Recipe(tried): Paska and Babka

Hi Halyna,

I could not find what you asked for, but it did remind me of making babka. The first babka recipe I posted is the one I have made, but I tried to make one big one and the inside did not cook, definitely make the amount it says to! The second babka recipe is a less traditional one, but it is chocolate, and who doesn't want a chocolate version of something. The other recipe is for Paska, which definitely has a lot of eggs and calls for raisins. Hope you find what you're looking for. Oh, and I posted a description of Babka and Paska, you can scroll past that and there are the three recipes.

Velykden' Ukrainian Pioneer Easter - Ritual Bread

P ska and B bka are two traditional ritual breads tied with the Ukrainian Easter celebration. Of the two breads, the B bka is a rich cake-like bread. The name B ba in informal Ukrainian language means grandmother or woman. The word used for endearment or in the diminutive form is B bka. Some historians believe that the use of this bread had its roots in the matriarchal society of ancient Ukrainian culture, a time when women then were the authority figures. As a ritual bread it was then used in ceremonial prayer for fertility of the soil.

The p ska is symbolic of Christ's resurrection, and of the renewal and continuity of life. The Easter p ska or pask (plural) were usually baked on Thursday before Vel kden' (Easter) by Ukrainian pioneers following the Julian calendar. If the p ska baked on Thursday was not the best then another batch was baked on Saturday so that a perfect p ska along with ham, cottage cheese, butter, kovbas , salt, boiled eggs, decorated eggs (p sanky), horseradish and green onion could be taken to church on Easter Sunday for blessing.

Vasel na Hawreliak prepared dough for p ska the same way as for bread except that she added a bit of crushed allspice to the flour when she was kneading it. P ska was baked in large, round pans. Vasel na usually baked six or seven large pask plus several small, cheese-filled pask which she called p sochky or perepychky.

The tops of the large pask were always decorated and then brushed with beaten egg. The decorations on Vaselina's pask always included a braided or a twisted rope of dough around the outer edge. The central area was filled with k cheri (curls) made from ropes of dough whose ends were twisted in opposite directions. One rope of dough was placed across a second rope of dough to form a cross shape. The decorations were set on top of the p ska and left to rise so that they covered nearly the entire surface. Finally, Vasel na used a fork to beat the egg and applied it to the p ska with a tiny piece of cloth. As soon as the p ska has risen to the top of the pan it was placed in the oven to bake. Ukrainian pioneers said Khryst s Voskr s (meaning "Christ is Risen") before they ate a p ska. P ska was not eaten until after Easter Sunday church celebration.

Taken from: Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village: A Narrative History of the M. Hawreliak Home in Shandro, Alberta. By Marie Lesoway, Unpublished Manuscript, Historic Sites Service Branch, Alberta Community Development.

PASKA (UKRAINIAN EASTER BREAD) or PUNCHIKI

Can also use for Coffee Cake or Apple Strudel Cake

Initial Preparation for Yeast Dough

3 oz yeast or 3 packets of yeast.
1/4 to 2/3 cup of warm water
2 cups milk (pour into yeast mix)

When packets are diluted, put dissolved yeast in warm water into mixer or food processor that has dough blades.
Pour milk and a couple of spoons of flour. Mix this up and add 2 tbsp sugar, pinch of salt.

Add 2 or 3 cups King Arthur flour (or more, as needed - loose consistency)

Put mixture in bowl and cover with paper towel or towel. Let rise twice it's size for about an hour or two.

While Dough is rising after 1 hour, prepare:

15 yolks
1/2 lb powdered sugar (confectioner's)
2 tablespoons salt
2 oz ground almonds
1/2 lb raisins
2 sticks butter (melted)
1 or 2 cups sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
vanillin sugar (1-3 packs) or use vanilla

Beat yolks, sugar, and a pinch of cinnamon slightly. Add the risen, dissolved yeast dough. Add the sour cream (optional).

Mix dough until dough comes off the hands.

Then add butter (melted & cooled), raisins and ground almonds. Mix until smooth. Knead a little flour if dough is too soft. Cover pan and allow dough to rise.

Add dough to dishes or pans, about 1/4 full. Brush egg (for Paska) on top and put in oven. Bake 350 until golden brown.

Babka
Submitted by: Valinda

Makes 3 - 6 inch diameter loaves

" Babka is a rich yeast-raised cake bread. A successful babka, the pride of every Polish/Ukrainian homemaker, is rich, tender, fine textured and very light. Traditionally, this bread is baked in tall round baking pans. Coffee cans can be lined with baking parchment and used instead. "

1 cup milk
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
3 teaspoons white sugar
1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 eggs
10 egg yolks
3/4 cup butter, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons lemon zest
5 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup raisins
1 egg
2 tablespoons water

Warm the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat. Place 1/3 cup flour in a large bowl and pour milk over flour. Beat until smooth. Let cool until lukewarm. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Pour into cooled milk and beat well. Let rise in a warm place until bubbly.

Stir 2 eggs, egg yolks, butter, vanilla and lemon rind into milk/yeast mixture. Mix in flour,
cup at a time, beating well after each addition. When a loose dough has formed, turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 10 minutes. Gently knead in raisins.

Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 45 minutes. Deflate the dough and let rise again until doubled in volume, about 30 minutes.

Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into three equal pieces and form into round loaves. Place the loaves into well buttered tall, round baking pans. Do not fill the pans more than 1/3 full. Cover the loaves with a damp cloth and let rise until tripled in volume, about 40 minutes. Menawhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

In a small bowl, beat egg with 2 tablespoons water. Lightly brush this mixture onto the risen loaves. Bake in preheated oven 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) and bake for 30 minutes more. Reduce oven temperature to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C) and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown.

Let loaves stand 5 to 10 minutes before removing from pans. Transfer loaves very gently onto a cloth covered pillow (never a hard surface as this may cause the babka to settle or fall). Change position of loaves during cooling period.

Chocolate Babka
Submitted by: Nina

Makes 1 - 10 inch tube cake

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 10 inch tube pan. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and salt; set aside.

In a medium bowl, beat the butter and 1 1/4 cup sugar with an electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy. Change the mixer speed to medium, and beat in the vanilla. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. With the mixer on low speed, alternately beat the flour mixture and sour cream into the creamed mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Beat only until just blended.

For the topping: In a small bowl combine the chocolate, pecans, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon to make a crumb mixture. Spread half of the batter in the bottom of the prepared pan. Sprinkle with half of the crumb mixture. Pour in the remaining batter, and sprinkle with the remaining crumb mixture; press the crumbs in lightly so they adhere to the batter. Quickly, but gently cut through the batter and crumbs in an up and down motion with a knife. Lightly rap the pan once against a hard surface, to settle the batter.

Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Cover the top of the cake with aluminum foil. Continue baking until a skewer inserted halfway between the side of the pan and the tube comes out clean, about 20 minutes longer. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Carefully loosen the cake from the sides of the pan. Invert cake onto rack, and cool completely.