Hello everyone, still have no internet, so managing to work through my phone!! Crazy how much you need internet these days, especially for work - like me!! Anyway I wanted to start sharing my EASTER recipes with everyone, as Easter coming so soon and you must make something delicious and yummy :)

This gorgeous Russian Easter bread, or kulich, is a sweet, yeast-risen bread flavoured with raisins and cranberries.A cross between brioche and challah, this bread (called kulich) is a lightly sweetened, egg-glazed cylinder, often baked in special moulds. Paska (паска) bread or Kulich (кулич) bread is a Russian and Ukrainian festive bread baked at Easter, and is traditionally eaten only on Easter Sunday. The kulich would sit proudly in the center of the family Easter basket, surrounded by meats, cheeses, butter, and eggs. It's a central part of the Easter meal.   

This sweet bread has 2 names, it’s called Paska in the southern Russia and Ukraine but it’s called Kulich in central Russia and the rest of Russia. This is not to be confused with another festive Easter dish called Paskha (Пасха), which is made with tvorog (farmer’s cheese). As easy as it may sound and look, rising is the most time consuming part of the making. Since this is a “sweet” bread the sugar and yolks weigh down the rising process, making the rising time go by very slow (even if it’s rising in a very warm place). But don’t fret it’s all worth the labor if you want extremely fluffy results. 

 Ingredients 

 1 cup whole warm milk

4 medium eggs or 3 large, room temp

1 sachet 7 gr of active dry yeast200 gr OR 1 cup sugar 120 gr butter melted½ tsp salt1/4 cup sour cream1 tsp vanilla750 gr OR 5 - 6 cups all-purpose flour ( might require less or more, depends on the flour that you use)1 cup raisins (white or brown)1/4 cup cranberries or blueberries ( optional what you prefer, can use both) 

<>For the Icing

250 gr or icing powder 2-3 tbsp of lemon juice hot water ( optional) 

Directions 

Step 1 : In a stand mixer add eggs, sugar, melted butter, sour cream and warm milk, vanilla extract and then add half of your flour. Mix everything together on low, until everything is combined. Then add yeast and mix everything again. Cover with damp towel and leave in a warm place to prove and raise for about 2-3 hours. 

 Step 2: After first raise, place the dough into the stand mixer and add the rest of the flour. Then add raisins and cranberries and mix everything again. The dough shouldn't be too sticky. Prove the dough for 2 more hours in a warm place. 

Step 3 : Once its proven for the second time, divide your dough into two baking moulds and let is raise again to fill the moulds 3/4 of the way. Once it has risen, bake the bread for about 25-35 min at 180 C / 350 F. Once baked leave them to cool down completely. 

Step 4 : Make your icing, by combining icing sugar and lemon juice and a little bit of hot water. Mix and you can control the consistency of your icing.  Step 5 : Add icing onto your easter bread and then add sprinkles and enjoy! The bread is so yummy and very delicious. 

Alla :) xxx