Easter kulich
Description
Perfect for tea and coffee. Prepare the ingredients. Make the starter. Add yeast, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and 2 tablespoons of flour to warm milk, then mix well. Cover with a clean towel and place in a warm oven to rise for 40 minutes. (I preheat the oven for 2 minutes to make it warm, but not hot.) Melt the butter and let it cool. Whisk eggs, remaining sugar, vanilla sugar, and lemon zest together with a whisk. Add the cooled butter and egg mixture to the risen starter, then mix. Gradually add flour, 3–4 tablespoons at a time, mixing well each time. Once all the flour is incorporated, gradually mix in clean, dry raisins and sunflower oil. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes. Place the dough into a bowl greased with vegetable oil, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm oven for 1 hour. Shape the dough into rounds, tucking the edges with raisins inward, and place into baking molds. Fill molds one-third full, gently press the dough with your hand to ensure even rising, and let rise for another hour. Bake on the second rack from the bottom in a preheated oven at 160°C (320°F) for about 30 minutes. Baking time and temperature may vary depending on your oven and the size of the loaves. Check doneness with a wooden skewer. Let the loaves cool completely, then prepare the glaze. Add half the required amount of water to gelatin and let it swell. Once the gelatin has swollen, pour the remaining water into powdered sugar, place over heat, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, add the swollen gelatin, and stir until fully dissolved. Beat with a mixer for 4–5 minutes. (Since gelatin and powdered sugar vary by brand, if the glaze remains too runny after beating, add a bit more powdered sugar.) Immediately glaze the cooled loaves while the glaze is still hot, then sprinkle with chopped candied fruit and sesame seeds toasted in a dry skillet. Your loaves are ready!