Paska

Grammies Easter Bread

1 recipe, makes 3 loaves of bread, 3 Kalachas & 1 longosha (cabbage pie) & 1 portion of Babalki (or 8 loaves of bread) (or 8 Kalachas) For holidays I make two recipes, one of just bread, one of Kalachas, longosha & Babalki for 4 people (freeze leftovers or give away to friends)

5 lbs of unbleached flour in very large bowl or soup pot (put oven on warm for 15 minutes shut off & put pot in (covered) for 1 hour before starting, to warm flour) Cut in 1 stick of butter or marg. into flour, keep warm.

In large glass bowl dissolve 3 pkg of yeast(3 tblsps dry loose) in 1 cup warm water, beat in 3 room temperature eggs, scald 2 cans evaporated milk, cool slightly, add 2 cups warm water, mix all together with eggs & yeast, add 8 tblsp Honey, 2 tblsp sugar, & 1 tblsp salt, to yeast mixture (optional a little yellow food color), let bubble. Slowly add to warm flour, oil hands well, knead for 15 minutes. Put into a large oiled bowl or soup pot, cover with saran wrap let rise in that same warm oven till double in size. Punch it down, put back in pot let rise again. Punch down work dough, should be smooth & elastic. Cut with knife into 8 buns. Grease loaf pans. Shape 3 buns into loaves, put into loaf pans. Slash top with knife, let rise in warm place till double. Brush with 1 beaten egg. Bake 400 degrees for 30 minutes. When done rub butter all over loaf to keep crust soft. Wrap in plastic bag to store. (the beaten egg brushed on the dough before cooking makes everything look shiny & brown like it was varnished & new) (the butter rubbed on after cooking keeps the crust soft to cut easier)