Easter Kulich with Spices and Lemon Zest

⏳ Time

50 minutes

🥕 Ingredients

🍽️ Servings

Description

For baking this kulich, it is best to use tall cylindrical molds with a diameter of no more than 12–14 cm. Based on a recipe by John Smith.

Ingredients

Wheat Flour - 17.6 oz
Cognac - 1.1 oz
Butter - 8.8 oz
Egg white - 10 pieces
Sugar - 12.3 oz
Nutmeg - ½ g
Cinnamon - ½ teaspoon
Cardamom - ½ teaspoon
Ground clove - 5 pieces
Saffron - to taste
Citrus Zest Mix - ½ teaspoon
Vanillin - to taste
Raisins - to taste
Candied fruits - to taste
Dry yeast - 1.4 oz
Egg white - 1 piece
Milk - 17 fl oz
Powdered Sugar - 1 cup

Step by Step guide

Step 1

Soak a pinch of good saffron in alcohol. This infusion will be needed for coloring the kulich. Soak the raisins and candied fruits in cognac. Grind the remaining spices finely and mix them.

Step 2

Melt the butter without overheating (maximum temperature — 104°F). Prepare a sponge with warm milk. After the sponge has risen, add the remaining flour, whipped egg yolks with sugar, cognac, and ground spices. Knead the dough by hand for at least an hour. In the first half hour, gradually add the melted butter, saffron, and the soaked raisins and candied fruits to the dough. Allow the dough to rise three times — the first time in the same bowl where it was mixed, and then in the mold. Once the dough has risen for the last time, the kulich can be baked in the oven at a temperature of 392°F.

Step 3

During baking, to prevent burning, cover the mold with a sheet of damp paper. Check the readiness of the kulich with a wooden toothpick or a thin wooden skewer.

Step 4

Place the mold with the baked kulich on its side on a clean kitchen towel and remove the kulich. Allow it to cool, turning it several times from side to side to avoid dents.