This traditional Easter Bread – Kulich or Paska is enriched with plenty of egg yolks, milk, butter, vanilla and raisins.
I love all things Easter so I am beyond excited about this traditional Orthodox Easter Bread – Kulich. It’s enriched with plenty of egg yolks, milk, butter, vanilla and raisins. The sweet, eggy, buttery taste is complex, but at the same time, familiar and comforting.
If you were lucky enough to grow up in a Slavic home, there’s a good chance you got to enjoy the smell of freshly baked Easter Bread – Kulich, with its unmistakable aroma filling the air. The richness of this Easter bread and the ingredients are very similar to somewhat in between of brioche and panettone.
Baking Paska for Easter is one of my favourite family traditions. I remember my grandma always made Easter Bread on Thursday right before Easter. Friday was left for fasting and then again on Saturday she finished up with colouring the eggs and making cheese Paska – another one of my favourite Easter treats made with farmer’s cheese, eggs, sugar, vanilla, butter and dried fruits.
Childhood Easter Memories
This year, I’m dipping into my memory reel and pulling out a picture from my childhood, of growing up in Ukraine, standing beside my grandmother and watching her carefully making one of my absolute favourite Easter Breads – Paska.
And I’m super excited to share with you this authentic family heirloom recipe. Made the same way as my grandmother made it. I hope you give this traditional Easter Bread Kulich a try, and remember, it’s never too late to start an old family tradition. Happy Easter! Enjoy!
How To Make Easter Bread Kulich
In a medium bowl whisk together 1/3 of the flour with yeast. Then add warm milk and mix. The batter should resemble pancake consistency. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot or 100˚F oven. Let rise from 1 to 2 hours or until doubled in size and starting to collapse from its own weight.
When the dough is ready, in a separate bowl beat the egg yolks with sugar and salt until light and creamy.
Whip up the butter until light and fluffy in a separate bowl. Gradually add egg yolks, vanilla extract and the remaining flour into the risen dough batter and knead. While kneading gradually add all the butter little by little and work it into the dough until fully incorporated and the dough is smooth.
I used a standing mixer on speed 2 for 15 minutes. You can still knead the dough by hand, it may just require more time. The dough is pretty sticky so try greasing your hands with oil to help.
Let the dough rise in a warm place for another 2-3 hours. Once the dough has doubled in size add raisins and mix to combine.
Grease the baking pans or molds with butter and divide the dough to fill 1/3 of the pan. No need to grease the paper Panettone molds. I like to use these molds and these are super cute as well from Amazon.
Let them rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Baking Easter Breads
Preheat the oven to 360 F. Place a deep baking sheet with water inside the oven on the bottom. This will create some steam and prevent the breads from baking evenly without cracking. Bake at 360 F for 35-40 minutes, depending on the size of the breads. This recipe makes four 8 oz breads or three 12 oz breads.
After baking brush the tops of the breads with egg wash. Let cool inside the pan for 10 minutes then remove the breads and lay them on a small pillow covered with towel. Let them cool completely this way turning occasionally. It’s a trick I learned from grandma, her kuliches were fluffy and never collapsed.
Once breads are completely cooled cover them with icing. To make the icing gradually add powdered sugar into the egg white and mix to combine with a spatula. Add lemon juice at the end and cover the Easter Bread.
Decorate with sprinkles or whatever you desire. Enjoy!
Easter Bread - Kulich
Equipment
- Panettone molds or springform pans
Ingredients
Kulich
- 350 g all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp or (9 g) instant dry yeast
- 200 ml warm milk
- 7 egg yolks at room temperature
- 75 g butter + more for greasing at room temperature
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup raisins soaked in hot water for 15 min and drained
- 1 beaten egg for brushing
Glaze
- 1 egg white
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
Preparing Dough
- In a medium bowl whisk together 1/3 of the flour with yeast. Then add warm milk and mix. The batter should resemble pancake consistency. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot or 100˚F oven. Let rise from 1 to 2 hours or until doubled in size and starting to collapse from its own weight.
- When the dough is ready, in a separate bowl beat the egg yolks with sugar and salt until light and creamy.
- Whip up the butter until light and fluffy in a separate bowl. Gradually add egg yolks, vanilla extract and the remaining flour into the risen dough batter and knead. While kneading gradually add all the butter little by little and work it into the dough until fully incorporated and the dough is smooth.I used a standing mixer on speed 2 for 15 minutes. You can still kneed the dough by hand, it may just require more time. The dough is pretty sticky so try greasing your hands with oil to help.
- Once the dough has doubled in size add raisins and mix to combine.
- Grease the baking pans (if using) with butter and divide the dough to fill 1/3 of each pan. No need to grease the paper molds.
- Let them rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Baking Easter Breads
- Preheat the oven to 360 F. Place a deep baking sheet with water inside the oven on the bottom. This will create some steam and prevent the breads from baking evenly without cracking. Bake at 360 F for 35-40 minutes, depending on the size of the breads. This recipe makes four 8 oz breads or three 12 oz breads.
- After baking brush the tops of the breads with egg wash. Let them cool inside the pan for 10 minutes then remove the breads and lay them on a small pillow covered with towel. Let them cool completely this way turning occasionally. It’s a trick I learned from grandma, her kuliches were fluffy and never collapsed. If baking inside paper molds simply leave them on the counter to cool.
- Once breads are completely cooled cover them with icing. I do this step the next day to ensure the breads are completely cool
Icing
- Gradually add powdered sugar into the egg white and mix to combine with a spatula. Add lemon juice at the end and cover the Easter Bread – Kulich.
- Decorate with sprinkles or whatever you desire. Enjoy!
Notes
- Alternatively you can place the dough in the fridge overnight to rise. I do this after the second rise before adding the raisins. The next morning, take out the dough and add raisins. Divide the dough between the molds and have it rise again in the warm spot. And you are ready for baking!
- The Easter breads can be stored in the airtight container for up to a week.
Have you made my recipe? Let me know by leaving a comment and rating the recipe below! Don’t forget to take a picture and tag @gastrosenses and use #gastrosenses on Instagram so I can see your beautiful creations! Happy eating!
Looks great, and I’m sure its still good to make after easter is over, thanks a lot
Thanks Keith!
This is beautiful! I love how you mention the buttery consistency… it’s like music to my ears!
Could you please advise what size ramekins you used for your kulich recipe.
Also, if one recipe as written above, will make 3 kuliches of this size.
Thank you,
Christine
Look no further. This IS the best kulich recipe out there. It’s buttery, soft, light and substantial, authentic, and mindgblowingly delicious! I’ve made it several times and it always comes out absolutely perfect. It’s a keeper!
A second question. How muchbis 200g of milk?
Christine
Lovely recipe! I have a few question I hope you don’t mind my asking. Can this be made in one larger pan? On step 4 “Once the dough has doubled in size add raisins and mix to combine.” Am I right to assume the dough was left in a warm place to rise? Also, about your granny’s trick, can you elaborate a little more. I am having difficulty imagining balancing the kulichs on a pillow. (Maybe it’s just that English is not my mother tongue?)