Paska (Ukrainian Easter Bread)
A rich and delicious Ukrainian Easter bread, or paska, often features dough decorations of religious symbols.
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Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 400 F.
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Scald 1 1/2 cups milk, then cool until lukewarm.
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In a large bowl, dissolve 1/2 tsp sugar in 1/2 cup lukewarm water, sprinkle with 0.25 oz active dry yeast, mix, and let stand for 10 minutes.
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Stir in the lukewarm scalded milk and 2 1/2 cups flour, beat until smooth, then cover and let rise until light and bubbly.
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Mix in 3 eggs, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup melted unsalted butter, 1 1/2 tsp salt, and 4 1/2 to 5 cups of the remaining flour to form a pliable dough.
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Knead the dough until it is smooth and no longer sticky.
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Place dough in a greased bowl, turn to coat, cover with greased plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled.
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Punch down the dough, cover, and let rise again.
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Reserve one-third of the dough for decorations. Shape the remaining dough into a round loaf and place in a greased 10-12 inch round pan.
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Form the reserved dough into desired decorations and arrange them on top of the loaf.
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Cover the pan with greased plastic wrap and let the dough rise until almost doubled.
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Brush the bread with 1 egg beaten with 2 tbsp water.
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Bake for 15 minutes at 400 F. Reduce the temperature to 350 F and bake for an additional 40 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 190 F; cover with aluminum foil if needed to prevent over-browning.
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Remove from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack.