Pasca

Name: Pasca
Prep time: 90 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 140 min
Yield: 10 servings
Cuisine: Moldovan
Ingredients: 500g bread flour; 200ml warm milk; 100g sugar; 100g butter, softened; 3 eggs; 10g instant yeast; Zest of 1 lemon; 1 tsp vanilla extract; Pinch of salt; For filling: 500g fresh cheese; 100g sugar; 2 eggs; 50g raisins; 1 tsp vanilla extract

Pască (PAHS-kah)

Easter Cheese Bread

⏱ Prep Time 4 hours

📈 Difficulty Hard

👥 Servings

🔥 Calories 384 kcal

A rich, tall Easter bread filled with a sweet cheese mixture, decorated with braided dough on top, baked until golden and fragrant.

Nutrition & Info

Protein 12.0g

Carbs 48.0g

Fat 16.0g

Protein Carbs Fat

Dietary

vegetarian nut-free

Allergen Warnings

⚠ gluten ⚠ dairy ⚠ eggs

Equipment Needed

large mixing bowl round baking tin oven stand mixer optional

Presentation Guide

Vessel: round serving platter

Garnishes: powdered sugar dusting

Accompaniments: Easter eggs, spring flowers

Ingredients

500g bread flour
200ml warm milk
100g sugar
100g butter, softened
3 eggs
10g instant yeast
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
For filling: 500g fresh cheese
100g sugar
2 eggs
50g raisins
1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1
Dissolve yeast in warm milk with a pinch of sugar. Let stand ten minutes until frothy.
2
Mix flour, sugar, and salt. Add yeast mixture, eggs, softened butter, lemon zest, and vanilla. Knead for fifteen minutes until smooth.
3
Let dough rise in a warm place for one and a half hours until doubled in size.
4
Mix cheese with sugar, eggs, raisins, and vanilla for the filling. It should be smooth and sweet.
5
Press two-thirds of the dough into a buttered round tin, bringing it up the sides. Pour filling into the center.
6
Braid remaining dough and arrange in a cross pattern over the filling. Let rise thirty minutes. Brush with egg wash and bake at 170C for fifty minutes.

💡

Did You Know?

In Moldova, pasca must be blessed by a priest at church on Easter morning before the family is allowed to eat it, and cutting the first slice is a ceremonial moment.

Chef's Notes

Equipment Tips

large mixing bowl
round baking tin
oven
stand mixer optional

Garnishing

powdered sugar dusting

Accompaniments

Easter eggs, spring flowers

The Story Behind Pasca

Pasca is the crown jewel of Moldovan Easter celebrations, carrying deep religious and cultural significance. The round shape symbolizes eternity, and the cross of braided dough on top represents the Christian faith. This bread has been baked in Moldova since the adoption of Christianity, and the recipe has remained remarkably unchanged for centuries. The sweet cheese filling distinguishes the Moldovan version from other Eastern European Easter breads, reflecting the country's exceptional dairy traditions.

🕐 Traditionally enjoyed easter celebration 📜 Origins: Medieval Christian Moldovan

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