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!
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 here and 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!
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
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.
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.
Add it to the cooled milk mixture.
Then add the yeast.
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.
Once that’s done, it needs to rise. Put it into a bowl(s) in a nice warm place.
Cover it of course.
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!
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.
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.
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
Easter Bread, or Ukrainian Babka
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!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Andrea Daniar says
So interesting to see other family traditions! Our family does an Easter bread as well, called Paska (from Slovakia), it’s a much sweeter egg bread, made with cream and more sugar, but no raisins.
The Kitchen Magpie says
Is it the braided bread?
Andrea Daniar says
No, we make it in loaves like you. 🙂
Grace Fika says
We add juice and grated rind if 1 orange, candied fruit and vanilla. To die for…gone in a day. Awesome toasted with butter and honey.
Angela Nichols Leonard says
Love the pretty, pretty Pyrex!
Linda White says
YUMMM; I have coffee cans\U0001f60a
Charlene McGuirk says
Have to tell you your kale and artichoke dip is the bomb
Mike Johnston says
I love it too
The Kitchen Magpie says
Glad that you liked it!!
Liz Mancini Palmer says
Oh that’s so good!!!!
Carolyn Stafford says
Looks very good
Edith Hammond says
That looks so delious
Quadelle Rose says
Any chance of getting the recipe?? \U0001f609My baba used to make them years ago, but she has passed away and we don’t have her recipe 🙁
Quadelle Rose says
The Kitchen Magpie–thanks so much!!
Carol Teeter says
i see no recipe!
The Kitchen Magpie says
I posted it yesterday, but here it is again : https://www.thekitchenmagpie.com/easter-bread-or-ukrainian-babka-recipe/
Carol Turton says
Looking so good, I can smell it from here!!
Ida Pence Waterous says
in Pyrex, I’m shocked!
The Kitchen Magpie says
Haha I would have used coffee tins, but they are very hard to get now! You have to find ones with no weird inner lip on the edge…I like the tall coffee tin bread the best!
Pamela Jean Lakeman Innes says
Where can i find a recipe?? Looks delicous
The Kitchen Magpie says
It’s three posts down on this page!
Pamela Jean Lakeman Innes says
The Kitchen Magpie Thank you…Found it
Larissa Marie Sawiak says
I see you’ve used your Baba casseroles too! I spent Good Friday doing the same thing 🙂
The Kitchen Magpie says
I have no coffee tins, I prefer the tall loaves, but my old Pyrex did a great job!
Ann Picken says
Larissa Marie Sawiak beautiful job
niki says
My Grandmother used to make this. Although and she and Grandpa were Bulgarian, they lived for some time in the Ukraine. Today I made Bulgarian Easter bread which is quite different. Lots of fun to have many different ones to eat for Easter!
Catherine Schuster says
We always cooled the bread on pillows and turned the loaves every so often to keep the density even as it cools.
Susan says
Would this also be considered for a Hanukkah bread? I see you had a post removed about Babka Monkey bread. I bought a mini loaf tin and was thinking about making mini loaves. Did you adjust the time at all for your mini loaves? Thanks!
Bonnie Luchka Chipiuk says
I also use saffron and also add mixed fruit. Babka is my favorite.
Judy Burton says
It needed about 11 cups of flour…First rise was awesome…
Punched it downed and put into pans and it did not rise very much,…
Still In the oven….Smells good
TiffanyJerry says
Also meant to add, it only made 5 loafs (4 small ones, 1 bigger one), not 7.
TiffanyJerry says
I came across this a few days ago and decided to make it. I just made it this morning, and am eating my first slice right ow. It is SO GOOD!! Buttered was good, my hubby likes it toasted. Kids loved it. Will make this a staple each Easter I think! Thank you!
thekitchenmagpie says
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" profile_url="https://www.livefyre.com/profile/75672632/" ns="true">TiffanyJerry Thanks for letting me know! I am so glad that you’ll make it again, it’s sooo good buttered with toast!
TiffanyJerry says
oh, and a Ukranian friend of mine says that this is Paska, not Babka. Babka is a frosted cake type thing. 😉
The Kitchen Magpie says
We have as well, when I’m not too lazy to find saffron 😉
Doreen Szor says
My Baba made it she used saffron for the color and flavor!
The Kitchen Magpie says
Theodore Lichacz you should try making it yourself..you can bake it in a loaf pan as well.
The Kitchen Magpie says
Oooh I am so jealous!! I didn’t have time this year!! It looks AMAZING!
Donna Woychuk says
Just made mine yesterday. I add candied fruit to mine as well as raisins and finely grated orange rind. So yummy!!
Adiner IsRealer says
Oh this sure brings back memories of my Mom. She made hers in the metal cans. And I too would want to eat the while loaf!
Donna Woychuk says
In our family, this is babka and paska is a braided bread baked in a round pan, not as rich and no raisins. So pretty 🙂
Tama'ra J Lawrence-Olenczuk says
And should be able to express it. If mine is to dislike the bread. So be it.