3 whole eggs
200g granulated sugar
240ml evaporated milk (or cream or milk)
finely-grated zest of one orange
1 tsp salt
700g to 770g plain flour
200g butter, melted and cooled
75g raisins

Babka Glaze:
200g granulated sugar
120ml water
1 tsp honey or few drops of lemon juice

Babka Paska
(Ukrainian Easter Bread) Preparation:

Method:

Place the warm water in a mug, scatter the yeast and brown sugar over the top and stir to dissolve then place aside for 5 minutes.

In the meantime, beat together the whole eggs and egg yolks in a bowl until thick and lemon-coloured. Gradually add the sugar, and continue beating until pale and thoroughly blended. Stir in the milk, yeast mixture, orange zest and salt and beat to combine. Gradually add enough flour to bring the mixture together as a soft dough then knead until smooth and elastic (add more flour, as needed, until the dough no longer sticks to your fingers). At this point add the melted and cooled butter and knead into the dough to combine. As soon as all the butter has been worked in ad the raisins, knead to mix, then continue kneading, adding more flour, as needed, until the mixture no longer sticks to your fingers.

Transfer the dough to a well-buttered bowl and turn to coat before coverign with a tea towel and placing in a warm place for about 90 minutes, or until doubled in volume. Knock the dough back then re-cover and set aside for about 60 minutes, or until risen to double the original volume once again.

Knock the dough back once more then divide into three equal portions and shape into balls. Transfer these into three 500g coffee tins the that have been well greased with butter and with greaseproof (waxed) pepper circles placed in the bases. Cover and set aside in a warm place for about 80 minutes, or until the dough has risen just above the tops of the tins. Transfer to an oven pre-heated to 185°C and bake for about 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 150°C and bake for a further 35 minutes (cover the bread with aluminium foil if it's browning too quickly).

Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for 15 minutes before removing from the tins and setting aside on a wire rack to cool completely. As the breads are cooling prepare the glaze. Mix the sugar, water and honey (or lemon juice) in a pan until a syrup forms. Take off the heat then and stir briskly (turning in one direction only) until the mixtue turns white. Spread over the top of the breads and decorate with rice paper confetti.

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