Korovai
Ceremonial wedding bread
Ukraine's ceremonial wedding bread crowned with dough birds and braids
UkrainianA Ukrainian wedding once began days ahead, when married women of the village gathered to bake the korovai and sang over the dough. The finished bread is a great round loaf ringed with a braid and covered in dough pine cones, flowers and pairs of birds for the couple, often finished with sprigs of greenery and red guelder-rose berries. It is carried in on an embroidered rushnyk cloth, and at the end of the feast it is cut and shared with every guest. The crumb is soft and lightly sweet, good with honey, butter or tea the next morning. Expect it to take a whole afternoon. The trap is using the same soft dough for the decorations: they puff up and lose their shape, so firm up that portion with extra flour. Chef's tip: stick each decoration on with a dab of water and press it in a little, then chill the decorated loaf for 10 minutes before baking so the details stay crisp.
- Total time
- 300 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 20
Ingredients
For the dough
- ½ oz instant dried yeast2 sachets
- 3 ½ oz caster sugar
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 ¾ cups whole milklukewarm
- 4 eggsat room temperature
- 4 oz buttermelted and cooled
- 2 tbsp sunflower oilplus a little for the tin
For the decorations
- 2 ½ oz plain flour
- 1 tbsp waterfor sticking
To finish
- 1 eggbeaten with 1 tbsp milk; or use milk with a little melted butter for an egg-free glaze
- 1 oz fresh cranberries or guelder-rose berries (optional)for decorating after baking
- 6 small sprigs of bay or rosemary (optional)for decorating after baking
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Method
0/11 doneStep 1: Mix 2 lb strong white bread flour, ½ oz instant dried yeast, 3 ½ oz caster sugar and 2 tsp salt in a large bowl. Add 1 ¾ cups whole milk, 4 eggs, 4 oz butter and 2 tbsp sunflower oil and bring together into a soft dough.
Step 2: Knead for 12–15 minutes, by hand or with a dough hook, until smooth, springy and no longer sticky.
14 minStep 3: Cut off 350 g of the dough for the decorations. Knead 2 ½ oz plain flour into it until firm and pliable, wrap it and chill.
Step 4: Shape the rest into a tight ball, cover and leave in a warm place for 1–1½ hours, until doubled.
80 minStep 5: Oil a 28–30 cm round tin or springform. Knock back the big dough, shape it into a smooth, tight dome and set it in the tin.
Step 6: From the firm dough, roll three 90 cm ropes and braid them. Brush the rim of the loaf with 1 tbsp water and lay the braid around it, tucking the ends under.
Step 7: Shape the rest of the firm dough into decorations: two birds (a short rope tied in a knot, one end pinched into a head, the other snipped into a tail), small rosettes and pine cones snipped with scissors. Stick them on top with dabs of water.
Step 8: Cover loosely and prove for 40–50 minutes, until the loaf is puffy and springs back slowly when pressed.
45 minStep 9: Chill the loaf for 10 minutes while you heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan). Brush all over with 1 egg, getting into every crevice.
10 minStep 10: Bake for 55–65 minutes, covering with foil after 25 minutes once the decorations are golden. It is done when deep golden, the base sounds hollow when tapped and the centre reads 194°F.
60 minStep 11: Cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then on a rack for at least 2 hours. Tuck in the berries and sprigs of greenery if using, removing the sprigs before cutting.
120 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 270 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does korovai take?
- About 300 minutes in total: 235 minutes to prepare and 65 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 20 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of strong white bread flour?
- Plain flour, same amount (the dough will be softer and rise a little less).
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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