Easter Bread, or Ukrainian Babka Recipe (2024)

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Easter Bread, or Ukrainian Babka, is one of my household’s most beloved Easter traditions. I come from a Ukrainian family, and both of my grandmothers would make Babka every Easter. When my Grandma wasn’t around to make it, my Mom would then take over. I have been making Easter Bread since I had my own children and have taught them the tradition as well. This post was updated on March 20, 2018, to include some new photos and a how-to video! I have left my old step-by-step photos in the post, as they are very important and helpful!

Easter Bread, or Ukrainian Babka Recipe (1)

Ukrainian Babka Recipe

It isn’t Easter in my household until we eat this bread for 4-5 days until we have our fill, then are sated for yet another year. This recipe is called Babka by mainly Canadian Prairie Ukrainian settlers, as it has been argued ( as you can read in the comments!) that this is Paska. Now, here on the Prairies my Mom and Baba swore up and down that actual Paska is not a sweet bread, is braided and has no raisins. Here on the Prairies we tend to actually have our own little culture when it comes to being Ukrainians. We pronounce kielbasa as ” koooo-basa” – which is the ONLY place that it’s pronounced like that! Isn’t that strange? It’s a uniquely Canadian prairie version of saying the word, however with our very large population of Ukrainian settlers it’s no less authentic, just as calling this Babka is no less authentic. Ways and words were changed when my ancestors arrived hereand adapted to a new life.

Also on another interesting note, it’s unique to the Edmonton area that we spell it “perogy” instead of pierogi. We have a Perogy House here, it’s just how we spell it sometimes!

Easter Bread, or Ukrainian Babka Recipe (2)

What is Easter Bread or Ukrainian Babka?

It is a light, buttery yet slightly sweet yeast bread with raisins, baked in coffee tins and is so fantastic toasted with some butter on it. Or plain with margarine. Or toasted with anything on top. It is also a labor of love and takes a few hours.

Ingredients Needed:

  • 1 cup of butter
  • 2 cups of milk
  • 3/4 cup of white sugar
  • 1 cup of cold water
  • 1/2 cup of warm water
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp of traditional yeast
  • 6 large egg yolks
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 2 tsp of salt
  • 8-9 cups of flour
  • 2 cups of raisins
  • 7 small coffee tins
  • One beaten egg to brush the tops with
Easter Bread, or Ukrainian Babka Recipe (3)

Now, I put the butter, milk and 3/4 cup of white sugar in a pot and brought it to a near boil, you want to slightly scald the milk.

Then I called my mother, and during that conversation, she mentioned that she throws it all into the microwave and nukes it until it’s incredibly hot.

Now, that is certainly not how my predecessors did it. However, this modern woman on her second batch used the microwave.

And it works like a charm!

Now, you have to let the mixture cool, and adding that cup of water certainly helps; thus, we leave it until the end here.

Mix the warm water and 1 tsp of sugar in your yeast thoroughly and let it start bubbling away.

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Beat your egg yolks and turmeric. The turmeric gives the bread its lovely color. You can also use three whole eggs instead of the six egg yolks but the yolks make a richer bread. So three eggs OR 6 yolks, folks.

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Add it to the cooled milk mixture.

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Then add the yeast.

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I use the mixer for this now because it is one heck of a job. Mix the salt into the flour, add the first four cups of flour, then your raisins. Then, slowly add another 4-5 cups until the dough is slightly sticky.

My dough always climbs the hook eventually, so I used the mixer to combine it and kneaded as much as possible, then removed it and kneaded it on the counter for a while.

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Once that’s done, it needs to rise. Put it into a bowl(s) in a nice warm place.

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Cover it of course.

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Once it’s doubled in size, it’s time to punch it down and put it in the tins to rise again. You want to fill the tins only halfway with punched-down dough; this dough rises like you wouldn’t believe!

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Grease the heck out of those coffee tins. I only had six this year, so you can also use a loaf pan. This would make a perfect seven tins.

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It’s time to let it rise again. I had a nice warm stove from banana bread, so they sat on there. Let them rise until they are almost at the top. They will rise in the oven as well when they start baking, which is why you want them only to rise barely to the top of the tin.

Remove all the oven racks except the bottom one. Kick the tires and light the fires to 325 degrees.

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Bake for 30-40 minutes on the very bottom rack. The tops will get very golden brown but don’t fear. The inner part has to cook, and the tops will get and stay brown.

Cool very slightly in the tins, then remove to ensure the bread doesn’t sweat, and the bottoms don’t get soggy!

Happy Baking,, you guys! I am so happy to share this recipe with you. It’s our family tradition, and I’m thrilled that you can bake it as well!

Love,

Karlynn

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Easter Bread, or Ukrainian Babka

Traditional Ukrainian Babka, or Easter Bread! I take you step by step through making this traditional bread and even made a video to help you out!

4.99 from 101 votes

Easter Bread, or Ukrainian Babka Recipe (16)

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Prep Time
2 hours
Cook Time
20 minutes
Total Time
2 hours 20 minutes
Course
Breakfast
Cuisine
bread
Servings
10
Calories
741
Author
Karlynn Johnston

Ingredients

  • 1 cup of butter
  • 2 cups of milk
  • 3/4 cup of white sugar
  • 1 cup of cold water ( I add ice)
  • 1/2 cup of warm water
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 tablespoons of traditional yeast
  • 6 large egg yolks
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric (or saffron)
  • 2 teaspoons of salt
  • 8-9 cups of flour
  • 2 cups of raisins
  • 7 small coffee tins
  • One beaten egg to brush the tops with

Instructions

  • Place the butter, milk and 3/4 cup of white sugar in a pot and bring it to a near boil, you want to slightly scald the milk. You can also heat it in the microwave as well to the point of scalded (near boil).

  • Add in the cup of cold water and let the mixture cool.

  • Take the 1/2 cup of warm water and 1 tsp of white sugar, mix in your yeast thoroughly and let it start bubbling away.

  • Beat your egg yolks and turmeric (or saffron if you want traditional). The turmeric gives the bread it’s lovely color. (You can also use 3 whole eggs instead of the 6 egg yolks but the yolks make a richer bread. So 3 eggs OR 6 yolks)

  • Add the egg mixture to the warm milk mixture. You need to let the saffon dissolve in the warm mixture before you move on, if you use saffron!

  • Then add the yeast mixture to the bowl.

  • I used the mixer for this now because it is one heck of a job. Mix the salt into your flour then add in the first four cups of flour, then your raisins. Then slowly add another 4-5 cups until the dough is slightly sticky. The dough should stick to your hand very slightly, but be a nice elastic dough.

  • My dough always climbs the hook eventually so I used the mixer to get it combined and kneaded as much as possible then removed it and kneaded it on the counter for a while.

  • Once that’s done it needs to rise. Put it into a bowl(s) in a nice warm place and cover it with a damp tea towel.

  • Once it’s doubled in size, it’s time to punch it down and put it in the tins to rise again. You want to fill the tins only half way with punched down dough, this dough rises like you wouldn’t believe!

  • Grease the ever lovin’ heck out of those coffee tins. (I use the medium size, the 13-16 oz coffee tins, NOT the large ones!) This would make a perfect 7 tins. You can also make it in a loaf pan.

  • Time to let it rise again, Let the dough rise until it is almost at the top of the can. They will rise in the oven as well when they start baking, which is why you want them only to rise barely to the top of the tin.

  • Remove all the oven racks except the bottom one. Kick the tires and light the fires to 325 degrees.

  • Bake for 30-40 minutes on the very bottom rack, the tops get very golden brown but don’t fear, the inner part has to cook and the tops get brown and stay brown.

  • Once they are nearly done, brush with the beaten egg and cook until the bread is finished.

  • The bread will sound hollow on top when tapped & be a lovely brown.

  • Cool very slightly in the tins then remove to make sure the bread doesn’t sweat and the bottoms don’t get soggy.

  • If they stick slightly in the tins, twist and shake gently at the same time, they will pop right out.

  • If they stick in the loaf pans, run a knife along the edge to free the bread then remove safely.

  • Cool on racks for a couple of hours … if you can wait!

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

Glaze the tops with my Buttery Icing Glaze if desired!

Nutrition Information

Serving: 10g, Calories: 741kcal, Carbohydrates: 118g, Protein: 16g, Fat: 23g, Saturated Fat: 13g, Cholesterol: 184mg, Sodium: 672mg, Potassium: 463mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 18g, Vitamin A: 840IU, Vitamin C: 1.6mg, Calcium: 104mg, Iron: 5.9mg

All calories and info are based on a third party calculator and are only an estimate. Actual nutritional info will vary with brands used, your measuring methods, portion sizes and more.

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FAQs

Is babka Polish or Ukrainian? ›

A babka is a sweet braided bread which originated in the Jewish communities of Poland and Ukraine.

What is the difference between Ukrainian babka and paska? ›

What Is the Difference Between Babka and Paska Bread? Both babka and paska are traditional Eastern European breads served at Easter. While they are both yeasted, sweet, enriched breads, paska tends to be wide and round with dough shaped on top to form religious symbols or decorative shapes.

What nationality is Paska bread? ›

Paska is a traditional Easter bread from Ukraine and eastern Europe. In Russia, this sweet, eggy bread is called Kulich. It's most often made in the spring to celebrate Easter. The word Paska translates to “Easter” in most eastern European cultures (except Finland where it's a 4-letter word).

Is Panettone the same as babka? ›

From there they have diverged. All have a rich, yeast-risen, tender crumb; panettone's texture is more like cotton candy with its long, airy strands that literally melt in your mouth, whereas babka and brioche tend to be a bit denser and somewhat chewier, with a high ratio of butter and eggs to flour.

What does babka mean in Ukrainian? ›

“Baba” means “grandmother” in Ukrainian or “old woman;” the diminutive form is “babka” and stems from the matrilineal prehistoric Trypillian culture.

Why do Jews eat babka? ›

One theory says Babka is indigenous to the Ukraine, part of an ancient fertility symbol. The story of chocolate and the Jewish community is a bit different in the Mediterranean. There, Jews and chocolate went together like bagels and cream cheese. Don't miss what matters.

What is the most popular bread in Ukraine? ›

Palyanytsya is the most famous Ukrainian bread now and the special word to check if you are Ukrainian or russian ( they can't pronounce this correctly) I was asked to share the recipe for baking this bread for fundraising campaigns. The recipe might need humidity adjustments.

What do Ukrainians call Easter eggs? ›

This is a Ukrainian Easter egg, known as a pysanka. Intricately designed and richly coloured, pysanky have been part of Ukrainian culture for centuries. The design is “written” on the eggshell in molten wax, using a stylus, before dyes are applied.

What is in an Ukrainian Easter basket? ›

Modern Easter baskets tend to include ham, smoked sausages, and salo — cold, white pork fat. Ham is thought to represent the joy and abundance of Easter, smoked sausage God's generosity, and salo God's mercy.

How do Ukrainians celebrate Easter? ›

Ukrainian Christians commemorate Easter night by participating in Easter services, known as vigils. These services commence late in the evening and carry on until dawn, culminating in the consecration of the Paschal candle and other Easter symbols.

Why is Paska eaten for Easter? ›

Christian symbolism

In the Mennonite communities of North America, the act of baking the paska bread was a ritual that commemorated the resurrection of Christ. The Christian faithful in many Eastern Christian countries eat this bread during Easter. Christian symbolism is associated with features of paska type breads.

Why is Easter bread special? ›

The Easter holiday is one where bread brings itself into the symbolic realm. Bread is significant for religious purposes. Luisa Fois described bread in her life after she was married and for the Easter holiday. The bread was made into a cross to represent the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

Are challah and babka the same? ›

Some say it originally came from Jews in Spain while others think it's more likely related to the French pain au chocolat. Like challah, it is braided and made from a rich yeasted dough, but unlike challah, it is filled and glazed with a sweet syrup.

What do you eat babka with? ›

It can be served room temperature, warm with a scoop of ice cream on top, or even cold right out of the fridge the following day for breakfast. Coffee and tea make for perfect accompaniments.

What nationality is babka? ›

Babka originated in the Jewish communities of Eastern Europe in the early 19th century. Part bread, part cake, the name is thought to derive from a popular Easter cake made in Poland called “baba” which means “grandmother” in Polish.

What nationality is the name babka? ›

Czech, Slovak, and Polish: nickname from babka, a diminutive of baba '(old) woman, grandmother', figuratively 'coward' (see Baba ). Czech: nickname from babka, a type of edible mushroom, used for someone who looks like this mushroom.

Where did babka originate? ›

Like many Jewish-American specialties, babka originated in Eastern Europe – Poland and Ukraine in particular – in the early 1800s. As a way to use extra challah dough, Jews there would roll up the dough with cinnamon or fruit jam and bake it alongside the challah.

Is babka popular in Poland? ›

Many different versions of this rich bread, laced with rum syrup and drizzled with icing, are served at Easter in Polish households. It's such a tradition, and so well-loved, that there are probably as many babka recipes as there are Polish bakers!

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