Italian kulich
Description
Delicious baked goods for the whole family. Making the “Panettone” cake may seem too lengthy and complicated, but in fact the recipe is simple, though it requires following all the recommendations given in the step‑by‑step instructions. I recommend not fearing the challenges and preparing this wonderful cake.
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
Prepare the ingredients.
- 2
Step 2
Pour water into the bowl, add dry yeast, honey, 5 g of sugar from the total amount, sift 45 g of flour and knead the starter.
- 3
Step 3
Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot for 30–40 minutes to ferment.
- 4
Step 4
Place 25 grams of softened butter into a bowl and add 15 grams of sugar.
- 5
Step 5
Crack one egg and whisk it.
- 6
Step 6
Add the risen starter and 70 g of sifted flour.
- 7
Step 7
Mix well, cover with plastic wrap, and place in a warm spot for 3–4 hours.
- 8
Step 8
Rinse the raisins and soak them in cognac, cover with plastic wrap and let them swell.
- 9
Step 9
Punch the dough during fermentation.
- 10
Step 10
Place 50 g of softened butter and 50 g of granulated sugar into a mixing bowl.
- 11
Step 11
Whisk the butter with sugar into a fluffy mass.
- 12
Step 12
Add two yolks and whisk again.
- 13
Step 13
Add lemon, orange, and lime zest, vanilla sugar, and salt to this mixture.
- 14
Step 14
Transfer this fragrant mixture into the dough.
- 15
Step 15
Sift 125 grams of flour, replace the mixer attachment with a dough hook.
- 16
Step 16
First, stir in the flour with a silicone spatula.
- 17
Step 17
Then knead with a mixer in two 10‑minute sessions, with a five‑minute break between kneading.
- 18
Step 18
Add raisins and candied fruit to the kneaded dough and mix again with a mixer.
- 19
Step 19
Grease the work surface of the table with vegetable oil, place the dough and fold it into an “envelope” from all four sides, transfer the dough to a clean bowl to double its volume; this will take 2–2.5 hours.
- 20
Step 20
Again place the dough on the work surface of the table, greased with vegetable oil, divide it into 2 equal parts weighing about 320 grams each, and round them.
- 21
Step 21
Transfer the dough into 9×9 cm molds. Cover with plastic wrap and let it proof for 2 hours. During the first hour the dough should stay under the wrap.
- 22
Step 22
Conduct the second proofing without film. Then make a cross‑shaped cut on the top of the cake, carefully lift the edges of the cut and place a small piece of butter inside.
- 23
Step 23
Bake the kulichs at 170 °C for 35 minutes, checking doneness with a wooden skewer.
- 24
Step 24
It is recommended to cool the kulich “upside down” to preserve its fluffy structure; for this, pierce the base of the kulich with a wooden skewer and hang it, for example, like this. Cool for about 6 hours.
- 25
Step 25
Next, you can remove the cakes from the paper mold, leave them as they are, or dust them with powdered sugar.
- 26
Step 26
Kulichs can be decorated with sugar glaze and sprinkles.
- 27
Step 27
Italian sweet bread “Panettone” is ready. Happy Easter!