Kulich is a type of Easter bread. It has its own unique history and is one of the main symbols of Easter.
One of the interesting facts about kulich is that its shape symbolizes artos – leavened bread, which has a sacred meaning in Orthodoxy. Artos is leavened bread that bears the cross or the image of the Resurrection.
Kulichi, like artos, have a cylindrical shape and are made of sweet dough with the addition of raisins, candied fruits and nuts. They are decorated with sugar glaze and confectionery sprinkles.
Let’s bake a homemade aromatic sweet kulich.
Ingredients for kulich:
- Flour – 500 g;
- Sugar – 180 g;
- Milk – 150 g;
- Yeast – 20 g;
- Eggs – 2 pcs;
- Yolks – 3 pcs;
- Butter – 170 g;
- Honey – 1 tbsp;
- Vanilla sugar – 10 g;
- Salt – 1/2 tsp;
- Candied fruit – 250 g;
- Zest – 1 orange;
- Zest – 1 lemon;
- Cognac – 80 ml;
- Hot water – 80 ml.
Preparation of the kulich:
In a bowl with candied fruits pour hot water and cognac, cover with food film, leave to swell. In the meantime prepare the opara, pour a tablespoon of sugar into a bowl with warm milk, add the yeast and stir.
Pour 6 tablespoons of flour into the yeast milk, knead the mixture as if it were pancakes
.
Leave the paste under cling film in the heat for 30-40 minutes.
Grate the zest of orange and lemon separately, also cover with cling film so that the citrus flavor does not escape. In a bowl sift flour, pour sugar, salt and vanilla sugar, beat eggs, add yolks and honey.
With mixer hooks knead the dough for 5 minutes, and then pour the opara
.
Knead the dough with the opara similarly, but for 10-15 minutes.
When the dough gathers into a homogeneous lump, you can gradually add a piece of soft butter to it. Knead the dough with the butter for 10 minutes.
Pour the lemon and orange zest into the dough. Put the candied fruit on a sieve to let the rum drain out. Pour the candied fruit into the dough and continue kneading for a couple of minutes.
Leave the dough under clingfilm and a towel in a warm place for 2 hours.
Be sure to make holes in the cling film to keep air circulation.
After the dough has risen, we use our hands to spread the pieces into kulich molds.
It is important to put ⅓ of the dough into the molds.
Cover the future kulichi with a towel and wait until they increase in size to the edges of the molds. Bake the kulichi at 180 degrees for 35 minutes.
For the glaze, put the protein, a teaspoon of lemon juice and 100 grams of powdered sugar in a saucepan. Beat the ingredients with a mixer for 5-7 minutes on low speed until a glossy white glaze.
Make beautiful drips of glaze on the kulichi and sprinkle with your favorite sprinkles. You will get flavorful soft and tender kulichi for Easter.
