Activate the Yeast: - In a cup, combine a little bit of warm water, yeast and 1 Tbsp of sugar. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes until it becomes foamy.
Make the Dough: - In a large bowl of your stand mixer, combine sugar, salt, vanilla sugar and soft butter until creamy adding eggs one at a time. Then stir in the yeast mixture and warm milk. Attach the dough hook and mix on low speed for about 30 seconds or until well incorporated. Gradually add flour and mix until a soft dough forms.
Knead: - Knead the dough with the dough hook on medium-low speed for a good 8-10 minutes. The dough will be very sticky, don't be tempted to add more flour. If using raisins, add them during the last minute of kneading. Make sure to soak the raisins in warm water for 15 minutes. Pat them dry with paper towel before using, this will prevent pulling moisture from the dough.
First Rise: - Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel or cling and let rise in a warm place for 2 hours, or until doubled in size.
Shape the Bread: - Shape the dough into 6 equally round loaves using oil instead of flour as the dough will be sticking to your hands. Place into: greased small round bowls that are oven safe, or you can buy Panettone molds off amazon. I would recommend the molds from amazon, as it is great for even baking.
Second Rise: - Cover and allow the dough to rise again for 1 hour until puffy.
Bake: - Bake at 350F (175C) for 30-40 minutes, until the top is golden brown. If the top browns too quickly, loosely cover with foil.
Cool Completely: - Remove from the pan and let cool completely before glazing.
Glaze: - In a small bowl mix powdered sugar and whipping cream, stir until smooth. Drizzle over the cooled Paska bread and decorate with Easter sprinkles.
