Ingredients

Sponge

• 4 1/2 tsp (16 g) active dry yeast
• 1 tbsp (12 g) all purpose flour
• 1 tbsp (16 g) granulated white sugar
• 3 tbsp (45 g) warm water
• 4 cups (544 g) sifted flour (if measuring by volume, sift first, then measure)
• 2 cups (455 g) warm milk

Dough

• 3 whole eggs
• 8 egg yolks
• 2/3 cup (140 g) granulated white sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• the grated zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon
• 3 tbsp (30 g) rum or brandy (or bourbon, if that’s all you have in your cupboard…)
• 1/2 cup (113 g) melted unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup (108 g) vegetable oil
• up to 8 cups (1088 g) sifted all purpose flour (again, if measuring by volume, sift first)

Instructions

Sponge

1. In a large bowl, mix together the yeast, 1 tbsp of flour, the sugar and the water.
2. Let the mixture sit for 10 – 20 minutes until it is all foamy.
3. Stir in the sifted flour and the milk.
4. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the sponge is a warm spot for 30 minutes, until doubled in size.

Dough

1. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the eggs and the sugar.
2. Beat on high until pale and thickened.
3. Add the risen sponge mixture and stir to combine.
4. Mix in the salt, the vanilla, the grated zest, the rum, the butter and the oil.
5. Change out the paddle attachment for the dough hook and gradually (1 cup at a time) stir in the sifted flour.
6. You will probably run out of room in your mixer before you add even half of the flour. Transfer the dough to a very large bowl and work in enough flour with your hands until you have a soft dough that doesn’t stick to the bowl (you may not need all the flour – but if you need more, that’s OK too).
7. Turn out the dough onto a work surface and knead the dough, adding in any remaining flour as necessary, until it is very smooth, soft, and elastic (about 15 minutes).
8. Oil your giant bowl and place the dough inside, turning it over to coat it lightly with oil.
9. Cover with a tea towel and let rise somewhere warm for 1 – 2 hours, until doubled in volume.
10. Prepare your baking tins (two 9″ round springform pans would be perfect) by buttering the bottom and sides, then fold a piece of parchment paper in half lengthwise to make a collar around the inside of the tin. Press it to stick to the buttered sides of the tin.
11. Gently punch down the risen dough and reserve 1/3 of it for the decorations.
12. Portion off the remaining 2/3 of the dough (depending on how many tins you have) and form it into balls by pinching all the edges in towards the center. Poke the dough all over with a skewer to remove any air pockets.
13. Place the dough smooth side up in the prepared baking tins. Cover the formed dough and the reserved dough with a tea towel and let rise for about 30 minutes.
14. After 30 minutes, shape the reserved dough into decorations for the paska. Mix together an egg wash of 1 egg + 1 tbsp water and use it to glue on the decorations.
15. For each loaf, make a twisted rope around the edge by rolling out two long snakes of dough and twisting them together. Form the rope into a circle and lay it around the edge of the loaf.
16. To make the 4-cornered cross, roll out a log of dough with fat ends. Split each end of the log into two strands, then roll them into tapered lengths and coil up each one.
17. For a sun-motif (sorta – it should have a few more arms), roll out a strand dough into a thin snake. Coil the ends in opposite directions and attach to the top of the paska. Repeat with another strand of dough (up to 4 strands total) and arrange on top of the paska so it overlaps the first one and the ends point in all four directions, like a compass.
18. For the twisted strand, make two long thin stands of dough and twist them together, leaving several inches untwisted at each end. Coil up the ends. You could also make two of these and overlap them to make another 4-cornered cross symbol.
19. To make a flower/rosette, roll out a long snake of dough, then flatten it with a rolling pin. Make little notches down one side with a knife, then roll it up from one end, letting the notched side fall open to form the petals. Pinch the closed end together to secure.
20. Secure all decorations with toothpicks so they stay put while rising and baking. Cover with a tea towel and let the decorated dough rise for about 30 minutes more, until it is a few inches from the top of the parchment paper collar. While the dough rises, preheat the oven to 350˚F (325˚F convection).
21. Brush the risen dough with the remaining egg wash.
22. Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated 350˚F (325˚F convection) oven, then reduce the heat to 325˚F (300˚F convection) and bake another 50 or so minutes, until well-browned on top and hollow-sounding when tapped. Leave in the tins until almost cool, then remove while still slightly warm and place on a rack. Carefully remove the toothpicks, and cool completely before slicing the paska into wedges.