Kulich
Kulich (кулич): tall Easter yeast bread with raisins and candied peel, iced white
Easter Saturday queues outside Russian churches are full of baskets holding a tall kulich, a few dyed eggs and a pot of paskha, all waiting for the priest's blessing; the bread is then cut in rounds at breakfast after the night service. The crumb is rich with butter and yolks, scented with cardamom, vanilla and lemon zest and dotted with raisins and candied orange, under a white cap of icing and coloured sprinkles. Many families plump the raisins in rum; here they soak in hot tea, so the loaves are alcohol-free. The usual slip is underbaking: the tall tops brown early, so tent them with foil and test with a long skewer. Chef's tip: cool the baked loaves lying on their sides on a folded towel, turning now and then, so the soft crowns do not sink.
- Total time
- 300 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
For the dough
- 5 ½ oz raisins
- ¾ cup hot black tea
- 2 ⅞ oz candied orange peelchopped
- 1 ⅓ lb strong white bread flour
- 1 cup whole milklukewarm
- 5 ½ oz caster sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- 1 lemonfinely grated zest
- ½ tsp salt
- 5 ½ oz unsalted buttervery soft
For the icing
- 5 ½ oz icing sugar
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp coloured sugar sprinkles (optional)
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Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Soak the 5 ½ oz raisins in the hot ¾ cup hot black tea for 30 minutes. Drain, pat dry and toss with the 2 ⅞ oz candied orange peel and a spoonful of the 1 oz strong white bread flour.
30 minStep 2: Whisk the ⅓ oz fast-action dried yeast and a tablespoon of the ½ oz caster sugar into the warm 1 cup whole milk, then beat in a quarter of the 5 ½ oz strong white bread flour. Cover and leave for 40 minutes, until bubbly and doubled.
40 minStep 3: Whisk the 2 eggs, 3 egg yolks and the rest of the 5 oz caster sugar with the 1 tsp vanilla extract, ½ tsp ground cardamom, 1 lemon and ½ tsp salt until pale. Add to the sponge with the remaining 15 oz strong white bread flour.
5 minStep 4: Knead for 10 minutes, then add the 5 ½ oz unsalted butter a piece at a time and knead 5–8 minutes more, until the dough is silky, very soft and pulls away from the bowl.
18 minStep 5: Cover and leave in a warm place for about 1½ hours, until doubled.
90 minStep 6: Knead in the fruit. Line three 1 litre tall tins (or clean food tins) with baking paper that stands 5 cm above the rim and fill each one-third full. Prove for 45–60 minutes, until the dough reaches two-thirds of the way up.
55 minStep 7: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan) and bake for 40–45 minutes, covering the tops loosely with foil after 20 minutes. They are done when a long skewer comes out clean and the centre reads about 201°F.
45 minStep 8: Turn out and cool the loaves on their sides on a folded towel, turning them now and then, for about 1 hour.
60 minStep 9: Mix the 5 ½ oz icing sugar with the 2 tbsp lemon juice into a thick paste and spoon it over the tops, letting it drip down the sides. Scatter with 1 tbsp coloured sugar sprinkles and leave to set.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 300 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 48 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kulich take?
- About 300 minutes in total: 255 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- 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 whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
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