Description
Pasca is a traditional Romanian Easter bread, featuring a soft and slightly sweet yeast dough filled with a rich, creamy cheese mixture that includes raisins and citrus zest. This festive bread combines a tender braided crust with a luscious cheese center, making it a perfect centerpiece for holiday celebrations.
Ingredients
Yeast Dough
- 1 vanilla pod
- 250 ml milk (8.5 fl.oz / 1 cup + 2-3 tablespoons more if necessary)
- 1 sachet active dry yeast (7 g / 0.2 oz / 2.5 teaspoons)
- 500 g all-purpose flour (4 ¼ cups)
- 120 g granulated sugar (½ cup)
- 55 g unsalted butter (¼ cup)
- 50 ml vegetable oil (scant ¼ cup)
- 2 egg yolks
- Zest of 1 organic lemon
- A pinch of fine sea salt
Cheese Filling
- 400 g Romanian cow’s cheese (or low-fat quark, cottage cheese, farmer’s cheese, about 2 cups)
- 2 eggs
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar (more to taste)
- 100 g raisins (½ cup)
- 3 tablespoons semolina
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Zest of 1 organic lemon
Topping
- 1 small egg (for brushing)
- Some sugar (to sprinkle on top)
Instructions
- Prepare Vanilla Milk: Scrape the seeds from the vanilla pod and set aside. Add the empty pod to the milk and bring it to a boil. Remove from heat and let the milk cool down until lukewarm.
- Proof Yeast: In a small bowl, combine the yeast with 2 tablespoons of flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 3-4 tablespoons lukewarm vanilla milk. Stir to form a paste, cover with a kitchen towel, and let it rise in a warm place for 10-15 minutes until frothy.
- Sift Flour: Sift the flour into the bowl of a stand mixer or kitchen machine to ensure it is light and aerated.
- Prepare Wet Ingredients: Dissolve the remaining sugar in the remaining lukewarm vanilla milk. Melt the butter, mix in the vegetable oil, then let the mixture cool to room temperature.
- Make Dough: Pour the yeast mixture over the flour. Add egg yolks, vanilla seeds, lemon zest, and a pinch of sea salt. Start mixing and gradually add the vanilla milk mixture little by little to form the dough. Add about 3 tablespoons more of milk if needed for softness. Then, slowly incorporate the melted cooled butter and oil mixture in small additions until fully absorbed.
- Knead Dough: Knead the dough using a stand mixer with a dough hook for approximately 10 minutes. The dough should be soft and sticky. Transfer to a clean bowl, shape briefly by hand, cover with a kitchen towel, and let rise for about 1 hour or until it doubles in size.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Butter a springform pan and line the bottom and sides with baking paper.
- Prepare Cheese Filling: If using cottage or farmer’s cheese, blend it with an immersion blender until smooth. In a bowl, mix the cheese with eggs, semolina, raisins, sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Adjust sugar to taste.
- Form Dough Braid: Lightly oil your hands and divide the risen dough in two. Shape one half into a fat sausage and cut it into three equal parts. Roll each part into a long, thin string about 40 cm (15 inches) long. Braid these strings into a tight band.
- Assemble Pasca: Place the other half of the dough into the springform pan, pressing it down to completely cover the bottom. Prick the dough all over with a fork to prevent excessive rising. Arrange the braided dough around the edge to form a rim. Pour the cheese filling into the center.
- Apply Egg Wash and Sugar: Brush the braided rim with a beaten small egg and sprinkle sugar on top for a beautiful glossy finish.
- Bake: Bake the pasca in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes until the cheese filling has risen nicely and the bread is golden on top.
Notes
- Use Romanian cow’s cheese if available for authentic taste; substitutes like low-fat quark or cottage cheese work well.
- The dough should be soft and sticky; do not add too much flour during kneading.
- Ensure the milk is lukewarm but not hot to avoid killing yeast.
- Brushing the braided dough with egg and sprinkling sugar creates a shiny, sweet crust.
- Let the dough rise in a warm environment to help activate the yeast properly.
- If the cheese filling seems too runny, adding semolina helps to thicken it during baking.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Baking
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Romanian
