Pasca - Romanian Easter Bread
Pasca is a traditional Romanian Easter bread that is typically made during Holy Week and served on Easter Sunday. It is a rich, sweet bread with a mixture of cheese, eggs, and raisin filling. The bread is usually round and is often decorated with a cross.
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 ¼ tsp (5g) active dry yeast (or 15g fresh yeast)
- 1 tsp (5g) sugar , for activating yeast
- 1/3 cup (80ml) lukewarm milk , for dissolving yeast
- 2 ¾ cups (340g) all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup (70g) sugar
- 1/2 tsp (3g) salt
- Lemon zest of a lemon
- 1/2 cup (120ml) lukewarm milk
- 1 egg , beaten
- 1 tsp (5g) vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup (56g) butter , melted
For the cheese filling
- 12 oz (350g) farmer’s cheese, ricotta cheese or cream cheese
- 1/4 cup (60g) sour cream
- 1/2 cup (100g) sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 tsp (1g) salt
- 1 tsp (5g) vanilla extract
- Lemon zest of a lemon
- 2 oz (60g) raisins or cranberries
- 2 tbsp (20g) semolina or flour
For brushing
- 1 egg , beaten
Instructions
Prepare the dough.
- In a medium bowl add yeast, 1 tsp (5g) sugar, and 1/3 cup (80ml) lukewarm milk. Let it rest for 5 minutes to activate the yeast.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, and lemon zest. Add the remaining milk, dissolved yeast, beaten egg, butter, and vanilla extract. Start kneading for about 5-10 minutes, until smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
- Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and cover it with plastic wrap.
- Let the dough rest for about 1 hour at room temperature (warm space) until doubled in size.
- Grease a 10-inch (26cm) springform pan and line it with parchment paper.
Prepare the braid.
- Turn the dough on a lightly floured surface. Cut ⅓ of the dough for the base, about 9 oz (260g). From the remaining dough cut another 1/3, about 3.5 oz (100g), for the cross. The remaining dough, about 12 oz (350g) is for the braid.
- Take the dough for the base and roll until 10 inches (26cm) in diameter. Transfer to the prepared pan and arrange the dough on the bottom of the pan.
- Take the dough for the braid and divide it into two equal pieces.
- Roll each piece into a long rope, until about 31 inches (80cm) long.
- Start braiding the two ropes, starting from the middle.
- Place the braid around the inside edge of the pan.
Prepare the cross.
- Take the dough for the cross. Cut ⅓ of the dough.
- Divide the remaining dough in half and roll each piece until about 8 inches (20cm) long.
- Braid the two ropes to form the longest part of the cross.
- Take the ⅓ dough and divide it in half. Roll each piece until about 4 inches (10cm) long.
- Braid the two ropes to form the top part of the cross. Bind the two ropes together to shape the cross and set it aside.
Prepare the cheese filling.
- In a large bowl, mix the cheese with sour cream, sugar, salt, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Add eggs one at a time and mix until incorporated.
- Incorporate the semolina or flour and add the raisins or cranberries if using.
- Pour the cheese mixture into the center.
- Brush the cross and braid it with a beaten egg.
- Preheat the oven to 320F (160C).
- Bake the bread for about 40-50 minutes until golden brown. If it seems to brown too fast, cover it with aluminum foil and continue baking.
- It is essential to let it cool completely before serving, for at least 4-6 hours.
Video
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving out of 14Calories: 264kcalCarbohydrates: 36.8gProtein: 9.7gFat: 8.2gSaturated Fat: 4.6gCholesterol: 67mgSodium: 271mgPotassium: 102mgFiber: 1gSugar: 16gCalcium: 37mgIron: 2mg