Paska Polish Easter Bread

Yesterday I made some Paska, Polish Easter bread.  I am not a huge fan of brioche type breads but this one is very good.

 Here is the recipe:

• Bread:
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 1/2 teaspoons yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water 
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1/2 lemon, zested

• 1/2 orange, zested
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 3 cups flour, or as needed
•  
• Icing:
• 4 cups icing sugar
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 8 tablespoons milk, or as needed
• Colored sprinkles

Directions

1. Stir together 2 cups flour and the salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
2. Stir yeast into water; add 2 tsp sugar and stir until dissolved. Let mixture stand for 10 minutes until doubled in volume.
3. Meanwhile, beat eggs with electric mixer. Gradually beat in 3/4 cup sugar.
4. Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in milk. Add egg mixture; beat well. Add butter, and lemon and orange rinds and juices, and yeast; beat until combined. Add 1 cup flour at a time, until dough is soft and holds its shape. Knead until no longer sticky.
5. Place dough in a large buttered bowl. Cover with a piece of plastic wrap. Let dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 to 1-1/2 hours. Punch down and let rise again until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
6. Divide dough in half; form each half into a loaf shape and place into a lightly greased 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Let rise until doubled in bulk, about an hour. I formed mine as shown below.
7. Bake in a preheated 325 degrees F  oven until golden brown, about 45 minutes.
8. Remove from oven, let cool for a few minutes, then remove loaves from pans and finish cooling on a wire rack.
9. Ice just before serving. For each loaf, stir together 2 cups icing sugar with 1 tsp lemon juice and enough milk (approximately 4 tbsp) to make a smooth icing that can be spooned over loaf. Decorate with sprinkles.

I used extra dough and made braids and placed them on top of each loaf to form a cross which is traditional.

The braids get tucked in under the main loaf.  Cover with plastic and let them rise.

Here they are after they have risen.

This is what happens when a pagan works with crosses.

Both of them split while they baked.  Damn!

So I covered them with icing and sprinkles and called it a day.