Kulich that doesn't go stale
Description
The recipe won't take much time. If you don't like raisins, you can bake the kulich without them. Or, on the contrary, add pieces of dried apricots and candied fruit in addition to the raisins. Adding alcohol to the dough is essential; it is what keeps the kulich fresh and soft for a long time. I'm telling you, you can serve it with tea or coffee.
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
Prepare all the necessary ingredients. Rinse the raisins and soak them in boiling water for 10 minutes. Then drain the water.
- 2
Step 2
Start by making the sponge. In slightly warm milk crumble the yeast, add 15 tbsp of sugar (of the total amount), 3 tbsp of flour, whisk together and place in a warm spot for about an hour.
- 3
Step 3
In an apartment or house, there isn’t always a warm spot. I heat the oven for 3–5 minutes at 50 degrees, turn it off and place the starter or dough inside to rise. Very convenient! And the yeast works faster than in the room.
- 4
Step 4
Add eggs, softened butter, sugar, vanilla sugar, cognac, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt to the risen starter.
- 5
Step 5
And the prepared raisins. Mix everything thoroughly with a whisk.
- 6
Step 6
Start gradually adding the sifted flour, initially mix the dough with a whisk or spoon, then continue by hand.
- 7
Step 7
It should result in a soft, pliable dough. Grease a convenient large container with vegetable oil and place the dough into it. This will make it easier to detach it from the sides of the container after it rises.
- 8
Step 8
Place it in a warm spot for about an hour. Gently punch down the risen dough.
- 9
Step 9
Grease the prepared pans with vegetable oil or line them with baking paper. Pinch off pieces of dough and place them into the pans, filling them to 1/2 or 1/3. Cover with a towel and let stand for half an hour.
- 10
Step 10
The risen dough can be placed in an oven preheated to 180‑190 °C. Bake the kulichs for 20‑25 minutes if they are small; it’s better to put them toward the front so they can be removed more conveniently earlier.
- 11
Step 11
And bake the large ones for 40‑45 minutes. Place the finished kulichs, without removing them from the pan, on a heat‑proof surface on their side. Leave until completely cooled.
- 12
Step 12
Then cover with icing and decorate with sprinkles. When the icing has fully set, store the kulich in a sealed polyethylene bag. They will stay soft and tasty for a long time.
- 13
Step 13
Happy Easter!