Cottage Cheese Kulich

Cottage cheese kulich is a traditional Easter bread on a sponge starter, where part of the dough is replaced with rich homemade cottage cheese: the crumb turns out moist, tender, and stays fresh for a long time. This amount of dough makes 2 small kulichi, baked for 30 minutes at 170-180 C. I highly recommend making it - enjoy!

Cottage Cheese Kulich

Easter kulich on a sponge starter with rich homemade cottage cheese - moist, tender and fragrant, with optional candied fruit.

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Rising time 3 hours hrs

Total Time 4 hours hrs

Servings: 2 kulichi

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

For the sponge

• 5 g dry yeast
• 30 g wheat flour
• 50 ml milk warm
• 0.5 tsp sugar

For the dough

• 160 g wheat flour
• 125 g cottage cheese homemade, rich, paste-like
• 1 egg
• 85 g sugar
• 25 g butter
• turmeric optional
• 1 ml lemon essence
• candied fruit, raisins, nuts, zest optional

Method

 

1. For the sponge, sift the yeast and flour into a bowl, mix, add the sugar and warm milk. Mix again, cover with plastic wrap and leave for 30 minutes.
2. Push the cottage cheese through a sieve or mash it with a fork together with the sugar and egg. Transfer the mixture to a stand mixer bowl and mix with the dough hook.
3. Add the melted butter, mix again, then add the risen sponge.
4. Gradually add the sifted flour and turmeric if using, then pour in the lemon essence at the end and knead the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place for 2 hours.
5. If you like, stir 60 g of candied fruit into the risen dough, divide it into 2 pieces, shape into rounds with wet hands and place into well-greased pans. Leave to rise for another 30 minutes in a warm spot.
6. Bake the kulichi for 30 minutes at 170-180 C, checking doneness with a skewer.
   

Tips

• Use rich, paste-like cottage cheese: if it's grainy, be sure to push it through a sieve.
• Turmeric is only for color - add it if you like, it gives a beautiful yellow crumb.
• You can add candied fruit, raisins, nuts and zest to taste; the author stirred in 60 g of candied fruit after the dough had risen.
• Check doneness with a skewer - it should come out dry.