Almond Kulich

Almond kulich is an Easter bread made with fresh yeast, where part of the wheat flour is replaced with almond flour: the crumb turns out tender, airy and wonderfully fragrant. The dough makes 3 kulichi with cranberries and raisins, baked for 30 minutes at 180 C, and topped with a gelatin glaze that doesn't crack or flake. I highly recommend it - enjoy!

Almond Kulich

Tender, airy Easter kulich made with fresh yeast and almond flour, with cranberries and raisins, topped with a gelatin glaze.

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Prep Time 40 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Rising time 3 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Total Time 4 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Servings: 3 kulichi

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

For the sponge

• 60 ml milk warm
• 13 g fresh yeast
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp flour

For the dough

• 80 g butter room temperature
• 2 eggs room temperature
• 55 g sugar
• 10 g vanilla sugar
• 200 g wheat flour plus 50 g for finishing
• 50 g almond flour
• 25 g dried cranberries
• 25 g raisins
• 2 ml almond essence
• salt pinch

For the glaze

• 3 g instant gelatin
• 15 ml cold water for blooming the gelatin
• 90 g sugar
• 25 ml water

Method

 

1. For the sponge, pour warm milk into a bowl, add the fresh yeast, flour and sugar, mix, cover with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place for 30 minutes.
2. Combine the raisins and cranberries (50 g total), pour boiling water over them, drain and dry.
3. Sift 200 g of wheat flour into the mixer bowl, add 50 g of almond flour, a pinch of salt, 55 g of sugar, 10 g of vanilla sugar, 2 eggs and 80 g of room-temperature butter.
4. Pour in the risen sponge and knead the loose dough with the hook attachment for 10 minutes.
5. Turn the dough out onto a counter greased with vegetable oil, dust lightly with flour, add the dried fruit and almond essence, work in another 50 g of flour and finish kneading by hand.
6. Gather the dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and leave for 2 hours - it should double or triple in size.
7. Knock back the dough and divide it among the pans (makes 3), let rise for another 40-60 minutes. Bake for 30 minutes in an oven preheated to 180 C, checking doneness with a skewer.
8. For the glaze, bloom 3 g of gelatin in 15 ml of water. In a saucepan, bring 90 g of sugar with 25 ml of water to a full dissolve, remove from heat and immediately add the gelatin, stir.
9. Quickly cool the mixture over an ice bath and whip with a mixer until thickened, tinting with food coloring if you like. Spread the finished glaze immediately over the cooled kulichi. Enjoy!
   

Tips

• The eggs and butter should be at room temperature - the dough will come together more evenly.
• Pour boiling water over the dried fruit, drain and dry it before adding it to the dough.
• The dough is on the loose side: finish kneading it with wet hands on a counter greased with vegetable oil.
• Spread the glaze right after whipping it - it sets quickly; tint it with food coloring if you like.