Lovella's Paska - 30 years later

I think this Paska recipe is one of the first recipes Lovella shared with me way back when we were inviting each other over for Sunday dinners with our hubbies and toddlers. Even though I grew up with a good Easter bread, I opted for this moist new recipe full of citrus flavor, never to turn back. It became a family favorite, and I can understand why a blog has come about because of it.

Today I thought I'd record it here for family referencing, because I recognize how we each have modified the amounts and method before there was ever a published recipe - with respect to and still ever so grateful for my personal introduction to it. This recipe fits a large dough machine or stand mixer. For first time ease, especially if mixing by hand, I recommend doing 1/2 the recipe, which will yield 40 small buns. (Pinch egg sized buns and place almost touching in 2 - 9x13 pans)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups milk
• 3/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 - 2 lemons
• 2 oranges
• 1 tsp salt
• 11 - 12 cups flour (approx)
• 2 Tbsp instant yeast
• frosting ingredients and sprinkles

Method:

1. In a small pot, heat milk, allowing butter to melt with it. Set aside and cool down with 1/2 cup very cold water. 
2. In the meantime, prepare oranges and lemon. Peel rind thinly with vegetable peeler, remove and discard the pith and seeds. Place rind and citrus segments in blender along with eggs and sugar. Blend for several minutes until it looks like a frothy orange julius. 
3. Pour orange mix into mixing bowl, then slowly, starting with a small amount, stir in quite warm milk and butter. 
4. Stir in two to three cups of the flour and then the yeast mixed with a cup of flour. 
5. If mixing by machine, switch to dough hook and continue adding flour, one cup at a time, while kneading, until dough is still soft but comes away from the sides of the bowl and is manageable with a dusting of flour.
6. Remove to a large bowl. Dust with flour and shape into large (soft) ball before covering with a tea towel and plastic. Rise about 1 hour at room temperature.
7. Grease or line pans with parchment paper. Also grease hands and take portions of the dough to shape into loaves or buns.  Cover with tea towel and loose plastic, and let rise 45-60 minutes.
8. Bake at 325 F until golden. It is best to use light colored aluminum sheets in center of oven. If using dark sheets and you find them getting too dark underneath, put aluminum under the sheet while baking. Buns bake about 20 - 25 minutes.
9. Remove to cooling racks. It is easy to slide them off if using parchment paper. Once cooled, return to pans and frost. You can freeze them this way or without the frosting. I use pans with a cover or slip them into large plastic bags.

Frosting:

• 1 cup soft butter
• 4 pasteurized egg whites
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 lbs icing sugar

Beat all ingredients well for several minutes. This frosting keeps well, refrigerated, but I usually opt for frosting the buns immediately and sprinkle before the frosting sets. If you refrigerate the frosting to use later, it may need a fresh whirl with the beaters and/or a little bit of milk, enough to make a spreadable consistency.

As you will note, the frosting uses egg whites to make it a bit meringue like, so do not leave out at room temperature for extended hours. An alternative icing is to beat 4 Tbsp of soft butter with 4 cups icing sugar and enough milk to stir into a spreadable consistency, according to personal taste.

I usually make my Paska in an assortment of pull-apart buns, in 9 x 13 pans or a round spring-form pan for a pretty display on a plate. The traditional way is to bake it in loaves and an assortment of tin cans. When doing that, lay them on their side to slice, such as in the photo at the top.