Russian Kulich Bread Recipes

KULICH (RUSSIAN PANETTONE)

Steps:

• Combine golden raisins and rum in a small bowl and let soak.
• Dissolve yeast and 1/2 teaspoon sugar in 1/2 cup milk in a bowl. Let stand until yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam, about 10 minutes.
• Mix remaining 1 cup milk and 1 cup flour together in a bowl. Add yeast mixture and stir well. Cover and let stand in a warm place for 30 minutes.
• Beat 5 egg whites and salt in a glass, metal, or ceramic bowl until stiff peaks form.
• Combine remaining sugar and egg yolks in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer until fluffy and pale, about 5 minutes. Beat in vanilla extract. Drain raisins and add rum to egg mixture. Add to yeast mixture and mix well. Fold in egg whites gently. Add remaining flour in small batches, mixing well after each addition, until dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
• Turn out dough onto a floured work surface and knead for about 10 minutes, adding more flour as needed. Start rubbing in 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter, 1/4 cup at a time, once dough seems pliable and soft. Knead for 2 more minutes and form into a ball.
• Transfer to a clean, lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and a clean dish towel. Allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 90 minutes.
• Turn dough out onto a floured work surface and knead for 2 minutes. Sprinkle flour over raisins. Scatter raisins, almonds, and mixed peel in a circle around the dough. Keep kneading dough to incorporate fruits and nuts evenly.
• Line 2 large metal coffee tins with parchment paper. Divide dough in half and transfer to the tins. Cover with a clean dish towel. Allow to rise in a warm place until dough has risen to the top, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bake kulich in the preheated oven until top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 1 hour. Carefully tip loaves out of the tins onto a work surface and let cool, about 2 hours.
• Combine confectioners' sugar, 1 egg white, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Brush over the the tops of the kulich loaves, allowing icing to run down the sides.

RUSSIAN KULICH

Steps:

• Stir together yeast, 1/4 teaspoon sugar, and warm milk in a large bowl and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in 1 1/2 cups flour and cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Let stand in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Beat 4 yolks with remaining sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer at TK speed until mixture is thick and pale, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in brandy and salt.
• Stir yeast dough to deflate. Add yolk mixture and butter and stir until well blended. Beat 3 egg whites in a bowl with cleaned beaters until they hold soft peaks. Fold whites into batter, then stir in remaining 2 1/2 cups flour. Cover bowl and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour 10 minutes.
• Stir dough to deflate, then stir in almonds and raisins.
• Butter 4 clean (10 1/2-ounce) coffee cans. Line bottom of each with a round of parchment or wax paper. Dust insides with flour, knocking out excess. Divide dough evenly among cans. Let dough rise in cans, covered with a towel, until about 1/2 inch from rim, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Whisk together remaining yolk and water, and lightly brush over tops of dough. Bake loaves in cans until tops are golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Turn loaves out onto a rack, turn right side up, and let cool completely, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Sift powdered sugar into a bowl, then stir in lemon juice. Spread glaze over tops of loaves, letting it drip down the sides. Let loaves stand until icing is set, about 15 minutes.

KULICH (RUSSIAN EASTER CAKE)

Steps:

• Place golden raisins into a bowl, drizzle with vodka, and allow raisins to soften overnight.
• Mix 1 teaspoon sugar into lukewarm water in a bowl until sugar dissolves. Stir yeast into the water and let stand until the yeast mixture is frothy, about 10 minutes.
• Heat milk in a saucepan over medium-low heat until very warm but not simmering. Stir in saffron threads and cardamom, remove from heat, and let the milk mixture stand until lukewarm.
• Transfer yeast mixture into a large mixing bowl. Stir milk mixture, 1/2 cup sugar, and 1 cup flour into the yeast mixture, beating until the batter is smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
• Mix melted butter, 1/2 cup sugar, orange blossom honey, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and salt together in a bowl. Beat butter mixture into the batter, then beat in eggs and egg yolk.
• Mix 2 1/2 cups of flour into the dough. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup flour onto a work surface and knead dough until it holds together, about 5 minutes; knead soaked golden raisins and 1/2 cup almonds into the dough until well distributed.
• Form dough into a ball and place into an oiled bowl; turn dough around in the bowl several times to coat outside of dough. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Punch down dough, knead a few times, and divide dough into 4 pieces. Coat inside of clean 14-ounce cans with butter. Line cans with parchment paper. Roll each piece of dough into a ball, place into a can, and press dough lightly against the inside bottom of can.
• Cover cans with a cloth and allow dough to rise to the top of the cans, about 45 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Place a baking sheet into the oven; place the cans of dough upright into oven on baking sheet. Bake until kulich are risen and lightly browned, 45 to 50 minutes.
• Let kulich cool in the cans for about 15 minutes before gently removing from cans to finish cooling on racks.
• Beat egg white in a bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until frothy; beat in confectioners' sugar until the mixture holds stiff peaks. Beat lemon juice into frosting.
• Frost the tops of the kulich and sprinkle tops with 2 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds. Refrigerate leftovers.

RUSSIAN KULICH BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine yeast, water, 1/4 cup of sugar and milk, mixing until yeast and sugar have dissolved. Stir in 1 cup flour until well blended. Cover and let stand in a warm place for 1 hour.
• In a bowl, combine butter, 1/2 cup sugar and egg yolks. Add the yeast-flour mixture from step 1, stirring well. Add vanilla, cardamom, salt and enough of the 3-3 1/2 cups flour to make a soft dough. Stir in raisind, almonds and orange rind.
• In a small bowl, beat 2 egg whites untill stiff. Fold them into th dough made in step 2. Knead until asmooth and elastic dough forms. Place in a greased bowl, cover with greased plastic wrap and let to rise until doubled in size.
• Coat a kulich pan with cooking spray. Punch down the dough and knead for a few times. Place it in the prepared pan, cover with greased plastic wrap and leave to rise until the dough reaches the top of the pan.
• Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Place pan on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes Reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for another 35 to 40 minutes or until tester comes out clean.
• While Kulich is baking, prepare glaze by combining in a small bowl the confectioners' sugar, lemon juice, almond extract and enough water to make a smooth, runny glaze.
• Remove Kulich from oven and let to cool for 10 minutes. Unmold from pan and cool on a wire rack. While still slightly warm, drizzle glaze over the top. To serve, cut of the crown and slice base into rounds. T keep any leftovers moist, replace the crown.