Ukrainian Easter Traditional Baking

I had the idea, now that Western culture’s Easter acknowledgement has passed, that I would like to share with my readers all about the wonderful Easter baked goods stories for which my country, the Ukraine, is famous. Of course, this sharing primarily includes Easter bread, which our housewives traditionally bake just before Easter. Many new recipes and varieties of Easter bread have emerged. Cottage cheese, candied fruit, and lemon or orange zest have become popular additions to the dough. Previously, the dough was simple, consisting of eggs, butter, flour, and sugar. Instead of yeast, homemade sourdough was used, and the dough was kneaded in stages over a long period of time. All this was done by hand, and it is still believed that the warmth of one’s hands imbues the product with the best and brightest feelings, thoughts, and mood.  Housewives prepared meticulously for the dough preparation and sometimes they would ask anyone creating excessive noise and fuss to leave the kitchen. Usually, it was the husbands, but children, on the contrary, were often involved in the dough preparation process and performed simple tasks.  For example, they cracked eggs or sculpted dough decorations; it was educational and fun.