Fretting over your Easter paska? With bread machine, no knead

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 09/04/2014 (4503 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Last month, a reader asked about a recipe for paska, a traditional Ukrainian Easter bread, made in a bread machine. Thanks to Erika Krahn, Helen Glowienka, Marlene Regier, T. Bielak and Elsie Reid, for replying at such short notice. And thanks to my friend Willa for lending me her bread machine.

I’ve included a recipe from Marlene Regier for an all-in-one bread-machine paska. And just in case you really want that traditional rounded shape, I’ve also tried Elsie Reid’s hybrid version, which is mixed in the bread machine but then baked in the usual way.

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Bread-Machine Paska

 

175 ml (3/4 cup) whole milk (80-90 F, 27-32 C)

2 eggs, beaten

30 ml (2 tbsp) butter

80 ml (1/3 cup) granulated sugar

5-10 ml (1-2 tsp) grated lemon rind

5 ml (1 tsp) salt

750 ml (3 cups) all-purpose flour

Scant 10 ml (2 tsp) bread machine yeast

 

Add milk, eggs and butter to bread maker, and follow with sugar, lemon rind, salt and flour, ending with yeast on top. Follow your bread machine instructions to bake.

 

Tester’s notes: I used the “sweet bread” setting, selecting the small size (1.5 lb) and medium-brown designations. If the bread seems to be baking quickly, you can stop the baking process earlier. I found my crust was a little tough — though that could my inexperience with the bread maker — but the bread was tender and had a lovely, subtle taste from the lemon. This version is very easy, the drawback being that it doesn’t have the traditional paska shape.

 

Half-and-Half Bread-Machine Paska

 

250 ml (1 cup) warm water (80-90 F, 27-32 C)

2 eggs, beaten

45 ml (3 tbsp) butter

30 ml (2 tbsp) powdered milk

80 ml (1/3 cup) granulated sugar

950 ml (4 cups) all-purpose or bread machine flour

5 ml (1 tsp) salt

7 ml (1 1/2 tsp) bread machine yeast

80 ml (1/3 cup) golden raisins (optional)

80 ml (1/3 cup) slivered almonds (optional)

 

Place all ingredients (except raisins and almonds) in order given in bread pan. Set machine to “dough/pasta” setting. If adding raisins and nuts, listen for the “add ingredients” signal (usually about 45 minutes into the cycle, depending on your machine) and then add. When the cycle is finished, remove dough to a lightly floured surface and knead lightly, forming a large ball. Place dough in a well-buttered round 1.5- to 2-l (6- to 8-cup) casserole dish. (The dough will “mushroom” over the edges a bit, so be sure the top edge of the dish is buttered.) Cover loosely and place in a warm place to rise for about 30-40 minutes. Then bake in a preheated 175 C (350 F) oven for 35-40 minutes.

 

Tester’s notes: If you don’t manage to add in the fruit and nuts during the bread machine cycle, you can add them while kneading. I was quite thrilled when this bread rose up so high and round, just like in the pictures. The dough expanded a bit during the rise, but once it started baking, it was unstoppable. (I actually had to move the upper oven rack to give it room.) I made a glaze from icing sugar, lemon juice and a little almond extract, though I made it a little too thin.