Paska Sweet Bread (Easter, Honey)
The tall, golden Easter bread of every Slavic home — enriched, faintly sweet with honey, studded with raisins, crowned with dough braids. Blessed at church, sliced with reverence.
Why you'll love this recipe
- An old world recipe, made the way it always was
- Not one spoon of refined sugar
- Sweetened with real honey
- Makes enough for 12
- Advanced, with clear steps and nothing fussy
What you'll need
Everything here is a real ingredient you can find in a normal shop. Nothing artificial, no powders pretending to be sugar. Here is the full list, with the quantities I actually use.
- 4 cups (480 g) bread flour (part whole-wheat if you like)
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) warm milk
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 1/3 cup (110 g) raw honey
- 3 eggs + 2 yolks
- 1/3 cup (75 g) softened butter
- 1 tsp vanilla, zest of 1 lemon, 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup raisins soaked in warm water
- Egg wash for the top
How to make it
Foam yeast and 1 tsp honey in warm milk (10 min).
Beat in honey, eggs, yolks, butter, vanilla, lemon zest and salt, then work in the flour to a soft, elastic dough. Knead 10 minutes.
Rise, covered, 1 to 1.5 hours until doubled.
Knock back; knead in drained raisins. Reserve a little dough for braids. Shape into a tall greased round tin (paska mold or coffee tin). Rise 45 minutes.
Top with dough braids/cross; brush with egg wash.
Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 35–45 minutes until deep golden and hollow-sounding. Cover with foil if browning too fast. Cool fully.
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Storage
Keep it covered in the fridge and it will hold for three to four days. If you are making it ahead, hold back any fresh topping until just before you serve so nothing goes soft. Most of these freeze well too, wrapped tight, for up to three months.
Questions about this recipe
Is Paska Sweet Bread (Easter, Honey) really made without refined sugar?
Yes. All the sweetness comes from honey - there is not one spoon of white sugar in it. That is the whole point of how I cook.
How long does Paska Sweet Bread (Easter, Honey) keep?
Kept covered in the fridge it holds for three to four days. Most of these freeze well too, wrapped tight, for up to three months - hold back any fresh topping until just before serving.
How many does Paska Sweet Bread (Easter, Honey) make?
This makes enough for 12. It scales cleanly, so use the 1x / 2x / 3x buttons on the recipe card if you need more or less.
Paska Sweet Bread (Easter, Honey)
The tall, golden Easter bread of every Slavic home — enriched, faintly sweet with honey, studded with raisins, crowned with dough braids. Blessed at church, sliced with reverence.
Ingredients
- 4 cups (480 g) bread flour (part whole-wheat if you like)
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) warm milk
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 1/3 cup (110 g) raw honey
- 3 eggs + 2 yolks
- 1/3 cup (75 g) softened butter
- 1 tsp vanilla, zest of 1 lemon, 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup raisins soaked in warm water
- Egg wash for the top
Instructions
- Foam yeast and 1 tsp honey in warm milk (10 min).
- Beat in honey, eggs, yolks, butter, vanilla, lemon zest and salt, then work in the flour to a soft, elastic dough. Knead 10 minutes.
- Rise, covered, 1 to 1.5 hours until doubled.
- Knock back; knead in drained raisins. Reserve a little dough for braids. Shape into a tall greased round tin (paska mold or coffee tin). Rise 45 minutes.
- Top with dough braids/cross; brush with egg wash.
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 35–45 minutes until deep golden and hollow-sounding. Cover with foil if browning too fast. Cool fully.
