Description
Pasca is a traditional Romanian Easter bread featuring a soft, sweet yeast dough encircling a rich cheese filling with raisins and lemon zest. This beautiful braided bread is perfect for festive celebrations and offers a flavorful combination of creamy ricotta and fragrant citrus zest baked to golden perfection.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasca Dough
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- ¼ cup warm water
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup butter, unsalted, melted
- 2 tablespoon lemon zest
- ½ cup sugar
- 4⅔ cups all-purpose flour
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cheese Filling
- 1 pound ricotta cheese
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ cup raisins
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
Instructions
- Activate yeast: In a bowl, add the yeast and warm water. Stir gently and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes until the yeast bubbles up, indicating activation. Optionally, add 1 tablespoon of sugar from the dough sugar to help yeast activate. If no bubbles form, discard and start with fresh yeast.
- Prepare milk mixture: In a saucepan, combine milk, melted butter, lemon zest, and sugar. Warm over medium-low heat until butter melts and sugar dissolves, but do not boil. Remove from heat and whisk in the eggs.
- Mix dough: In the mixer bowl, add flour, the warm milk mixture, and activated yeast mixture. Using a dough hook, mix for about 5 minutes until well combined and the dough pulls away from the sides, forming a soft and slightly sticky dough.
- First rise: Lightly oil a large bowl with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, place the dough inside, and rub the other tablespoon of oil over the dough surface. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in size, about 1 to 2 hours.
- Preheat oven and prepare pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Shape dough: Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll one piece into a 10-inch circle and place it on the baking sheet. Divide the remaining 3 pieces into halves, creating 6 pieces total. Roll each piece into long thin ropes about 3 feet long. Braid the ropes and arrange them in a circle around the dough circle on the baking sheet. Let the shaped dough rise again until doubled.
- Make cheese filling: Mix ricotta cheese, eggs, vanilla extract, sugar, raisins, and lemon zest together until combined.
- Assemble Pasca: Pour the cheese filling into the center of the dough circle, inside the braided border.
- Apply egg wash and bake: Brush the dough with the beaten egg wash. Bake in the oven for 40 to 45 minutes until the crust is a deep golden brown but not burnt.
- Cool and serve: Allow the Pasca to cool completely before slicing to make handling easier. Serve at room temperature or slightly warm, optionally with sour cream or jam.
Notes
- Knead the dough well until smooth and elastic to develop gluten structure, but avoid over-kneading to prevent toughness.
- Ensure the dough rises fully in a warm, draft-free environment for best texture and volume.
- Soak raisins in warm water or rum before adding for plumper raisins and to prevent burning during baking.
- Brushing with egg wash yields a shiny, golden crust; sprinkle sugar on top for extra sweetness and crunch if desired.
- Cool the Pasca completely before slicing to prevent it from falling apart and to improve texture.
