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    Home » BREAD

    Paska | Ukrainian Easter Bread With Apricots and Marzipan

    Published: February 27, 2022 · Updated: May 27, 2022 by Ieva · This post may contain affiliate links · 15 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    Is it a fruit-studded French Brioche? Is it an Italian Panettone? Nobody can resist this beautifully fluffy, buttery Paska! Paska is a traditional Ukrainian Easter Bread, versions of which are enjoyed all across Eastern Europe. We’ve made an egg, milk and butter enriched dough, studded it with sultanas, dried apricots and marzipan to make it even more special and baked it in a round cake tin just as Ukrainians do!

    We were saving this recipe for Easter, but simply could not wait much longer, and had to post it as soon as possible! Easter, of course, is still more than a month away, but we believe today is the right time to make this delicious Ukrainian sweet bread and enjoy it ahead of time!

    Take Me To:
    • How Is Our Paska Different?
    • Ingredients
    • How to Make Ukrainian Easter Bread?
    • Other Easter Cakes and Bakes

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    How Is Our Paska Different?

    Traditionally, Paska is made with either raisins or by simply adding some vanilla essence. However, we decided to put our own little spin on it (and maybe made it a little more British, in a way) by adding little cubes of marzipan (that is a reference to Simnel Cake) and some dried apricots (that we heavily use in our Easter Bakes!).

    Ukrainian Easter Bread is baked and ready to serve

    Ingredients

    • flour: since Paska is more of a bread than it is a cake, we recommend using strong bread flour in this recipe.
    • fast-action yeast: alternatively, you can use dried yeast, but make sure to activate it in warm milk first.
    • sugar: caster sugar or white granulated sugar.
    • milk: paska works best with dairy milk. Make sure to have an extra splash for egg wash.
    • eggs: medium in the UK, or large in the US. You will need 2 eggs for paska plus an egg yolk for egg wash.
    • butter: unsalted softened butter is needed here. Make sure you have some extra for greasing the tin.
    • cardamom: optional, but recommended.
    • sultanas: can be substituted with raisins.
    • dried apricots: generally, use any dried fruit you like, but we think that the apricot and marzipan combination is a winner!
    • marzipan: white and golden will work here.
    Ingredients for paska on a wooden chopping board.

    How to Make Ukrainian Easter Bread?

    In a bowl of your stand mixer, mix together strong flour, yeast, sugar and a pinch of salt. Make a well in the middle and add the eggs and milk. Start running your mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment on low speed until the ingredients are combined. Increase the speed to medium and keep kneading until the dough starts to look cohesive – about 5 minutes.

    Cut your room temperature butter into thin slivers. With the mixer running, add one sliver of butter at a time and carry on until the butter is fully incorporated and the dough looks glossy. This will take about 10 minutes. Your dough will be sticky, but it should gather around the dough hook.

    Grease a large bowl with some butter or brush it with oil and pop a ball of dough into it. Cover with a tea towel or cling film and leave to proof in a warm spot until it doubles in size, for approx. 2 hours.

    In the meantime, grease an 18cm (7in) springform cake tin with butter and then line the bottom with baking parchment. Cut a long strip of baking parchment and line the sides, so the baking parchment sticks upwards from the tin by at least 10 cm. Use good quality, sturdy baking parchment. You may use a larger tin for a wider, but less tall bake, if you wish. I wouldn’t suggest using a tin larger than 23cm (9in) in diameter. You can equally successfully make paska in a panettone mould.

    In a small bowl, mix the sultanas, cut up dried apricots and marzipan cubes.

    Once doubled, cut about ¼ of the dough off and set aside. Stretch the remaining dough into a rectangle and scatter half of the sultana, dried apricot and marzipan mix. Roll it up and knead gently, then stretch it out again and scatter the rest of the fruit and marzipan. Roll the dough up again and knead it into a ball. Place it into a prepared cake tin and using your hands press it down to cover the whole base in even thickness.

    Take the reserved ¼ of the dough and divide it into two. With the palms of your hands, roll each piece into 54cm (21in) string (or the length of the circumference of your tin). Interweave the two strings like a rope, then place it in a circle alongside the inner edge of the cake tin on top of the dough already in it.

    Place the tin in a bag (to stop it drying out), make sure it is loosely covered, and leave it in a warm spot for 1.5 hours until it doubles in size.

    Preheat the oven to 180° C Fan. In a small bowl, mix egg yolk and a tablespoon of milk. Gently brush your Easter Bread with the egg wash and place in the preheated oven for 40-45 min. Check the bread after 35 minutes to make sure it is not browning too quickly. Once baked, the internal temperature of the Ukrainian Easter Bread should be around 88°C.

    The bread is baked and is cooling on a wire rack

    Other Easter Cakes and Bakes

    For other Easter recipes, have a look at some of our favourites below:

    • Simnel Pinwheels for Easter | Fruit & Marzipan Pastry Rolls
    • Carrot Cake with Coconut, Pecans and Sultanas
    • Lithuanian Fourteen Layer Honey Cake
    A slice being cut from baked Paska

    Paska | Ukrainian Easter Bread With Apricots and Marzipan

    Is it a fruit-studded French Brioche? Is it an Italian Panettone? Nobody can resist this beautifully fluffy, buttery Paska! Paska is a traditional Ukrainian Easter Bread, versions of which are enjoyed all across Eastern Europe. We've made an egg, milk and butter enriched dough, studded it with sultanas, dried apricots and marzipan to make it even more special and baked it in a round cake tin just as Ukrainians do!
    5 from 8 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 30 mins
    Cook Time 40 mins
    Proving Time: 3 hrs 30 mins
    Total Time 4 hrs 40 mins
    Course Baking, Bread, Dessert
    Cuisine Ukrainian
    Servings 12 -16 slices
    Calories 269 kcal

    Equipment

    • Stand Mixer with a Dough Hook Attachment
    • 7-9in Springform Cake Tin

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 400 g strong white flour
    • 7 g fast-action yeast
    • 40 g sugar
    • 175 ml milk
    • 2 eggs medium
    • 100 g butter softened + extra for greasing
    • ⅛ teaspoon cardamom
    • 110 g sultanas
    • 75 g dried apricots chopped
    • 40 g marzipan cut into small cubed

    For Egg Wash:

    • 1 egg yolk
    • 1 tablespoon milk

    Instructions
     

    • In a bowl of your stand mixer, mix together strong flour, yeast, sugar and a pinch of salt. Make a well in the middle and add eggs and milk. Start running your mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment on low speed until the ingredients are combined. Increase the speed to medium and keep kneading until the dough starts to look cohesive – about 5 minutes.
    • Cut your room temperature butter into thin slivers. With the mixer running, add one sliver of butter at a time and carry on until the butter is fully incorporated and the dough looks glossy. This will take about 10 minutes. Your dough will be sticky, but it should gather around the dough hook.
    • Grease a large bowl with some butter or brush it with oil and pop a ball of dough into it. Cover with a tea towel or cling film and leave to proof in a warm spot until it doubles in size, approx 2 hours.
    • In the meantime, grease an 18cm (7in) springform cake tin with butter and then line the bottom with baking parchment. Cut a long strip of baking parchment and line the sides, so the baking parchment sticks upwards from the tin by at least 10 cm. Use good quality, strong and sturdy baking parchment. You may use a larger tin for a wider, but less tall bake, if you wish. I would;t suggest using a tin larger than 23cm (9in) in diameter. Alternatively, you can make Ukrainian Paska in Panettone moulds.
    • In a small bowl, mix the sultana, dried apricots and marzipan cubes.
    • Once doubled, cut about ¼ of the dough off and set aside. Stretch the remaining dough into a rectangle and scatter half of the sultana, dried apricot and marzipan mix. Roll it up and knead gently, then stretch it out again and scatter the rest of the fruit and marzipan. Roll the dough up again and knead it into a ball. Place it into a prepared cake tin and using your hands press it down to cover the whole base in even thickness.
    • Take the reserved ¼ of the dough and divide it into two. Roll each piece into 54cm (21in) string (or the length of the circumference of your tin). Interweave the two strings like a rope, then place it in a circle alongside the inner edge of the cake tin on top of the dough already in it.
    • Place the tin in a bag (to stop it drying out), make sure it is loosely covered, and leave it in a warm spot for 1½ hours until it doubles in size.
    • Preheat the oven to 180° C Fan. In a small bowl, mix egg yolk and a tablespoon of milk. Gently brush your Easter Bread with the egg wash and place in the preheated oven for 40-45 min. Check the bread after 35 minutes to make sure it is not browning too quickly. Once baked, the internal temperature of the Ukrainian Easter Bread should be around 88°C.
    • Leave the bread to cool for a couple of hours before slicing! It is best eaten on the same day. The next day you may enjoy it with some butter or clotted cream!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 269kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 6gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 46mgSodium: 80mgPotassium: 216mgFiber: 2gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 489IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 39mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword Easter Baking, Easter Bread Recipe, Easter Bread with Apricots, Easter Bread with Marzipan, Easter Paska, Ukrainian Bread Recipe, Ukrainian Paska, Ukrainian Recipes
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Saif

      February 27, 2022 at 1:14 pm

      5 stars
      My Ukrainian friend in Kuwait made once this Paska bread, and it was really delicious. Can’t wait to make this for my family.

      Reply
      • Ieva

        February 27, 2022 at 6:18 pm

        Really hope you like it as much as you did the one your friend made 🙂

        Reply
    2. Gwynn

      March 05, 2022 at 5:47 pm

      5 stars
      I’m so happy that you didn’t wait to publish this recipe. What is happening in Ukraine is truly tragic and I want to help and support these amazing, strong, and courageous people. This recipe is so delicious. Thank you!

      Reply
    3. Andrea

      March 08, 2022 at 5:45 pm

      5 stars
      What a beautiful and festive bread. Love all the flavors in it too!

      Reply
      • Ieva

        March 09, 2022 at 7:11 am

        Thanks, Andrea! Definitely our Easter favourite! 🙂

        Reply
    4. Tracy

      March 11, 2022 at 7:18 am

      5 stars
      Thank you for posting now, I can practice it before Easter! Great instructions and tips – thank you!

      Reply
      • Ieva

        March 11, 2022 at 9:56 am

        Thank you, Tracy! We are definitely making another one for Easter this year! 🙂

        Reply
    5. kushigalu

      March 15, 2022 at 4:13 am

      5 stars
      What a perfect recipe for Easter. Love the combo. Thanks for sharing

      Reply
      • Ieva

        March 15, 2022 at 5:58 am

        Thanks! 🙂

        Reply
    6. Jill

      April 01, 2022 at 5:14 pm

      5 stars
      What a gorgeous bread! So excited to try this recipe for Easter!

      Reply
      • Ieva

        April 02, 2022 at 6:54 am

        We think it’s a wonderful Easter breakfast treat! 🙂

        Reply
    7. Keri

      April 09, 2022 at 11:53 am

      5 stars
      I’ve bookmarked this bread to make for Easter. Looks gorgeous and so deliciouus. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Ieva

        April 09, 2022 at 6:20 pm

        Thanks, Keri! Let me know what you think once you try it 🙂 We really hope you like it as much as we do!

        Reply
    8. Kate

      April 10, 2022 at 1:35 pm

      5 stars
      This is SO pretty! What a beautiful Ukrainian Easter treat – delicious.

      Reply
      • Ieva

        April 11, 2022 at 2:06 pm

        Thanks, Kate!

        Reply

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    Hi, I am Ieva – the face behind this blog. I live in North Wales with my husband Seb and our golden retriever Sawyer. It’s safe to say that I live and breathe food: from researching and reading about food to creating new recipes and growing vegetables to use in my cooking.  The great thing is, Seb appreciates all the good meals that are also essential at his worst ‘hangry’ moments! Somebody HAS to feed Seb…

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