Directions: |
Directions:Dissolve the 1 teaspoon of sugar in the lukewarm water and sprinkle the yeast over it. Let stand for 10 minutes. Combine the softened yeast mixture with the lukewarm milk and 5 cups of flour. Beat well until smooth. Cover and let the batter rise in a warm place, until light and bubbly. Add the beaten eggs, sugar, melted butter and salt; mix thoroughly. Stir in enough flour to make a dough that is neither too soft nor too stiff. Knead until the dough no longer sticks to the hands. Turn the dough on a floured board and knead until smooth and satiny.
Place in a bowl; cover and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk. Punch down and let it rise again. This amount will give 2 large loaves of paska.
Divide the dough into 3 parts. Reserve 1 part for ornamenting the loaves. Shape the other 2 parts into 2 round loaves. Place each in a greased round pan. Now cut the reserved part in half to ornament the 2 loaves. The central ornament on paska is usually the cross. Roll 2 long rolls and trim the ends. Place the rolls over the top of the loaf, crossing one another evenly. Tuck the ends of the rolls under the loaf. Shape the trimmed dough into twisted swirls or rosettes, and arrange them symmetrically between the arms of the cross. Use sharp scissors to make fine petals on the rosettes. Once the cross is placed on the loaf, the remaining ornamentation is left to one's imagination and artistic ability. This is one of the simpler ways of ornamenting paska.
Elaborate ornaments require experience. Some homemakers make a separate stiff dough mixture for ornaments to assure their shape. The cross may be made of entwined or braided rolls for a better decorative effect. Among the usual ornaments there may be a bird with eyes of peppercorns or cloves, nestling in a bed of rosettes. These additional ornaments are placed on a loaf when it is about half risen.
Set the loaves in a warm place, until they are almost doubled in bulk. Take care not to let the loaves rise longer than necessary because the ornaments will lose their shape. Brush very carefully with a beaten egg diluted with 2 tablespoons of water. Bake in a moderately hot 400° F oven for about 15 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350°F and continue baking for 40 minutes longer, or until done.
Avoid browning the top too deeply. If necessary, cover with aluminum foil. Remove the loaves from the pans and allow them to cool. |
This recipe for EASTER PASKA - TRADITIONAL is from