Russia-America

Kulich

(Babka, Pannetone, Easter Bread)

Ingredients

Flour – 1 kg
Dry yeast – 2 tsp
Milk – 1.5 cup
Yolks – 10
Whites – 3
Sugar – 250 g
Butter – 200 g.
Raisins – 100 g.

Cognac – 25 g.
Dry oranges skins – 25 g.
Cardamon, grated – 1 tsp (or 3 tsp of grated lemon skin)
Saffron liquid – 1 tsp
Vanilla sugar – 3-4 tsp
Salt – 1 g

Kulich - it is traditional for Russian Orthodox Easter. The recipe I'm presenting now I tried only this Easter - April 24, 2011. Really, it is not a recipe - it is a song! And I'll sing it for you.

¾ cup of boiling milk pour into 100 g of flour, stirring fast until smooth.
Yeast dissolve in ¾ cup of warm mjilk, add 100 g of flour. Stir well and set aside for about 10 min.
Mix 1 and 2 ingredients and leave to rise for about 1 hr.
Meanwhile prepare yolk mixture: yolks, sugar and a pinch of salt wipe thoroughly until white.
Add one half of this mixture to yeast dough, add 250 g of flour and leave to rise in a warm and close place for about 1 hr.
Add the rest of yolks to dough, add additional 500 g of flour, and mix well until dough does not stick to hands.
Add melted butter and spices and leave to rise again.
When the dough is raised, dump it down; add 2/3 of raising and dry oranges and leave to rise again.
Divide into 2 parts. Place into baking molds, pour raising and oranges sticks on the top. Mix 1 egg (or a yolk) with 1 Tsp of milk, and apply this mixture to the top of dough. Bake about 45-60 minutes at 370-380F.