Mama Doma
Easter Bread with Sweet Cheese Filling (Ukrainian Paska-Style Babka)
This soft, rich Easter bread filled with creamy sweet cheese and raisins is a delicious twist on a classic holiday recipe. Inspired by Ukrainian paska, this beautiful braided loaf will stand out on your Easter table — and disappear within minutes!
You can fill it with sweet farmer’s cheese (twarog), poppy seeds, chocolate, or fruit — but today, we’re making the traditional version with a gently sweetened cheese filling. It’s buttery, soft, and lightly fragrant with vanilla. Let’s bake!
🧾 Ingredients
For the dough:
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500 g all-purpose flour (about 4 cups)
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250 ml warm milk (1 cup)
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100 g unsalted butter (softened or melted)
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100 g sugar (½ cup)
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3 eggs
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25 g fresh yeast or 7 g instant dry yeast
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1 tsp vanilla sugar or vanilla extract
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Pinch of salt
For the filling:
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300 g twarog or farmer’s cheese (about 1 ¼ cups), well-drained
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100 g sugar (½ cup)
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1 egg
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50 g sour cream (3 tbsp)
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50 g raisins (⅓ cup)
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Vanilla sugar or extract to taste
👩🍳 Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Make the yeast starter
Warm the milk (not hot), stir in the yeast and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Add 2 tablespoons of flour, mix well, and set aside in a warm place for 15–20 minutes until bubbly.
2. Prepare the dough
In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the remaining sugar. Add the melted butter, vanilla, salt, and the yeast mixture. Gradually add sifted flour and knead until you get a soft, elastic dough.
Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place for 1–1.5 hours until doubled in size.
3. Make the filling
Blend the cheese until smooth (or press through a fine sieve). Add sugar, egg, sour cream, vanilla, and raisins. Mix until creamy and uniform.
4. Shape the loaves
Punch down the dough and divide it into two parts. Roll each piece into a rectangle. Spoon the cheese filling along the center, leaving the edges free.
Roll it up like a jelly roll, then twist into a spiral or layer it into a baking form.
5. Let it rise again
Place the dough into greased pans, cover with a clean towel, and let it rise again for 30–40 minutes.
6. Bake
Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).
Bake for 35–40 minutes, until golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
7. Decorate
Let cool completely. You can drizzle with simple glaze, dust with powdered sugar, or top with colorful Easter sprinkles for a festive touch.
🧡 Your Easter Paska is Ready!
Moist, fragrant, and filled with love — this sweet Easter bread with cheese filling is a beautiful centerpiece and a taste of tradition. Whether you’re Ukrainian or just love baking with soul, this recipe brings holiday joy to every table.
Happy Easter & enjoy every slice!
