Russian Kulich Bread

Total Time: 1 hr 25 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 55 mins

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup scalded milk, cooled to 110 degrees
• 4 cups flour
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 8 large egg yolks
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 teaspoons cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup golden raisin
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds
• 1/4 cup chopped candied orange peel
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon almond extract

Recipe

• 1 in a large bowl, combine yeast, water, 1/4 cup of sugar and milk, mixing until yeast and sugar have dissolved. stir in 1 cup flour until well blended. cover and let stand in a warm place for 1 hour.
• 2 in a bowl, combine butter, 1/2 cup sugar and egg yolks. add the yeast-flour mixture from step 1, stirring well. add vanilla, cardamom, salt and enough of the 3-3 1/2 cups flour to make a soft dough. stir in raisind, almonds and orange rind.
• 3 in a small bowl, beat 2 egg whites untill stiff. fold them into th dough made in step 2. knead until asmooth and elastic dough forms. place in a greased bowl, cover with greased plastic wrap and let to rise until doubled in size.
• 4 coat a kulich pan with cooking spray. punch down the dough and knead for a few times. place it in the prepared pan, cover with greased plastic wrap and leave to rise until the dough reaches the top of the pan.
• 5 heat the oven to 400 degrees. place pan on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for another 35 to 40 minutes or until tester comes out clean.
• 6 while kulich is baking, prepare glaze by combining in a small bowl the confectioners' sugar, lemon juice, almond extract and enough water to make a smooth, runny glaze.
• 7 remove kulich from oven and let to cool for 10 minutes. unmold from pan and cool on a wire rack. while still slightly warm, drizzle glaze over the top. to serve, cut of the crown and slice base into rounds. t keep any leftovers moist, replace the crown.