Kulich is considered an important attribute of the Great Easter. It is customary to consecrate this bread during Easter week. However, Kulich was originally considered a pagan flour product. The
fact is that the bread was used for rituals dedicated to the gods of fertility and harvest. Thus, pagans tried to placate the higher powers and get rid of hunger for the
coming
year.
With the advent of Christianity, or rather Orthodoxy, Kulich was decided to leave. People got used to this tasty pastry. To eat it during Easter week means to get rid of the heaviness of fasting.
Let’s make a moist and fragrant kulich at home.
Ingredients for four kulich:
- dry yeast – 8 g;
- dried fruit – 100 g;
- sugar – 200 g;
- salt – ¼ tsp;
- flour – 700 g;
- butter – 100 g;
- milk – 300 ml;
- eggs – 3 pcs.
Preparation of four kulichi:
Mix in a separate bowl yeast with 1.5 tbsp of sugar. Pour warm milk (36-38 degrees Celsius) to the yeast, stir and wait for the appearance of opara.
Into the milk opara sift a spoonful of flour, cover the mixture with a towel and leave it warm for 40 minutes. At this time, pour boiling water over dried fruit for half an hour, and then rinse and dry.
Separate the yolks from the whites, mix granulated sugar with the yolks
.
Salt the whites and beat with a mixer until unstable peaks appear.
Put the sugar yolks and whites into the opara and mix. Partially sift flour into the opara, start kneading the dough either with a mixer or with your hands.
When part of the flour is already added, melt butter, pour it into the thick dough and continue sifting the loose product. Knead the dough for about 15 minutes until a film forms when pulled. Transfer the dough to a container greased with vegetable oil, cover with cellophane and put away for 40 minutes in the heat.
Pour dried fruits into the risen dough and mix. Again cover the dough with cellophane, add a towel on top. Leave the dough for about 1 hour and 30 minutes in a warm place.
Then divide the dough into 4 equal portions and place in the prepared molds.
Note that the dough should occupy only half of the mold.
Cover the future kulichi with a towel and leave to rise for 40-60 minutes.
Bake kulichi in an oven preheated to 180 degrees Celsius for 35 minutes. We recommend cooking without convection at the top and bottom.
After baking the kulich, do not forget to smear it with glaze.
To make 7-8 kulichi, you need to double the amount of ingredients.
