Bake pască, a Romanian Easter bread with a tender yeast dough, a fresh cheese and raisin filling, and a braided rim with a cross.
Pască cu brânză (Romanian Easter Cheese Bread)A tender enriched yeast bread wraps a lightly sweet fresh-cheese filling with raisins, lemon, and a braided rim crossed over the top.
Pască cu brânză is a Romanian Easter bake made with soft, enriched yeast dough and a sweet fresh-cheese filling. It is often shaped as a round with a raised or braided border, then decorated with dough strips that cross over the cheese. Families vary the filling and decoration: some add raisins and citrus, while others keep the cheese plain or use a different regional dough. This version uses a gently sweet filling with raisins, vanilla, and lemon, and a simple braided rim with a cross. It is a bread-based holiday pastry rather than a crustless cheesecake, and its texture is best judged after the center has cooled and set.
The Romanian name pască refers to an Easter bread or pastry served for the holiday. Regional records and household recipes show more than one form, including breads made from risen dough with cheese and eggs. The braid and cross are common decorations, but they are not the only traditional pattern. The recipe here follows a familiar home style: a round yeasted base, a low wall that holds the filling, and two dough ropes twisted together around the edge. A cross of dough rests on top. This arrangement keeps most of the cheese exposed while giving the bread a clear, festive shape.
Fresh cow’s cheese is the key to a filling that slices cleanly. Choose a mild, unsalted, full-fat farmer’s cheese or Romanian brânză de vaci; avoid sweetened cream cheese and strongly salted brined cheese. The curds should be moist but not watery. If whey pools around the cheese, drain it in a fine sieve in the refrigerator before mixing. Semolina absorbs some remaining moisture and helps the baked center hold together without making it dense. Raisins add small pockets of sweetness, while lemon zest keeps the rich dairy flavor from tasting heavy.
The dough is enriched with milk, eggs, sugar, and butter, so it rises more slowly than a lean bread dough. Warm the milk only until lukewarm; hot liquid can damage the yeast. Knead until the dough feels smooth and elastic, then add softened butter gradually so it incorporates instead of making the dough greasy. A slightly tacky dough is desirable. Too much flour during kneading can make the baked rim dry. Let the dough rise until visibly doubled rather than relying only on a timer, since room temperature and yeast activity vary.
Soak dry raisins briefly in warm water if they feel hard, then drain and pat them dry before adding them to the cheese. Mix the filling just until combined. If it seems loose enough to pour, drain the cheese further instead of adding large amounts of semolina. The braid should be thick enough to stay above the filling but not so heavy that it weighs down the rim. Leave the cheese surface level and avoid overfilling the pan; a little room helps the center bake evenly as the dough expands.
A second short proof relaxes the shaped dough and gives the braid a lighter crumb. Brush only the dough with egg wash so the exposed cheese remains matte and does not develop a tough, eggy skin. Bake until the rim is a deep golden brown and check the center of the egg-based filling with a clean thermometer. It must reach 71 °C (160 °F), the safe temperature for egg dishes. If the braid is already brown while the center is below that mark, cover it loosely with foil and continue baking. The color of the crust alone does not confirm that the filling is safely cooked.
Let the pască cool completely in its pan before removing the ring or cutting it. The cheese filling firms as it cools; slicing while warm can make it appear loose and cause the cross to shift. Use a clean knife and wipe it between slices. Serve the bread at room temperature once cooled. The flavor is gently sweet rather than cake-like, with the soft dairy filling balanced by lemon and raisins. It can be made a day ahead and refrigerated after cooling; bring portions toward room temperature for serving if desired.
This recipe contains wheat, milk, and eggs. Keep raw egg wash and utensils separate from the baked bread, and wash hands and surfaces after handling raw eggs. Refrigerate the cooled pască within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers, keep it at or below 4 °C, and use it within 3–4 days. Reheat individual portions until steaming hot. For guests avoiding tree nuts, this version contains no nuts; check ingredient labels and prevent cross-contact if it is prepared alongside nut-filled holiday foods. Because the cheese filling contains eggs, do not substitute an appearance-only check for the thermometer reading.
Warm the milk until lukewarm. In a large bowl, combine the flour, instant yeast, sugar, and salt. Add the milk, two eggs, and half the lemon zest; mix until a rough dough forms. Knead for 8–10 minutes, then work in the softened butter a little at a time until the dough is smooth, elastic, and only slightly tacky. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled, about 60 minutes.
If the cheese looks wet, drain it well before mixing; excess whey can make the filling run. Combine the cheese, two eggs, sugar, semolina, vanilla, raisins, and the remaining lemon zest. Stir until evenly mixed but do not beat in extra air. The filling should mound softly on a spoon rather than pour. Keep it chilled if the dough needs more time to rise.
Butter a 28 cm springform pan. Set aside about one third of the dough for the braid and cross. Roll the remaining dough into a round that covers the pan base and rises about 3 cm up the sides. Roll two thin ropes from the reserved dough, twist them together, and fit the braid around the rim. Spoon the filling inside the border and level it gently. Shape the remaining dough into a cross and lay it over the center. Cover loosely and let rise for about 20 minutes while the oven heats to 175 °C (350 °F).
Beat the remaining egg with a spoonful of milk and brush it over the braid and cross. Bake on the center rack at 175 °C (350 °F) for 50–55 minutes, until the dough is deeply golden. Insert a clean digital thermometer into the center of the cheese filling without touching the pan; the egg-based center must reach 71 °C (160 °F). If the top browns too quickly before the center is ready, tent loosely with foil and continue baking. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool the pască completely, at least 1 hour, before releasing the ring and slicing; cooling time is additional.
Release the springform ring only after the pască has cooled. Slice with a clean knife, wiping it between cuts for neat portions. Serve at room temperature once cooled. The sweet cheese filling is tender and lightly set, with raisins and lemon in each slice. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow covered containers within 2 hours; keep at or below 4 °C and use within 3–4 days. Reheat slices until steaming hot, or serve chilled.
A watery cheese can loosen the filling and leave moisture around the center. Drain it in the refrigerator until it is moist but not dripping.
A slightly tacky enriched dough bakes tender. Add flour sparingly and work softened butter in gradually.
A short second rise helps the rim bake lighter and keeps the dough from splitting as it expands.
The cheese filling sets as it cools. Cutting while warm can make the center look loose and shift the dough cross.
| Problem | What to do |
|---|---|
| The cheese filling is watery | Drain the fresh cheese in the refrigerator before mixing and pat soaked raisins dry. Semolina helps absorb modest moisture, but do not rely on it to correct very wet cheese. |
| The braid browns before the center is cooked | Tent the top loosely with foil and continue baking. Check the center of the egg-and-cheese filling with a clean thermometer; it must reach 71 °C (160 °F). |
| The filling looks loose after baking | Cool the pască completely before cutting. The cheese and semolina filling firms as it cools; warm slices will appear softer and may slump. |
| Original ingredient | Practical substitute | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh cow’s cheese (brânză de vaci) | Well-drained full-fat farmer’s cheese | Use an unsalted, mild cheese with a similar dry-curd texture. Drain it in the refrigerator if whey is visible; do not replace it with sweetened cream cheese. |
| Raisins | Dried cranberries | Use the same amount, chop large berries, and briefly soak and drain them if they are very dry. The flavor will be tarter than the traditional raisin filling. |
Pască contains fresh cheese and eggs, so cool it and refrigerate promptly. The filling firms as it chills.
After cooling, place slices or the whole bread in a shallow covered container within 2 hours. Keep at or below 4 °C and use within 3–4 days.
Warm individual portions in a low oven or microwave until steaming hot. Avoid repeatedly warming and cooling the whole bread.
Pască is a Romanian Easter bread or pastry, often made with enriched yeasted dough and a sweet cheese filling. Shapes and toppings vary by region and household.
Use mild, unsalted fresh cow’s cheese or farmer’s cheese with the whey drained away. Avoid strongly salted brined cheese and sweetened cream cheese.
Insert a clean food thermometer into the center of the filling without touching the pan. It should reach 71 °C (160 °F); crust color alone is not a reliable safety check.
Yes. Bake it a day ahead, cool completely, then refrigerate in a covered container within 2 hours. Keep at or below 4 °C and use within 3–4 days.
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