Traditional Hand-Kneaded Easter Paska
Ingredients
- 180 g heavy cream 33%
- 60 g fresh yeast
- 5 eggs
- 250 g sugar
- 160 g sour cream
- 800 g flour
- 160 g butter 82%
- 5 g salt
- Lemon and orange zest
- Turmeric
- 250 g candied fruits
- 120 g raisins
- 120 g dried cherries
- Vanilla
Soaking liquids
- Cognac or rum
Additional
- Vegetable oil for forming
- 500 g Korovka candies for decoration
Preparation
In a warm container, mix the prepared yeast and warm cream and place in a warm spot at 30-35°C for fermentation for approximately 30-40 minutes; do not move or stir and you can add 2 tablespoons of flour if desired.
Put the cherries, raisins, and candied fruits in a pot, pour with rum and heat on the stove until boiling to evaporate the alcohol, then set aside to cool until the mass slightly increases in volume and becomes juicy, drain on a towel and dry while the dough is being prepared.
Pour the ready starter into sifted flour, add sour cream, vanilla, salt, sugar, and eggs, and knead the dough by hand for 30 minutes until it separates from your hands, adding soft butter during kneading; the butter should be soft and not heated, and knead in one direction while beating and saturating with air.
Leave the dough to rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours.
Add the prepared mixture of candied fruits, raisins, and cherries and mix well, then leave again for 1 hour in a warm place.
Prepare 2 forms of 300 grams and 2 forms of 500 grams, form dough balls weighing 400 grams and 600 grams using vegetable oil by greasing your hands and the table with oil.
Leave the dough in the forms in a warm place or in a turned-off oven to rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour so that the top of the paska rises close to the edges of the form.
Bake at 170°C with top and bottom heat for 25-30 minutes and check with a wooden skewer.
Decorate with melted Korovka candies and enjoy your meal.
