Airy Kulich

Airy kulich is an Easter bread on a sponge starter with sour cream and two kinds of fat: the crumb turns out moist, weightless, and incredibly porous. The dough makes 3 kulichi with raisins, cranberries and candied fruit, baked for 30 minutes at 170 C. I recommend it - it's sure to become a favorite on your Easter table, enjoy!

Airy Kulich

Moist and weightless Easter kulich on a sponge starter with sour cream, raisins, cranberries and candied fruit - very porous and fragrant.

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Prep Time 40 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Rising time 3 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Total Time 4 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Servings: 3 kulichi

Course: Easter kulich

Cuisine: Home cooking

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

For the sponge

• 50 ml milk warm
• 8 g dry yeast
• 25 g sugar
• 3 tbsp flour

For the dough

• 75 ml milk warm
• 2 eggs
• 125 g sugar
• 50 g sour cream 25%
• 40 g butter room temperature
• 25 ml vegetable oil
• 450 g flour
• 0.5 tsp turmeric
• 2 ml orange essence
• 150 g raisins, cranberries, dried orange and pineapple

Method

 

1. For the sponge, dissolve the yeast in warm milk, add the sugar and flour, mix, cover with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place for 40-60 minutes until risen.
2. Sift 250 g of flour into the mixer bowl, add 2 eggs and the sponge, mix. Pour in the warm milk, add the sour cream and room-temperature butter, add the sugar, pour in the vegetable oil and mix again.
3. Sift in another 100 g of flour, mix, then sift in the remaining 100 g and knead the dough with the hook attachment for 7-10 minutes; add about 50 g more flour if needed. Gather the dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place for 2 hours.
4. While the dough rises, pour boiling water over the dried fruit, dry it and toss it in flour.
5. Knock back the risen dough, fold in the dried fruit and candied fruit, divide into three pieces, shape into balls and place into greased, parchment-lined pans. Let rise for another 30-40 minutes.
6. Bake the kulichi for 30 minutes at 170 C, checking doneness with a skewer.
   

Tips

• Add the flour by feel: while kneading you might need about 50 g more.
• Pour boiling water over the dried fruit, dry it and toss it in flour - that way it won't sink to the bottom.
• Grease the pans and line them with parchment; metal pans work best.
• Turmeric is for a nice crumb color, it doesn't affect the taste.
• Check doneness with a skewer.