Recipe: Paska (Ukrainian Easter Bread)

Paska (Ukrainian Easter Bread)
rec.food.baking/David & Susan Savoie (1997)
From St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Cookbook, Kenora, Ont.

3 cups milk
1/2 cup warm water
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 tsp salt
2 pkg. yeast
1 cup butter
1 pkg. saffron dissolved in
1/4 cup boiling water and strained
6 eggs, separated
juice of 1 lemon
10-12 cups flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water, adding on tablespoon sugar and let stand for 10-12 minutes.

Scald milk, then cool to lukewarm.

Cream butter with sugar, add beaten egg yolks, beating well together. Add salt, lemon and saffron essence.

Beat egg whites till stiff.

Sift half of the flour into a large bowl.

Add yeast to cool milk, add butter, sugar and egg yolks. Pour this into the flour and beat it well. Fold in egg whites. At this time the dough should be the thickness of a pancake mixture. Place this mixture in a warm place free form draught and let it rise till double in bulk.

Add the rest of the flour, turn out on board and knead for 15 minutes till dough is firm and elastic. Place dough in clean greased bowl, let rise in a warm place till double in bulk.

When ready, shape and put in round high well-greased cake pans or baking containers. Fill tins 2/3 full and let rise once more till double in bulk. When forming the paska decorate each with crosses and rosettes.

Bake it in 325 deg. oven for 1/2 hour reducing heat to 275 deg. and bake another 1/2 hour or till done, depending on the size. Let cool in pan, then gently take them out.