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Easter Bread - Kulich
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Easter Bread - Kulich

This traditional Easter Bread – Kulich is enriched with plenty of egg yolks, milk, butter, vanilla and raisins.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Resting Time6 hours
Total Time7 hours 10 minutes
Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Keyword: Easter Bread, Kulich

Equipment

  • Panettone molds or springform pans

Ingredients

Kulich

  • 350 g all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp or (9 g) instant dry yeast
  • 200 ml warm milk
  • 7 egg yolks at room temperature
  • 75 g butter + more for greasing at room temperature
  • 150 g granulated sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup raisins soaked in hot water for 15 min and drained
  • 1 beaten egg for brushing

Glaze

  • 1 egg white
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp lemon juice

Instructions

Preparing Dough

  • In a medium bowl whisk together 1/3 of the flour with yeast. Then add warm milk and mix. The batter should resemble pancake consistency. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot or 100˚F oven. Let rise from 1 to 2 hours or until doubled in size and starting to collapse from its own weight. 
  • When the dough is ready, in a separate bowl beat the egg yolks with sugar and salt until light and creamy.
  • Whip up the butter until light and fluffy in a separate bowl. Gradually add egg yolks, vanilla extract and the remaining flour into the risen dough batter and knead. While kneading gradually add all the butter little by little and work it into the dough until fully incorporated and the dough is smooth.
    I used a standing mixer on speed 2 for 15 minutes. You can still kneed the dough by hand, it may just require more time. The dough is pretty sticky so try greasing your hands with oil to help.
  • Once the dough has doubled in size add raisins and mix to combine.
  • Grease the baking pans (if using) with butter and divide the dough to fill 1/3 of each pan. No need to grease the paper molds.
  • Let them rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Baking Easter Breads

  • Preheat the oven to 360 F. Place a deep baking sheet with water inside the oven on the bottom. This will create some steam and prevent the breads from baking evenly without cracking. Bake at 360 F for 35-40 minutes, depending on the size of the breads. This recipe makes four 8 oz breads or three 12 oz breads.
  • After baking brush the tops of the breads with egg wash. Let them cool inside the pan for 10 minutes then remove the breads and lay them on a small pillow covered with towel. Let them cool completely this way turning occasionally. It’s a trick I learned from  grandma, her kuliches were fluffy and never collapsed. If baking inside paper molds simply leave them on the counter to cool.
  • Once breads are completely cooled cover them with icing. I do this step the next day to ensure the breads are completely cool

Icing

  • Gradually add powdered sugar into the egg white and mix to combine with a spatula. Add lemon juice at the end and cover the Easter Bread – Kulich.
  • Decorate with sprinkles or whatever you desire. Enjoy!

Notes

  1. Alternatively you can place the dough in the fridge overnight to rise. I do this after the second rise before adding the raisins. The next morning, take out the dough and add raisins. Divide the dough between the molds and have it rise again in the warm spot. And you are ready for baking!
  2. The Easter breads can be stored in the airtight container for up to a week.