Name: Easter Bread (Kulich)
Total time: 240 min
Yield: 2 loaves
Ingredients: 1 kg flour; 300 ml milk; 6 eggs; 300 g butter; 300–400 g sugar; 40–50 g fresh yeast; 1 pinch salt; 150 g raisins; 50 g candied lemon and orange peel (Zitronat and Orangeat); 50 g almonds, chopped; 1.5 tbsp vanilla extract; 1 tsp cinnamon; 1–2 tbsp rum (optional)

Kulich is the bread that means Easter in my family. Tall, golden, impossibly rich — studded with raisins, candied peel, and almonds, scented with vanilla and just enough rum to make it interesting. It’s the bread you bake the day before, wrap in a towel, and bring to the table when everything else is ready.

The process takes patience. Three rises, separated eggs, melted butter folded in at just the right moment. It’s the kind of baking that fills an entire afternoon and makes the whole house smell like a bakery. But the result — golden, tender, barely sweet, with those little pockets of fruit and nuts — is worth every minute.

I usually make two because the first one disappears before it’s fully cooled.

The Recipe

Makes: 2 loaves • Time: about 4 hours (mostly rising)

Ingredients

1 kg flour
300 ml milk
6 eggs
300 g butter
300–400 g sugar
40–50 g fresh yeast
1 pinch salt
150 g raisins
50 g candied lemon and orange peel (Zitronat & Orangeat)
50 g almonds, chopped
1½ tbsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1–2 tbsp rum (optional)

Instructions

Activate yeast: Warm half the milk until lukewarm. Crumble in the yeast and stir in a pinch of sugar. Let it sit in a warm place for 15 minutes until foamy.
First rise: Add the remaining milk and half the flour. Stir until you have a thick, smooth batter. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size.
Enrich the dough: Separate the eggs. Beat the yolks with sugar and vanilla until pale and fluffy. Beat the egg whites until stiff. Melt the butter and let it cool slightly. Fold the yolk mixture, beaten egg whites, melted butter, remaining flour, and salt into the risen dough. Mix until smooth.
Second rise: Cover and let rise again in a warm place until doubled.
Add mix-ins: Fold in the raisins, candied peel, almonds, cinnamon, and rum (if using).
Shape and third rise: Grease tall cylindrical molds (traditional) or loaf pans. Fill each one-third full with dough. Let rise in a warm place until the dough has doubled once more.
Bake: Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F). Bake on the middle rack for 50–60 minutes until deep golden. Test with a skewer — it should come out clean.

Notes

The three rises are what give Kulich its incredibly light, tender crumb. Don’t skip any of them.
Soak the raisins in rum or warm water for 30 minutes beforehand for plumper, juicier fruit.
Traditionally, Kulich is baked in a tall cylindrical mold — clean coffee cans work in a pinch.
Top with a simple powdered sugar glaze and sprinkles once cooled, or dust with powdered sugar.
This freezes beautifully. Wrap tightly and freeze for up to 3 months.

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