Savor the Flavor

Paska – Recipe from Grandma Semonco *with the exception of using a KitchenAid mixer Preheat oven to 400 degrees – Do not wait until later. This will allow your kitchen to get warm enough for the bread to easily rise. It is best if ingredients are at room temperature i.e. eggs, butter, etc. and I use Hudson Cream flour only; not bread flour.

Ingredients and Process: Yeast – choose one of the options below 3 cakes of yeast

3 packages of yeast 6 ¾ teaspoons of yeast

Dissolve yeast in ½ cup of warm water with a pinch of sugar and let stand for a few minutes Scald 2 cups of whole milk (heated to a near boil; bubbles will begin to appear around the edge of pot)

Add to scalded milk: 1/2 cup of butter – 1 stick

2 teaspoons of salt 2 tablespoons sugar Let this mixture cool until lukewarm.

Beat 5 large eggs in mixer. After the milk is cooled to lukewarm, add the egg mixture to the milk. Be careful not to “scramble” your eggs by adding to the milk too soon. Begin adding flour one cup at a time sifting the flour as you go if you have not pre-sifted. After two cups, add the yeast mixture to the flour and change the paddle over to the dough hook. Do not turn the mixer above 4/5. Finish adding the flour sifting as you go until you add all 6½ cups flour. Let the mixer knead the dough for about 7 to 10 minutes or until it is very smooth. Spray large bowl generously with cooking spray and put all the dough into the bowl, spray the top of the dough lightly, cover with a damp cloth and let rise until double. This can take anywhere from 1 hour to 2 hours depending on the temperature of the kitchen. While the dough is rising prepare pans. This recipe makes two medium loaves or one large and one small loaf. Grease pans generously with CRISCO (do not spray with PAM or use OIL) and flour well. Punch down dough so you can knead out air bubbles. Do not put dough back into the mixer; this time you must knead on a dough board by hand. Flour the dough board generously because the dough is going to be sticky. Don’t over work the dough and do not knead too much flour into it; but work out the air. Divide the dough into two well-formed balls (reserve a little for decorating)

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Savor The Flavor