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Easter Kulich with Cinnamon and Nuts Made with Dry Yeast
Instructions
We start by sifting the flour (through a sieve). It should be noted that we sift the flour no less than two times. Now we can prepare the dough starter. We take 200 grams of sifted flour and pour it into a deep bowl. Now we measure out 150 grams of granulated sugar. From this amount of sugar, we take 1 tablespoon of sugar. We pour this portion of sugar into the bowl where we already have 200 grams of flour.
This time we will make Easter kulich with dry yeast. We have instant dry yeast, which we add to the flour. So, we weigh 7 grams (that's how much yeast is needed according to the recipe) and send it to the bowl with flour. We mix the dry ingredients quite thoroughly in the bowl.
Now we add milk. We took condensed milk. You can use regular milk, but kulichs made with condensed milk turn out especially delicious. They have a creamy taste. Of course, the milk needs to be warmed up beforehand.
We mix the components of the dough starter using a mixer.
We cover the bowl with the dough starter with a clean kitchen towel. We find a warm, draft-free place for it. We leave the dough starter there for about half an hour. The yeast activates in the warmth, raising the starter in the bowl with a frothy cap. We wash two raw chicken eggs. We break them, separating the yolks and whites into separate bowls.
To the prepared dough starter, we add the other ingredients we prepared for the Easter dough. Before adding the chicken eggs to the dough, we beat them with a mixer. We beat the egg yolks and whites separately. We pour the remaining sugar into the egg yolks. Then we beat the yolks with sugar using a mixer until white foam appears. We pour this foam into the dough starter.
The next ingredients we add to the dough are softened butter and margarine. We soften them in a water bath, not bringing them to a liquid state. Since we only slightly soften the fats, they are not hot. We add the butter and margarine to the dough starter. We mix the fats in the dough starter with a mixer.
We beat the egg whites with a mixer and a pinch of salt. The beaten egg whites also go into the dough starter. We combine them with the starter, mixing with a spatula.
Gradually, we add the previously sifted flour. First, we mix the dough with a spatula, and then we start kneading the dough (with our hands).
We knead the dough for a long time. At first, the rich, sweet dough sticks to the hands. Therefore, to make it easier to knead the Easter dough, we often grease our hands with sunflower oil. For this, we just pour a little oil onto the back of our hand. The dough becomes stretchy, fluffy, and layered. It already easily comes off the walls of the bowl and our hands. We transfer the kneaded dough to a pot, cover it with gauze, and place it in a warm spot.
We prepare the additions for the dough. We add cinnamon, raisins, and walnut kernels to the kulich. We have light raisins. After washing the raisins, we place them on a napkin to absorb any excess moisture. We cut the walnut kernels into smaller pieces.
When the dough in the pot doubles in size, we punch it down. We add the raisins and nuts.
We add 1 tsp. of ground cinnamon, spreading it over the entire surface of the dough.
We thoroughly mix the additions into the dough. We place the pot with the dough in a warm spot for the dough to rise again. When the dough rises, we can distribute it into molds.
We have metal molds. We line the inside of the molds with greased paper and fill one third of the mold with Easter dough. We place the molds near the oven for the dough to rise in them. We cover the molds with paper napkins on top. When the dough rises and levels with the edges of the molds, we place the molds in the oven, which by this time is heated to +180 degrees C. Small Easter cakes bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes. When the tops of the cakes turn golden, light brown, we cover the tops of the cakes with foil. When the browned sides of the cakes start to pull away from the mold, it's time to take them out of the oven. Carefully remove the cakes from the molds. Once the cakes are free from the paper, we place them on their side on a towel. While the cakes are hot, their soft and tender sides can get squished. Therefore, we flip the cakes over on the towel a few times from one side to the other.
We decorate the cooled cakes with glaze made from gelatin. In our opinion, gelatin glaze is the best glaze for Easter cakes. Since this glaze is tasty and does not crumble when cutting the cakes.
We pour a teaspoon of gelatin with two tablespoons of room temperature water. We stir, leaving the gelatin to swell for 20 minutes.
We pour powdered sugar according to the recipe into a metal bowl. We add 2 tablespoons of water to the powdered sugar and mix. Placing the bowl over the heat, we bring the icing to a boil, but do not let it boil. Next, we introduce the swollen gelatin into the sugar icing, mixing. Now we add a pinch of grated lemon zest here.
We cover the cold Easter cakes with cinnamon and nuts made with dry yeast with this gelatin glaze. To do this, we dip the top of the cake into the glaze. We slightly rotate the cake in the icing, and then place the cake in a small plate. We quickly decorate the Easter cakes with cinnamon and nuts before the icing solidifies on them. By the way, another plus of gelatin glaze is that it sets quickly, and the decorations on it hold very firmly. Wishing you a bright Easter!
Tips
- 1
Sift flour at least twice for best finished kulich texture. Unsifted flour produces dense lumpy dough; properly twice-sifted flour produces the proper signature airy fluffy character authentic to traditional Russian-Orthodox Easter cake preparations. The flour-sifting matters more than home bakers typically realize for finished kulich-quality and overall family-meal success consistently across batches reliably across various Easter occasions throughout the year for proper traditional Russian-Orthodox results consistently.
- 2
Use condensed milk for proper finished creamy character. Plain milk produces standard flavor; properly condensed milk produces the proper signature creamy rich Easter character authentic to traditional Russian-Orthodox kulich preparations. The same condensed-milk principle elevates many enriched-bread preparations including butter-enriched festive baking applications across various traditional international culinary occasions throughout the year reliably.
- 3
Use gelatin icing for proper finished decoration character. Sugar icing crumbles when sliced; properly gelatin-based icing produces the proper signature smooth non-crumbling character authentic to traditional Russian-Orthodox kulich preparations. The patient gelatin-icing principle pays back significantly in finished kulich-quality consistently across batches and various Easter celebration preparations throughout the year for proper traditional results worth showcasing reliably across various Easter occasions for proper home-baking results.
- 4
Pair the finished Easter kulich with traditional accompaniments for proper presentation. Serve cooled with hot tea, alongside cottage cheese paskha, painted eggs for substantial Easter celebration spreads, or as gift to family for elegant Russian-Orthodox presentations worth showcasing across various Easter occasions reliably. Pair with crusty homemade bread tea-time accompaniments for substantial Easter spreads throughout the year for proper traditional results worth showcasing reliably across various family-meal occasions throughout the year.
FAQ
Can I use fresh yeast? +
Yes, fresh pressed yeast works beautifully as substitute producing equally delicious results. Each option produces distinct character: instant dry yeast provides modern convenience with predictable rise, fresh pressed yeast produces traditional authentic Russian-Orthodox character with deeper flavor. Use 21g (3x amount) fresh yeast as 7g dry yeast substitute. Activate fresh yeast in warm milk first. Mix and match yeast types for endless variations across various Russian-Orthodox Easter cake traditions throughout the year for proper personalized finished results consistently across various Easter occasions reliably.
How long do these kulichs keep? +
Stored covered at room temperature, the kulichs keep for 5-7 days at peak quality. The flavors meld and improve over the first 24 hours as components marry beautifully. The gelatin icing protects the surface from drying. Wrap in clean cloth or store in airtight container for best preservation. The kulichs freeze adequately for up to 2 months — thaw at room temperature for 2-3 hours. Best consumed within 5 days for the brightest most appealing finished results across multiple Easter applications throughout the year reliably across various festive occasions.
Can I use other dried fruits? +
Yes, dried apricots, dried cranberries, candied fruits, dried figs, or dates all work beautifully as substitutes or additions to raisins. Each option produces distinct character: light raisins provide classic Russian-Orthodox Easter character, dried apricots add golden sweetness, dried cranberries add tart pops, candied fruits add festive color, dried figs add Mediterranean depth, dates add caramel richness. Mix and match dried fruits for endless variations across various Russian-Orthodox Easter cake traditions throughout the year for proper personalized finished results consistently.
Why don't my kulichs rise? +
Three usual causes: yeast not properly activated (milk too hot or cold), insufficient kneading, or not enough warm spot for rising. Address proper warm milk temperature (35-40 degrees), thorough kneading until smooth and elastic, and warm draft-free location for both rises for consistently risen results. The combination of proper temperature, patient kneading, and adequate warmth produces dramatic rise-quality reliably across various Russian-Orthodox Easter cake preparation sessions throughout the year for proper traditional results consistently.
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