Easter Coffee Cake Kulich Food

PASKA EASTER BREAD RECIPE (KULICH)

Steps:

• In a large Mixing bowl, whisk together 2 cups + 2 Tbsp warm milk, 6 eggs, 1 Tbsp yeast, 2 cups sugar, 2 sticks melted butter (just warm, not hot!), 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 cup sour cream and 1 tsp vanilla. Whisk in 4 cups flour. Your batter will be thick like sour cream. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place or a warm oven (about 100˚F) for 2 hours.
• Add 5 more cups of flour; one cup at a time or until the dough no longer sticks to your hands (it will still feel sticky but wont' stick to your fingers). I find it's easiest to fold flour in with a silicone spatula. Dough should be soft. Stir in 1 to 1 1/2 cups raisins. Cover and let dough rise another 2 hours in a warm oven (100˚F).
• Divide dough evenly into the three paper baking molds; try not to mix it or stomp it down too much. Let dough rise uncovered in a warm 100˚F oven for an additional 2 hours or until the molds are almost full. Remove from the oven and preheat oven to 350˚F.
• Bake at 350˚F for 30-35 minutes in the middle of the oven until the top is golden brown. Let cool to room temp or just warm and then tear off the wrapper.
• Once the Breads are at room temperature and wrappers are off, get your frosting ready. In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 cups powdered sugar with 3 Tbsp lemon juice. Add a little water if it's too thick or a little more powdered sugar if it's too runny. Pour the glaze over each cooled Easter bread. Traditionally, these are topped with colorful sprinkles before the glaze sets.

RUSSIAN EASTER BREAD KULICH

Steps:

• In the bowl of a stand mixer or another large mixing bowl combine warm milk, eggs, yeast, sugar, warm melted butter, salt, sour cream and vanilla. Add 480g/4 cups flour to make a batter consistency of sour cream. Cover with a cling wrap and a towel and let it rise in a warm place for 2 hours.
• Add 600g/5 more cups of flour; one cup at a time or until the dough no longer sticks to your hands to make a very soft and elastic dough. Stir in chocolate chips or raisins, candied citrus peel or nuts. (Anything you like in your sweet bread). Cover and let dough rise another 2 hours in a warm place. The rising process will take longer if your house is not very warm.
• Divide dough evenly into three deep 8" baking pans, that have been well-oiled. Try not to handle the dough too much. Let dough rise uncovered in a warm place for additional 2 hours or until you see a significant rise.
• Bake at 350F/180C for 35-40 minutes or until golden. Remove from the pan and cook on a wire rack.
• Once the loaves are at room temperature, melt white chocolate in a double boiler over low heat and cover the tops of bread with it. Use sprinkles to decorate.

RUSSIAN EASTER BREAD

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In a large bowl, combine yeast, water, 1/4 cup white sugar, and milk. Mix until the yeast and sugar have dissolved.
• Stir in 1 cup flour until well blended.
• Cover and let stand in a warm place for 1 hour.
• Gather the ingredients.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer , combine butter, 1/2 cup white sugar, and egg yolks.
• Add yeast-flour mixture, combining thoroughly.
• Add vanilla, cardamom, salt, and enough of the 3 to 3 1/2 cups flour to make a soft dough. Stir in raisins, almonds, and orange rind.
• In a small bowl, beat 2 reserved egg whites until stiff.
• Fold them into the dough. Knead by machine or hand until a smooth and elastic dough forms, about 3 to 5 minutes.
• Place in greased bowl, turning once to coat both sides.
• Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise until doubled.
• Coat a 2-pound coffee can or kulich pan with cooking spray.
• Punch down dough and knead a few times.
• Place it in the prepared pan, cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise until dough reaches the top of the can.
• Heat oven to 400 F. Place pan on a baking sheet and bake 10 minutes.
• Reduce heat to 350 F and bake another 35 to 40 minutes or until a cake tester or long toothpick or thin skewer comes out clean.
• Remove kulich from oven and let cool 10 minutes. Unmold from the can and cool on a wire rack.
• Gather the ingredients.
• While kulich is baking, prepare the glaze in a small bowl by combining the confectioners' sugar, lemon juice , almond extract, and enough warm water to make a smooth, runny glaze.
• Pour over the top of the kulich allowing it to run down the sides of the cake.

EASTER COFFEE CAKE (KULICH)

Steps:

• In a medium sized saucepan, bring the milk to a boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat and add the honey and oil, stirring until the honey is dissolved.
• Gradually add ½ cup of the flour, beating until the mixture is completely smooth. Cool to lukewarm.
• In a large bowl, add the yeast to the water, stir, and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Add the milk and flour mixture to the yeast and stir until smooth. Cover with a linen or cotton kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until the sponge doubles in bulk, about 1 hour.
• In a second large bowl, beat the egg yolks and the sugar until thick and pale yellow. Add the nutmeg, cardamom, vanilla extract, Cointreau, brandy, orange zest and orange juice and beat for a few more seconds.
• Scrape out the seeds from the vanilla beans and add them to the yolk mixture. Add the butter, raisins, almonds, and almond extract.
• With a clean, dry beater, beat the egg white until it forms soft peaks and fold it into the egg yolk mixture.
• Combine the yolk mixture with the risen sponge and mix gently, but thoroughly. Using an electric mixer, gradually beat in the remaining 4 cups flour until you have a very smooth, loose dough. Transfer the dough to a clean, well greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 1 ½ hours.
• Cut two 1 ½ inch strips of parchment paper, each long enough to be molded down one side, then across the bottom and up the opposite side of a clean 2 pound coffee tin. The ends should extend above the top of the tin. Butter the tin and the strips, then set them into the tin crisscross to each other. Fold the ends over the outside of the tin.
• Punch the dough down and place it in the tin. Let rise again, covered, until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.
• While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 325°F.
• Bake the kulich until it is golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean, about 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes. Cool slightly, then carefully lift the kulich from the tin by pulling up on the ends of the parchment strips. Remove the parchment and let the kulich cool on a rack.

RUSSIAN COFFEE CAN CAKE (KULICH)

Steps:

• Dissolve the yeast in the water.
• Stir in the next four ingredients, 2 1/2 cups of the flour, the almonds, raisins and vanilla.
• Beat until smooth then add in enough of the remaining flour to make dough easy to handle.
• Turn dough onto a floured board or counter and knead for about 5 minutes until smooth and elastic.
• Place the dough into a greased bowl, turn to coat.
• Cover with a clean towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
• Punch down dough and let rse again until almost doubled, about 40 minutes.
• Divide dough in half and roll each half into a well rounded bun shape.
• Place each bun in a well greased 1 lb coffee can.
• Cover and let rise until the dough starts to puff up over the top of the cans, about 45 minutes.
• Bake at 375 degrees on a low rack in the center of the oven for 45 minutes or until brown.
• Let cool slightly then remove from cans.
• Mix together all of the icing ingredients and pour over the cakes letting some run down the sides.

KULICH (RUSSIAN EASTER CAKE)

Steps:

• Place golden raisins into a bowl, drizzle with vodka, and allow raisins to soften overnight.
• Mix 1 teaspoon sugar into lukewarm water in a bowl until sugar dissolves. Stir yeast into the water and let stand until the yeast mixture is frothy, about 10 minutes.
• Heat milk in a saucepan over medium-low heat until very warm but not simmering. Stir in saffron threads and cardamom, remove from heat, and let the milk mixture stand until lukewarm.
• Transfer yeast mixture into a large mixing bowl. Stir milk mixture, 1/2 cup sugar, and 1 cup flour into the yeast mixture, beating until the batter is smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
• Mix melted butter, 1/2 cup sugar, orange blossom honey, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and salt together in a bowl. Beat butter mixture into the batter, then beat in eggs and egg yolk.
• Mix 2 1/2 cups of flour into the dough. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup flour onto a work surface and knead dough until it holds together, about 5 minutes; knead soaked golden raisins and 1/2 cup almonds into the dough until well distributed.
• Form dough into a ball and place into an oiled bowl; turn dough around in the bowl several times to coat outside of dough. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Punch down dough, knead a few times, and divide dough into 4 pieces. Coat inside of clean 14-ounce cans with butter. Line cans with parchment paper. Roll each piece of dough into a ball, place into a can, and press dough lightly against the inside bottom of can.
• Cover cans with a cloth and allow dough to rise to the top of the cans, about 45 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Place a baking sheet into the oven; place the cans of dough upright into oven on baking sheet. Bake until kulich are risen and lightly browned, 45 to 50 minutes.
• Let kulich cool in the cans for about 15 minutes before gently removing from cans to finish cooling on racks.
• Beat egg white in a bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until frothy; beat in confectioners' sugar until the mixture holds stiff peaks. Beat lemon juice into frosting.
• Frost the tops of the kulich and sprinkle tops with 2 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds. Refrigerate leftovers.