Russian Easter bread

This recipe for kulich is by food blogger Alina Petropavlovska and her mother who have  kept the tradition of baking this sweet bread for Easter every year.

She says this recipe reminds her of the incense they use in the Orthodox church as it combines the perfect blend of spices.

A few tricks that Alina has recommended for making a great kulich involves kneading the dough in the air to ensure it remains light and fluffy and to keep it moist at all times.

Thanks Alina! Be sure to visit her website RussianSeason for more great recipes and to view her amazing photos.

Ingredients

*Makes 2 medium-sized Kulichi (13cm height, 9cm diameter) + 2 small Kulichi (9cm height, 7cm diameter)

Dough

4 1/4 cup (500 grams) wheat flour
3/4 cup (170 grams) sugar
4 tbsps (40 grams) fresh yeast
1/2 cup (120ml) milk, lukewarm
1/2 cup (120ml) cream
1/2 cup (120 grams butter), room temperature
2 egg yolks
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
A tiny pinch of ground cloves
A small bag of vanilla sugar
1/2 cup (50 grams) golden raisins
3/4 cup (150 grams) dried apricots
1/2 cup (75 grams) almonds

Icing

2 egg whites, chilled
1 cup (125 grams) powder sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup (75 grams) diced roasted walnuts

Directions

Combine yeast, milk, cream, and 1/3 of the flour.

Cover the dough and let it rise (it will rise quickly, in about half an hour).

In the meantime, blend egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, and butter until pale and smooth.
When the first dough has risen (you will notice some bubbles and cracks on the surface), add in salt, the egg yolk and butter mix, and spice. Mix together and add in the remaining flour. Knead the dough until it is smooth and doesn’t stick to the hands.

Cover the dough and leave it to rise in a warm place. It might take 2 to 4 hours, depending on temperature and ingredients.

When the second dough has risen, add in diced apricots, raisins, and peeled almonds (scald them so that the skins will come off easily).

Grease tall cylinder-shaped baking forms with butter and place the dough into the prepared forms. The dough should take about only ½ of the space in the form as it will rise significantly. Leave the dough in the molds to rise for about 15 minutes.

Bake at a low heat for an hour (325 F).

Tags: dessert, Easter, Featured, kulich, russian

Category: Holidays, Recipes