Masha’s Easter Kulich

Title: Masha's Easter Kulich

Categories: Breads

Yield: 1 servings

1 c Skim milk; heated to lukewar

-m

(98 to 110 degrees)

3 tb Active dry yeast

1 1/2 c Honey or maple syrup

1/2 c Raisins

1 ts Saffron threads

1/4 c Rum or apple juice

5 c Unbleached white flour

; or more, divided

2 ts Salt

1 ts Vanilla

2 Eggs; lightly beaten

3 tb Melted butter or canola oil

1/4 c Chopped almonds

1/2 c Chopped mixed dried fruits

Recipe by: St. Louis Post-Dispatch 3/24/97

In large mixing bowl, combine milk, yeast and honey; stir

well. Cover bowl with clean dish towel; set aside warm

place for 10 minutes or until yeast foams.

In smaller bowl, soak raisins and saffron in rum for 10

minutes.

Add raisin mixture and enough flour to yeast to form a

thick batter. Stir with wooden spoon vigorously about 20

times. Cover bowl again and let dough rise in warm place 1

hour.

Add salt, vanilla, eggs, butter, almonds, fruits and enough

additional flour to make a kneadable dough. Transfer dough

to floured board or counter; knead 10 minutes or until

elastic and silky to touch.

Clean bowl. Place kneaded dough into bowl, cover and let

rise in warm place 1 hour. Punch down dough, then let rise

again 25 minutes.

Wash and dry, then oil inside of empty 3-pound coffee can.

Line can with unprinted buttered brown paper, such as from

a grocery bag, cut into long strips, allowing tops of

strips to hang over top of can. Tie ends against side of

can with string. (Overhanging paper strips make baked bread

easier to remove from can.) Roll dough into a ball and press into can. Cover with clean dish towel and let rise 30

minutes or until dough rises above top of can.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake bread in can on lowest

30 minutes. Reduce heat to

350 and bake

minutes longer or until golden brown. Let cool for 10

minutes, then open bottom of can with can opener and remove

bread by lifting out with paper strips.

Note: Russian cooks often ice their kulich with a mixture

of 1 egg white (or equivalent egg white powder and water),

a pinch of salt, 1/2 cup powdered sugar or warmed honey and 1/4 teaspoon almond extract. Beat the egg white until stiff

peaks form, then fold in remaining ingredients; drizzle

over kulich. Yield: 1 kulich. --