This recipe for Lithuanian Easter bread or velykos pyragas is made with a sweet yeast dough and white raisins. The Easter meal is begun with hard-cooked colored eggs that have been decorated with the scratch or wax-resist method. It is a tradition for one person to hold an egg while the other person strikes it with his egg. The egg that doesn't crack is left uneaten. After a big feast, visiting with relatives and friends begins and, for children, a chance to receive Easter eggs from their godparents and neighbors.
See Easter Breads Across Eastern Europe.
Here is a larger photo of Lithuanian Easter Bread.
See Easter Breads Across Eastern Europe.
Here is a larger photo of Lithuanian Easter Bread.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Rising time: 3 hours
Total Time: 4 hours, 10 minutes
Yield: 2 (9x5-inch) loaves
Ingredients:
- 2 cups scalded milk
- 2 packages active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup + 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 cups + 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 large beaten eggs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup white raisins
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 1/2 tablespoons water
Preparation:
- Cool scalded milk to 110 degrees. Place in a large bowl or stand mixer. Add yeast, 1/4 cup sugar and 3 cups flour. Mix well. Cover and let rise until light and bubbly.
- Add eggs, 1/2 cup sugar, salt, raisins and butter to yeast mixture, mixing well. Add remaining 3 1/2 cups flour and knead until a smooth dough forms. Turn out into a greased bowl. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise until doubled.
- Punch down dough. Shape into 2 loaves and place in large loaf pans. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise until doubled. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Brush with 1 egg yolk mixed with 1 1/2 tablespoons water. Bake 50 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer registers 190 degrees. Turn out onto wire rack to cool completely.
