Easter 2022 coincides with such a difficult time in the world, and I wanted to create an Easter bun symbolic of hope and peace in this time of war and suffering.

This is a bun based on a Ukranian Paska Recipe by Olia Hercules in her beautiful book on Ukranian cuisine.

I made quite a few changes but tried to capture European flavours in this recipe using lemon zest, apricot and white chocolate. It’s subtle and comforting with plenty of light fluffiness and a hint of butter. I did keep the inclusion of mashed potato which really alters the texture of the dough to something so different yet still delicious.

Ingredients

For the bun dough:

Potato mixture (make the day before)

200g potatoes, peeled, chopped into quarters and boiled until soft
100ml hot potato water

For the dough:

550g tipo oo flour
8 g active dry yeast
100g raw sugar
1 egg and 1 egg yolk
150ml warm milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
zest of one organic lemon
200g strained potato mixture
1/2 teaspoon salt
75g unsalted butter
150g dried soft apricots
1 cup white couverture chocolate callets.

For the glaze:
200ml good quality apricot jam

For the crosses:
1/2 cup plain flour
cold water
For the egg wash:
1 egg yolk mixed with
1 tablespoon milk

Instructions

Start the night before by making the mashed potato mixture:

Boil the peeled and quartered potatoes in plenty of water until soft (around 20 minutes) then drain reserving 100ml of the hot potato water.
Mash the potatoes with the water, and then strain and push through a sieve to remove any lumps.
Cover and set aside at room temperature overnight.

To Make The Dough:

Have all the ingredients at warm room temperature.
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt and yeast.
Make a well in the centre and add the sugar, eggs, vanilla, zest, milk, and potato mixture.
Knead everything together using the dough hook of a stand mixer until the dough is smooth and elastic. This should take around 8 minutes.
Break off the warm butter, and add it to the dough bit by bit whilst the mixer is running.
Keep kneading at low to medium speed until the butter is fully incoorporated.
Cover the dough and leave to rise, covered in cling film or a silicon top, in a warm place until doubled in size (around 1 and a half hours)

While the dough is rising, chop the apricots into small pieces. If you are unable to find callets, any larger white chocolate couverture blocks can be also chopped into smaller pieces.
Preheat the oven to 170 degrees celsius, fan forced.
Divide the dough into 90-100g portions and flatten each ball onto lightly floured surface.
Spread over and press in some apricot pieces and chocolate evenly. (i used around 3 apricot halves per bun and around 10 callers or chocolate pieces)
Fold the ingredients in by enclosing in the dough, bringing in the top, sides and bottom of the dough and pinching to secure.
Flip over and roll into a ball, then place in a deep sided greased square or rectangular cake tin.
Place the buns together so they are just touching with room to rise.
Allow to prove again, covered until almost doubled in size (around 30 minutes)

oooooOooooo

Mix tougher the flour with enough water to make a pipeable paste. Empty into a piping bag fitted with a small round nozzle.
Brush egg wash over all the buns

Pipe peace signs or crosses (or both) on top with the flour paste.
(Alternatively a plastic piping bag can be use with the tip cut off, or a ziplock bag with the corner snipped to pipe the flour paste)
Bake for around 30 minutes or until golden and well risen.
While the buns are baking, heat the jam in the microwave until bubbling and strain to remove any lumps.
Brush the buns generously with the hot jam as soon as they are out of the oven
Serve with plenty of butter.