Almond Kulich

Submitted by MarraMamba

"a traditional easter bread from russia. Shaped in the form of the cross traditionally it can be made in smaller shapes (given it calls for 2 lbs of flour you might want to halve it)"

 

• Ready In: 1hr 40mins
• Ingredients: 10
• Yields: 1-2 kulichs

ingredients

• 1 kg flour
• 1⁄2 liter milk
• 60 g yeast
• 5 eggs
• 200 g sugar
• 300 g butter
• 200 g peeled almonds
• 150 g raisins
• 1 lemon
• salt

directions

1. Bring milk to boil and cool down. Dissolve yeast in a part of milk, add 1 tb sugar. Stir in flour in the rest of milk, add yeast and mix thoroughly. Cover with towel and put in a warm place to rise til doubled.
2. Kulich dough must be "coddled" and "cherished", the temperature of the dough must not less than 29-30°C
3. Beat up 5 yolks with the rest of sugar. Melt butter, chop finely a lemon and a half of almonds. Add yolks, melted butter, chopped almonds and lemon, raisins, salt to the risen dough.
4. At the end stir in beaten to a white foam egg-whites. Knead the dough carefully upside down.
5. Grease the form for Kulich with soft butter, sprinkle with flour and pour in the dough half. Leave in a room to rise. When the dough is up to the top of the pan, brush the top with yolk and sprinkle with almonds. Bake in the oven 180°C The duration of baking depends on the size of Kulich and can last 1-2 hours.