Paska(Slovak Easter Bread) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/2 c. butter
1 c. scalded milk
1 Tbsp. salt
3/4 c. sugar
1 cake yeast (large)
4 eggs, well beaten
5 c. flour (approximately)
1/2 c. seedless raisins (light or dark)

Preparation

Add shortening to hot milk, then add sugar.
Dissolve and cool to lukewarm.
Add crumbled yeast; stir in eggs and add flour and raisins.
Knead well (about 20 minutes), until smooth and elastic. Dough should be lighter than for bread.
Let rise until double in bulk.
Punch down and let rise again.
After it has risen for the second time, put dough on board and let rest for 10 minutes.
Form into round loaf to fit a 2-quart greased casserole or pan.
Let rise for about 45 minutes, or until double in size.
Top can be decorated with a cross made of strips of dough, braided and each end of braid pressed firmly into dough.
Bake about 45 minutes at 350\u00b0.