Pasca

Continued from the Easter Bread Series:




Pasca (Romanian Easter Bread)

1 cups milk, lukewarm
1 packages active dry yeast
4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs

1 tbsp lemon zest

1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg yolk
1 tsp sugar

Filling:

2 cups cream cheese

1 cup sugar

2 tsp lemon extract

2 eggs

Combine milk, yeast and sugar to a bowl.  Allow mixture to proof and look for small bubbles forming.

In a large mixer, combine butter, salt and sugar until light and fluffy.  Alternate adding the flour and yeast mixtures in small increments, mixing until thoroughly combined.  Stir in lemon zest and vanilla extract.

Knead dough into a ball.  Place each loaf in a greased container covered with a towel.  Let rise for 1 hour.  Punch dough down and cut dough into two halves.  Set one aside. 

Take dough and again divide, this time into thirds.  Roll out each piece into a long, thick rope.  The length and thickness depends on what design you want to shape your bread loaf into. 

Place each rope next to each other and braid together.  Cover the dough with a towel and let rise for an additional hour.

Repeat with the second half of the dough mixture.  Place each dough inside of a 10" springform pan.  (Or, you can freeze one braid and 1/2 the filling mixture to make one loaf.)

Preheat oven 425F.  

In a bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, lemon extract and eggs.  Beat on medium until smooth.  Pour 1/2 the mixture into the center of each braid in the springform pans.
Mix the egg yolk and sugar in a bowl.  Brush over the top of each loaf.  

Bake each loaf for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350F and bake an additional 25-30 minutes, or until the top of each loaf is shiny and brown.