As mentioned in previous posts, kulich, pronounced koo-leach, is a tall sweet bread (similar to panettone), in the Orthodox Christian faith traditionally served for Easter. and typically topped with candied fruit, raisins and nuts. This year I opted for snowy powdered sugar and coconut flakes topped with traditional holiday walnuts.
Enjoy.
Winter Kulich
Ingredients
- 281 g all-purpose flour (2 1/4 cups)
- 7 g instant dry yeast (2 teaspoons)
- 3 eggs room temperature
- 70 mL whole milk room temperature (1/3 cup)
- 70 g unsalted butter melted room temperature (4 Tablespoons)
- 250 g whole fat cottage cheese room temperature (1 cup) see notes
- 100 g granulated sugar (5-7 Tablespoons) see notes
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- zest of 1 lemon
Topping
- powdered sugar, dried coconut flakes and walnuts to taste
Instructions
- Combine flour and yeast, set aside.
- In a separate bowl, lightly whisk eggs together, add remaining ingredients and combine. Remember, all ingredients best at room temperature.
- Add mixed flour and yeast, stir until combined. Cover and refrigerate overnight. It is best overnight, but test your preference.
- Next day, divide dough in four equal parts, OR less depending on size of molds you use. Place in buttered kulich/panettone molds, paper wrappers, heat resistant enamelware cups or even pre-washed cans, fill about 1/2-3/4 depending on how tall you prefer. Cover with thin towel or plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place for 40 minutes. Optional: Try placing them in a lightly preheated toaster oven turned off.
- After 40 minutes, when dough has increased in size, bake in preheated 175C/350F oven for 30-35 minutes. Baking times may vary slightly if using varied size molds at the same time, the larger molds take a little longer. Test for doneness with a wooden skewer or thin knife.
- Remove from oven and cool at room temperature.
- Once cooled, carefully remove paper wrappers if used (or leave decorative ones on until ready to serve), dust with powdered sugar and coconut flakes, top with walnuts.
Notes
Important to use whole fat cottage cheese in this recipe, lightly pulsing in blender before mixing in with other ingredients.
If including raisins or other dried fruits as traditionally used, in dough as well as topping, you may opt for less sugar.
all paska/kulich posts