Fluffy Kulich
Description
It pairs perfectly with tea and coffee. A fluffy Easter cake is very easy to make using a pre‑ferment with milk and yeast. To make the pastries bright and aromatic — I add turmeric and orange zest. Serve cooled or slightly warm.
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
Prepare the ingredients.
- 2
Step 2
Prepare the sponge. Add 1 tablespoon of sugar to warm milk.
- 3
Step 3
Add fresh yeast and stir.
- 4
Step 4
Add a couple of spoonfuls of flour to the sponge.
- 5
Step 5
Stir the starter and let it sit under a towel for 15–20 minutes; it should become fluffy.
- 6
Step 6
Mix turmeric and ground nutmeg, pour boiling water over the spices (2 tbsp), so they will release more of their aroma.
- 7
Step 7
Pour hot water over the raisins for a couple of minutes, then drain the liquid.
- 8
Step 8
Mix the turmeric mixture and soft butter at room temperature in a bowl.
- 9
Step 9
Add grated orange zest.
- 10
Step 10
Mix the butter mixture well.
- 11
Step 11
Crack the chicken eggs into a container — 2 eggs and 1 yolk. The remaining egg white can be used to make glaze for kulich.
- 12
Step 12
Add all the remaining sugar to the eggs.
- 13
Step 13
Whisk the egg mixture with a whisk.
- 14
Step 14
Add 200 grams of flour to the egg mixture.
- 15
Step 15
Mix the egg mixture with flour until smooth.
- 16
Step 16
By this time, the starter has risen; it is fully ready for making kulich.
- 17
Step 17
Add the butter and egg mixture to the pre-ferment.
- 18
Step 18
Stir.
- 19
Step 19
Add all the remaining flour and mix the dough.
- 20
Step 20
Add raisins to the dough.
- 21
Step 21
Mix the dough with raisins and let it sit under a towel for 45–50 minutes — for rising.
- 22
Step 22
The dough rose perfectly and doubled in size.
- 23
Step 23
Place the dough for the Easter cakes in any convenient molds. Put the cakes in a preheated oven at 180 degrees and bake for 35‑40 minutes. The cakes turn out truly fluffy.
- 24
Step 24
Decorate the cooled kulichs with any glaze and bright sugar sprinkles.
- 25
Step 25
Happy Easter!