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Home » Recipes » Breads

Gluten-Free Paska

Published: Aug 26, 2021

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Paska is a Ukrainian Easter bread that I LOVED, growing up. This Gluten-Free Paska is only slightly different in texture, but TASTES perfect!

Note: This recipe was first posted on my original blog, Celebration Generation, on April 5, 2012. It was transferred over to this blog - existing comments and all - on 8/26/2021

A close up view of a gluten-free paska. It's in the shape of a bundt pan, with dripping white glaze and topped with pastel coloured sprinkles. A section has been sliced, the slices are fanned out on the plate.

This recipe has been a long time coming and has developed over almost a decade!

It all started in 2012, after I’d been asked to make 3 huge batches of my Paska for a screen test for a local TV show.

I was so torn - it was such a great opportunity, and I love to turn people on to Paska - it's *glorious* stuff - but I had already planned to not have to make Paska that year.

It was too great a temptation for me -the year before, I went off gluten-free when I made it and lived to sort of regret it. (The pain was awful, but the bread was kinda worth it - it's THAT good!).

I really didn't want to go flying off the gluten-free wagon, especially with my health doing so up till that point. I'm strong, but some temptations are too great, even for me. I know myself well, so I decided to create a gluten-free version.

Sure, I'd never made gluten-free bread before that point ... but you know, I love a challenge.

Anyway, I’m cataloging the updates here, as I find it interesting to see the various incarnations.

Note in 2022: Now I have a Keto Paska that's also gluten free!

Round One, 2012

This one utilized a commercial “all-purpose” flour mix, as I hadn’t yet figured out that flour blends really should be custom for each recipe.

It didn't have quite the same texture as the real deal, but the flavor was very close.

From 2012:

I slathered butter on a slice fresh out of the oven, and it was heavenly.

So good, in fact, that I immediately messaged local friend Alissa, of "The Accidental Celiac, to inform her that I am a GENIUS (and so humble!), and that if she was around, I had to bring her something.

There may have been some capitalized expletives and exclamation point abuse involved also.

I wrapped some still-hot goodness up, stepped away from preparing supper, and went the few short blocks to deliver it.

Yep, fresh out of the oven Paska is THAT urgent... especially because having access to safe, GOOD bread when gluten-free can make you sort of... feral.

Says Alissa:

"GF Paska, I dub thee "Magic Bread." My daughter already has had 2 servings..and a part of the braid on top.

It was so yummy...and the scent was heavenly. Nice and lemony...mmmmm THANKS for the surprise delivery!!!"

Anyway, the screen test ended up canceled, but at least I got THIS out of it all. This morning I was reminded that I had not posted this recipe, though all of this went down just over a week ago!

A pale yellow, flatish round of bread has a darker brown twisted design on top, made from bread dough.

The first version of my gluten free paska.

Round Two, 2014

I was developing Beyond Flour.

The aim of the book was definitely “wish list” recipes, so I redid my earlier Gluten-free Paska recipe. I’d learned SO much about blending alternative flours, by that point.

Part of the changes dealt with technique: I did it in a bundt pan, rather than as a more traditional bread (As I’d tried the first time).

Given that a wetter batter meant no twisting dough for designs, the bundt pan allowed for a bit of “decorative”, within the constraints of the type of batter I was making.

It was SO much better than the first version!

I had been guilty of something I’d come to see in other gluten-free recipe developers: Being so far removed from the new thing + desperate, so “close enough” could be mistaken as “the real thing”!

This was why I ended up only using people who AREN’T gluten-free, as recipe testers for my gluten-free cookbooks!

Sliced of a pale yellow bundt shaped loaf of bread.

The second version!

Round 3, 2021

Seven years later, here I am updating old blog entries with better photos, etc.

I’d developed the last version for Beyond Flour - before my big Gluten-Free Bagels breakthrough that happened in Beyond Flour 2.

SO, I decided to overhaul the recipe once again, using some of what I’d figured out in creating that bagel recipe.

... BUT I was off in my calculations. The batter overflowed, and I burnt the bread.

HOWEVER... the bread itself tasted amazing - exactly like a normal Paska!

A two part compilation image showing a burnt loaf of bread on top, and a slice of bread on the bottom image.

Round 3. SO CLOSE... even if it doesn't look like it!

Round 4, a Few Days Later

I decided to go back to using a bundt pan (partially for volume, partially for appearance), tweaked a couple things about the new recipe (sugar content, added a bit more citrus, etc), and changed my baking time and temp.

AND IT WAS PERFECT.

I mean, almost.

As I’d mentioned in my regular Paska recipe, there are a bunch of different ways people make paska.

This one TASTES exactly like my normal paska but doesn’t have the soft, stretchy bread texture of MY normal paska.

However, it does have the exact same texture as other non-gf paskas I’ve had!

Think like... boxed grocery store panettone - the NOT gluten-free type. This is *bang on* for that.

As my (not gluten-free) husband says... It’s “PASS-ka”!

I mean, look at it:

A close up view of a gluten-free paska. It's in the shape of a bundt pan, with dripping white glaze and topped with pastel coloured sprinkles. A section has been sliced, the slices are fanned out on the plate.

Unf. So good!

How to Make Gluten-Free Paska

Prepare Your Ingredients

Measure warm milk into a glass measuring cup or bowl. Stir in yeast and sugar, allow to stand for 10 minutes – it should get very bubbly.

A measuring cup half full of milk. The top is frothy from proofing yeast.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flours, protein powder, starches, xanthan gum, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.

A zested orange and lemon on a white cutting board, with the zest of both displayed in piles on the cutting board.

Zest and Juice your oranges and lemon. You’ll need ¾ cup juice - if you end up with a little too much, discard a bit to get down to ¾ cup. If you don’t have quite enough, top up with water or prepared OJ / Lemon juice.

Note: I use this Cuisinart Juicer, love it!

A measuring glass of juice sits in front of a juicing appliance.

Make Your Batter

In the bowl of a stand mixer - fit with a paddle, not a dough hook - cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, beat until smooth.

A 3 part compilation image showing butter and sugar being beaten together, the addition of eggs, and a smooth yellow batter.

Add juice and zest, continue mixing until well combined.

A 3 part compilation image showing zest and juice being added to the batter, and the smooth yellow batter after mixing.

Add yeast mixture and dry ingredients; beat on low for 5 minutes.

A two part compilation image showing flour being added the the batter, and the final batter after mixing.

Grease a standard-size bundt pan with butter or pan spray.


Once the dough has been mixed for 5 minutes, spread into the prepared bundt pan.

Cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rise somewhere warm for one hour, or until it’s about 50% bigger than it was.

A two part compilation image showing the batter in the bundt pan, before and after rising.

Before and after the rise time.

Preheat oven to 350F (180 C).

Bake for 10 minutes.

Without opening the oven door, lower the heat to 325°F and continue to bake for another 30 minutes.

Check for doneness - insert a toothpick or knife into the center of the bread. If it comes out clean, it's done. If not, continue baking until it's fully baked.

Cool Paska for 5 minutes, then gently turn the pan over onto a serving dish to continue cooling.

A two part compilation image showing the baked paska in the pan, and then after being turned out on the serving plate.

Once Paska has cooled:

Measure 2 cups of icing sugar into a measuring cup. Add lemon juice and salt. Use a fork to whisk the mixture until smooth, scraping down the sides of the cup.

The mixture will be very thick.

A two part compilation image showing a measuring cup of powdered sugar, and the same cup with a white glaze in it.

Heat in a microwave for 10-15 seconds at a time - stirring between - until glaze is smooth and pourable.

A two part compilation image showing a glass measuring cup of glaze being held above an unadorned bundt cake, and the glazed bundy cake, with white glaze drizzled over the top, dripping down the sides.

Drizzle over paska, and quickly scatter sprinkles over it. The glaze sets up quickly, so move fast!

A close up view of a gluten-free paska. It's in the shape of a bundt pan, with dripping white glaze and topped with pastel coloured sprinkles.

Gluten-Free Cookbooks

Cover images for both "Beyond Flour" and "Beyond Flour 2"

Also, if you're interested in gluten-free cooking and baking, you should definitely check out my gluten-free cookbooks: Beyond Flour: A Fresh Approach to Gluten Free Cooking & Baking, and the sequel... Beyond Flour 2. You can order them right here on my website, through Amazon, or through any major bookseller.

A close up view of a gluten-free paska. It's in the shape of a bundt pan, with dripping white glaze and topped with pastel coloured sprinkles.

More Easter Content!

Looking for more fun / tasty ways to observe Easter? Here are a few suggestions:

Chocolate Zombie Easter Bunnies
Easter Egg Pavlova
Easy Pysanky [Epic Easter Eggs]
Southern Comfort Glazed Ham

A close up view of a gluten-free paska. It's in the shape of a bundt pan, with dripping white glaze and topped with pastel coloured sprinkles. A section has been sliced, the slices are fanned out on the plate.

Share the Love!

Before you chow down, be sure to take some pics of your handiwork! If you Instagram it, be sure to tag me - @BeyondFlourBlog - or post it to My Facebook Page - so I can cheer you on!

Also, be sure to subscribe to my free email newsletter, so you never miss out on any of my nonsense.

Well, the published nonsense, anyway!

A close up view of a gluten-free paska. It's in the shape of a bundt pan, with dripping white glaze and topped with pastel coloured sprinkles.

A close up view of a gluten-free paska. It's in the shape of a bundt pan, with dripping white glaze and topped with pastel coloured sprinkles. A section has been sliced, the slices are fanned out on the plate.
Print Recipe
5 from 12 votes

Gluten-Free Paska [Ukrainian Easter Bread]

Paska is a delicious Ukrainian Easter bread that I LOVED, growing up. This Gluten-Free Paska has all the flavour, and an acceptable texture. (Hey. It’s GF bread!)
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time40 mins
Rising time1 hr
Total Time1 hr 55 mins
Course: Bread, Breakfast
Cuisine: Gluten-free, Ukrainian
Servings: 10 People
Calories: 460kcal
Author: admin

Equipment

  • 1 Bundt Pan

Ingredients

Paska

  • 1 cup scalded milk cooled to warm
  • 1 packet Active dry yeast or 2 ½ tsp
  • 1 tablespoon Granulated sugar
  • 1 ¼ cup Light buckwheat flour
  • ¾ cup Sorghum flour
  • ½ cup Unflavoured whey protein powder
  • ¼ cup Coconut flour
  • ¼ cup Tapioca Starch/Flour
  • 2 ¼ teaspoon Xanthan gum
  • 1 ½ teaspoon Salt
  • ½ teaspoon Baking soda
  • ½ cup Butter room temperature
  • 1 ½ cups Granulated sugar
  • 3 Large eggs
  • Juice of 1 lemon and 1 orange* ¾ cup juice
  • Zest of 1 lemon and 2 oranges

Glaze

  • 2 cups Powdered sugar
  • 3 tablespoon Lemon juice
  • Pinch salt
  • Sprinkles optional

Instructions

Paska

  • Measure warm milk into a glass measuring cup or bowl. Stir in yeast and sugar, allow to stand for 10 minutes – it should get very bubbly.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine flours, protein powder, starches, xanthan gum, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer - fit with a paddle, not a dough hook - cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, beat until smooth. Add juice and zest, continue mixing until well combined.
  • Add yeast mixture and dry ingredients, beat on low for 5 minutes.
  • Grease a standard size bundt pan with butter or pan spray.
  • Once dough has been mixed for 5 minutes, spread into prepared bread pan. Cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rise somewhere warm for one hour, or until it’s about 50% bigger than it was.
  • Preheat oven to 350F (180 C).
  • Bake for 10 minutes.
  • Without opening the oven door, lower the heat to 325°F and continue to bake for another 30 minutes.
  • Check for doneness - insert a toothpick or knife into the center of the bread. If it comes out clean, it's done. If not, continue baking until it's fully baked.
  • Cool Paska for 5 minutes, then gently turn pan over onto a serving dish to continue cooling.
  • Once Paska has cooled:

Glaze

  • Measure 2 cups of icing sugar into a measuring cup. Add lemon juice and salt.
  • Use a fork to whisk the mixture until smooth, scraping down the sides of the cup. Mixture will be very thick.
  • Heat in a microwave for 10-15 seconds at a time - stirring between - until glaze is smooth and pourable.
  • Drizzle glaze over paska, and quickly scatter sprinkles over it. Glaze sets up quickly, so move fast!

Notes

* You need ¾ cup juice, total. If you have too much, discard a little to bring it down to ¾ cup. If you don’t have quite enough, top up with a little water.

Nutrition

Calories: 460kcal | Carbohydrates: 80g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 551mg | Potassium: 192mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 57g | Vitamin A: 409IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 2mg

More Gluten-Free Holiday Recipes!

Looking for something festive - for the whole family? Here are some great options!

Cranberry Chicken
Cranberry Jello Salad
Gluten-Free Candy Cane Cookies
Gluten-Free Fruitcake
Gluten-Free Fruitcake Cookies
Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies
Gluten-Free Maple Pumpkin Pie
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Spice Mini Doughnuts
Gluten-Free Sauerkraut Buns [Pyrizhky]
Gluten-Free Stuffing Recipe
Pumpkin Cheese Ball - Classier Version
Pumpkin Cheese Ball - Trashier Version
Roasted Carrots & Parsnips
Sweet Potato Souffle

A close up view of a gluten-free paska. It's in the shape of a bundt pan, with dripping white glaze and topped with pastel coloured sprinkles. A section has been sliced, the slices are fanned out on the plate.

Related posts:

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« AIP / Paleo Ranch Dressing
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Poor and Gluten Free

    April 05, 2012 at 12:16 pm

    5 stars
    I just came across your site and had to say hello as there seemed too many similarities to ignore! I'm a gluten free blogger originally from Winnipeg (currently in Wisconsin to visit my own hubby to be), and have been posting the past 2 weeks on my blog about making gf versions of German Easter dishes, reminiscent of my childhood in the 'Peg 🙂 I will definitely have to try and make your gf Paska!

    Reply
    • admin

      August 26, 2021 at 12:19 pm

      Oh wow, that IS similar! Where in Winnipeg are you from?

      Reply
  2. Marina

    April 29, 2012 at 12:20 pm

    5 stars
    Hi!

    I wanted to thank you for posting this! I made it for my Pascha basket a couple weeks back and it turned out amazing! I used Pamela's Products GF bread mix instead of a GF all purpose flour and it rose up really nicely. I also added a dash of nutmeg, which really complimented the citrus.

    Here's a picture
    http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m244/handmaidenmarina/IMG_0599.jpg

    Reply
    • admin

      August 26, 2021 at 12:22 pm

      Beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing!

      Reply
  3. Kim

    May 13, 2012 at 12:22 pm

    5 stars
    Thanks you for developing this. It helps so much in keeping my Polish/Lemko traditions alive when I have to members of my family with Celiac disease.

    Reply
  4. GG

    January 30, 2021 at 12:24 pm

    Hi, just saved the original recipe you had on here about two weeks ago and went to make it today to find it completely revamped. Can I get the old recipe if possible?

    Reply
    • admin

      August 26, 2021 at 12:26 pm

      Oh, wow. This recipe has historically gotten basically no traffic, so I hadn't even considered that someone might be in the process of making it.

      I didn't keep a record of the original recipe, sorry! It used store bought all purpose flour, which I've long since moved on from.

      Reply
  5. Sasha

    April 23, 2021 at 12:27 pm

    Hi there! I've recently been told to go wheat & dairy free & desperately want to make kulichi (paska) for Easter! Do you think it'll still taste delicious if I swap out the butter & milk for vegan options? Do you have a suggestion for swapping the whey protein powder? Would a vegan protein powder work? Thanks in advance!

    Reply
    • admin

      April 23, 2021 at 12:29 pm

      Hi Sasha,

      Swapping out the butter and milk for vegan options should work.

      As for the whey... I think there's a pretty good chance it'll work, just pick something either plain or vanilla flavoured that actually tastes good. I find a lot of non-whey protein powders taste a bit ... odd... to me.

      Reply
      • Sasha

        April 24, 2021 at 12:31 pm

        Thank you!! 😊

        Reply
  6. ht

    May 16, 2021 at 12:15 pm

    5 stars
    well done honey worked for me too

    Reply
  7. Nicole

    April 16, 2022 at 7:55 pm

    Hi…the recipe says baking sofa, but in the instructions it says baking powder. Just want to clarify which one please. Thank you!

    Reply
    • admin

      April 23, 2022 at 4:41 am

      Whoops, sorry about that. It's baking soda! (Guess I missed a change from one of the earlier versions!)

      Reply
  8. Heather Domanski

    April 24, 2022 at 11:27 am

    5 stars
    I am dairy free in addition to gluten free so I tweaked the recipe. I used unsweetened oat milk which required a dwell time of 30 minutes instead of ten. I also replaced the whey with tapioca flour. It rose beautifully!! I wish I could post pictures!!

    Reply

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Marie Porter


Author of the "Beyond Flour" series of gluten-free cookbooks, autistic polymath, and cat mom.

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