www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall Breadmachine Paska

Yes, very important to be careful working with eggs. Otherwise, you'll find that the yolks on you . . . .

hawk, ducking & running

C. I. X.

Terry,

How did your baking go? Was your breads good enough to take to church or did you go to a bakery? Whichever hope Sunday gives you a rise to your life.

Some people (including me) like to put a generous shot of brandy (choice is up to you) in the mix for Pascha.

Fr. Serge

I will have to bake it after Easter, we had less time yesterday than I thought to work on it.

My first bread was spiced and good enough to serve. I looked at a generic French-bread recipe and added the spices I thought would fit. I used unbleached whole wheat flour and the spices I added were a bit of ground coriander, a little fenugreek, a pinch of black sesame, a pinch of black mustard seeds, "black cumin" which isn't cumin, and a few pinches of poppy seeds. I roasted the seeds on a double boiler before I added them to the dough.

When my wife took a bite out of the bread she was very happy. Her mom had given me the advice of stirring in one direction as I add the flour, I stirred by hand when it became too tough; it was a very stretchy dough and it was a pleasure to kneed.

I was going to cook the Pasha bread with an unbleached white dough I saw that is for European style breads. I'll make it Monday and tell you how it goes.

Terry

C. I. X.

Terry,

"Good, better, best never leave it rest, until the good is better and the better best..." Sorry sometime the RC nuns still get in my head.

Yes unbleached was a European staple but Pascha is for the "Great day", so even if it cost more for bleached, you would pay. If you don't want the "embalming" herbs and spices in you bread, after you grease your pans dust the inside with them before laying in the dough. An easy way of making the "embalming" or aromatic spices is to use pumpkin pie spice. Another trick, using Father Serge's tip is if you are going to add raisins soak them in brandy overnight, or at leas a few hours (while it is raising adding the raisins before shaping dough and before you put dough into pan). Pick out raisins you see on dome of bread or they will burn in oven. The brandy works better adding it to the dough rather than the chef (alcohol is not regulated by the Ukrainian domestic (kitchen) church's fasting requirements).

S.I X
http://incentraleurope.radio.cz/ice/article/64772

Mykhayl:

This is the step someone neglected to tell me some years ago when I gave up trying to make this bread. Mine always finished in what looked like a perfect finish. But when I'd cut into it, there would be a large air pocket UNDER WHICH was a gummy center. The outside would look picture perfect, however.

Thanks for the tip.

BOB

C. I. X.

Theophan

Great trick for displays. But if you want to eat it... it needed more kneading, then when you put it into the pans drop the loaded pan straight down from chest level onto counter top. Add decorations and allow to rise to double in bulk.

Hope this not only eliminate the "cathedral ceiling" inside but gives you the spark to try again. Let us know.

Mykhayl:

I don't know about dropping my "pan" from chest level. I bought a special glass baking dish that I was using.

The other issue was solved by a friend who also bakes this bread. She told me that she'd had similar problems with her electric oven and switched to a gas-fired oven. Gas gives a steady heat while the electric works on the principle that it goes on and off.

BOB

C. I. X.

Theophan

Is it permissible to use glass dishes and electric ovens? What next, celebrating Pascha on Easter? How will these kids ever learn? First they use recipes from a book not from their hands next they will pray from a book not from their heads.

C. I. X.

Bob,

OK THE MESSENGER WENT TO THE SOURCE:

To create an even heat while baking pascha bread (even in an electric oven).

After egg glazing the top of your bread to be, before entering it into your oven create a stovepipe collar around the pan. If dough rises mushrooming over pan�s rim this can not be utilized.

Take a length of aluminum foil 6� longer than the circumference of your pan. Shiny side in dull side out fold length wise into thirds (long way, if you have a piece 30� x 18� it should now be 30� x 6�)
Wrap around the circumference of the pan with the silver runner so it creates a stovepipe 4 or 5� above rim, fold ends together creating a seam.

If your recipe calls for glazing the bread during baking, take the stove pipe off when the time comes. If not, take it off when you pull the loaf out of the oven, if you are careful you can use this collar for another dozen or two batches. (no kidding, how many do you bake? That�s why Marijka developed the pascha recipe for a bread machine. Two batches for four loaves a day all Holy Week� Of course those baked on Good Friday never go stale as His body is incorruptible, but those baked on Holy Saturday will not rise as He is resting in hell)