Ingredients
For the dough:
• 500 g flour
• 250 ml milk
• 100 g melted butter
• 100 g sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 packet vanilla sugar
• 7 g dry yeast or 25 g fresh yeast
• ½ tsp salt
• 100 g raisins or chocolate chunks (optional)
• 1 tsp lemon or orange zest (optional)
For decoration:
• 100 g powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp sour cream or lemon juice for the glaze
• colored sugar sprinkles, chocolate balls (optional)
Preparation method:
- Preparing the dough
If using fresh yeast, heat the milk slightly, add 1 tsp of sugar and the yeast, and leave for 10-15 minutes to activate. If using dry yeast, this step can be skipped, and you can directly mix it with the flour.
In a special bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, salt, and vanilla sugar until a uniform, light yellow mixture forms.
Add the warm milk, melted butter, and activated yeast, then gradually add the sifted flour. Carefully mix and begin kneading until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms.
Cover and leave in a warm place for 1 to 1.5 hours to rise.
- Adding the fillings
If using raisins, soak them in hot water for 10 minutes, dry them, and add to the flour.
Once the dough has doubled in size, gently mix in the raisins and zest.
- Baking
Transfer the dough into a greased kulich mold (up to ⅔ full), cover, and leave for another 30 minutes for the second rise.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for about 35-45 minutes until golden brown on top.
- Decoration
Allow the kulich to cool slightly.
In the meantime, prepare the glaze by mixing the powdered sugar with sour cream.
Pour the glaze over the top of the kulich and decorate with colored sugar sprinkles or chocolate balls.
Tips:
• For a more fragrant result, add a little cognac or rum to the dough.
• For a softer kulich, remove the eggs from the refrigerator beforehand to reach room temperature.
• Store at room temperature covered with a towel to retain moisture.