Easter Paska

Paska is a yeast-raised bread enjoyed at Eastertime in some countries of Eastern Europe. It’s richly decorated, then topped with a shiny glaze.

MAKES: one 9-inch loaf

PREP TIME: 1 ½ hours

RISING TIME: about 2 hours, 45 minutes

COOKING TIME: about 1 hour

INGREDIENTS:

DOUGH:

• 1 ¼ cups warm whole milk (about 110ºF)
• ⅔ cup granulated sugar
• 1 Tbsp instant dry yeast
• 7 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ¼ cups unsalted butter, softened
• 2 large eggs
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1 Tbsp finely grated lemon zest (1 to 2 lemons)
• 1 Tbsp finely grated orange zest
• 1 Tbsp dark rum
• 2 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Egg Wash (1 large egg whisked with 1 Tbsp water)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Pour the warm milk into a medium bowl. Sprinkle 1 tablespoonful of the sugar and the yeast over the milk. Let stand until puffy, about 5 minutes. sugar and the yeast over the milk. Let stand until puffy, about 5 minutes.
2. Stir in 1 ½ cups of the flour. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl and using a hand-held electric mixer), beat together the butter and the remaining sugar on medium-low speed until smooth.
4. Beat in the eggs and egg yolks one at a time, beating until well combined. Beat in the yeast mixture, lemon and orange zests, rum, salt and vanilla extract.
5. Turn down the speed to low and start beating in the remaining flour, 1 cup at a time. Once a loose dough begins to form (after about 3 cups of flour have been added), fit the stand mixer (if using) with the dough hook and continue adding the remaining flour.
6. Increase the speed to medium-high and mix until an elastic, slightly sticky dough forms, about 8 minutes.
7. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead it a few times to bring it together into a ball. (If not using a stand mixer, mix in the flour until combined, then turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until an elastic, slightly sticky dough forms.)
8. Place the dough in a lightly oiled large bowl, turning the dough to coat it evenly with oil. Cover the bowl with a damp towel, or loosely with plastic wrap. Let stand in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, about 1 hour.
9. Grease a 9-inch springform pan. Line the bottom of the pan with a circle of parchment paper, then line the sides with a strip of parchment paper that extends 2 inches above the edge of the pan. Set aside.
10. On a lightly floured work surface, punch down the dough to remove the air. Cut off one-third of the dough, wrap in plastic wrap and set aside for the decorations.
11. Pat the remaining dough into an 8-inch disc, then gently press it evenly into the prepared pan. Brush the dough with egg wash, cover the pan with plastic wrap and set aside.
12. From the piece of dough saved for the decorations, cut off one-third and rewrap this smaller piece in plastic wrap. From the larger piece, pinch off 1 tablespoonful of dough and roll it into a small rope about ¼ inch in diameter. Coil the rope into a spiral and set aside.
13. Cut the rest of the larger piece of dough in half. Roll each half into a rope about 22 inches long. Twist the two ropes together to form a long, twisted rope.
14. Place this rope of dough on top of the dough in the pan in a wreath shape, gently stretching the rope to press the ends together.
15. Cut the reserved piece of dough (the one you wrapped in plastic wrap earlier) in half. Roll each half into a rope about 12 inches long. Twist the two ropes together to form a long, twisted rope as before. Place this 12-inch rope of dough inside the wreath-shape on top of the dough in the pan, stretching the ends to meet the ends of the outside rope.
16. Brush the spot where the ropes meet with the egg wash and place the reserved spiral of dough on top.
17. Brush the entire loaf with egg wash. Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap. Let stand in a warm place until doubled in size, about 30 to 45 minutes.
18. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400ºF.
19. Place the paska in the oven, then turn down the temperature to 350ºF. Bake until the paska is a deep golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the centre registers 200ºF, about 1 hour, rotating the pan 180 degrees after 30 minutes. If the top begins to brown too much, lightly tent the paska with foil.
20. Let the paska cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and and let cool completely on the wire rack.