Kulich with dried apricots
Description
The recipe won't take much time. Kulichs made with this recipe always turn out tasty, fragrant, and airy. There hasn't been a case where the kulichs either didn't bake through or collapsed during baking. If desired, you can add not only dried apricots but also raisins, candied fruit, nuts to the dough. Serve warm or chilled. Perfect with tea.
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
Prepare all necessary ingredients. All ingredients should be at the same, room temperature.
- 2
Step 2
Heat the milk to approximately 30‑32 °C, add 1 tbsp of sugar to it and dissolve the yeast in it. Let it sit for 10‑15 minutes until a foamy layer forms on the surface.
- 3
Step 3
Combine the eggs with the sugar.
- 4
Step 4
Whisk until smooth.
- 5
Step 5
In the meantime, a yeast cap has appeared, which means the yeast has started to work and you can continue working with it.
- 6
Step 6
Add the eggs with sugar to the yeast mixture, and also add the melted butter. Stir.
- 7
Step 7
Gradually add the sifted flour and stir it into the dough.
- 8
Step 8
Cut the washed and dried apricots into medium-sized pieces.
- 9
Step 9
When the dough becomes thick enough, but you can still stir it with a spoon, add the dried apricots and stir. Then continue adding flour again.
- 10
Step 10
When kneading in the bowl becomes difficult, transfer the dough to a work surface and knead it by hand so that the dough does not stick to your hands but remains soft and tender. If you see that too much flour has been added and the dough still sticks to your hands, grease your hands with vegetable oil. Transfer the finished dough to a large bowl, cover it with a clean towel, and place it in a warm spot for 1 hour.
- 11
Step 11
After an hour, knead the dough again and let it rest for another 40–60 minutes.
- 12
Step 12
As a result, the dough increased in volume threefold.
- 13
Step 13
Knead the dough again and divide it into portions. For baking the Easter breads I use paper molds and fill the dough to about one‑third of the mold’s volume. I ended up with one large and three small molds.
- 14
Step 14
Leave the dough in the pans in a warm place for 10–15 minutes, allowing it to rise a third time. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 170–180 °C.
- 15
Step 15
Send the kulichs to the oven and bake for 30–50 minutes, depending on the size of the pans. Check the doneness of the kulichs with a wooden skewer—just pierce the kulich to the middle; if no batter remains on the skewer, the kulich is ready.
- 16
Step 16
Make any frosting you like. I have a quick protein glaze.
- 17
Step 17
When the kulichs have cooled a bit, glaze them and decorate to taste. Have a good holiday!