Kulich
A traditional bread made in Eastern Europe and shaped like the Russian Orthodox church. It makes a great afternoon treat.
Ingredients
- 500 g strong white flour plus extra for dusting
- 1 teaspoons salt
- 75 g caster sugar
- 75 g butter softened
- 60 g fresh yeast
- vanilla essence
- 2 oranges zest of it
- 2 lemons zest of it
- 2 medium eggs
- 300 ml milk
- 100 g sultanas
- 75 g flaked almonds
for topping
- lemon zest
- icing sugar
- water
Instructions
- Put the flour, salt, sugar, butter, yeast, a dash of vanilla essence, the orange and lemon zests and eggs into a bowl and blend with a little milk just to bring the ingredients together.
- Slowly add the rest of the milk, mixing with your hands, until you have a soft dough.
- Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for a few minutes.
- Put the dough back in the bowl and leave to rise for 1 hour.
- Line two clean flowerpots or tins with silicone paper.
- Incorporate the sultanas and almonds into the dough, then divide the dough into two and shape each piece so that it fits into the flowerpots or tins.
- Leave to rise for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6.
- Bake the flowerpots or tins in the oven for 25–30 minutes until golden brown, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
- When cooled, top with a water icing made from lemon zest, icing sugar and water.