Kulich for Easter, Two Ways
Kulich (cool-ich) is an Easter bread that is scented and colored with saffron threads and topped with a sweet layer of icing. It is often made with St. Lucia Bun dough, but we took a favorite no-knead brioche dough from The New Artisan Bread in Five book and added a little saffron to it to make this version. If you scroll down, there’s also a recipe for ‘Cinnamon Roll Kulich’ – which is this same dough made with a cinnamon swirl center and baked in a popover pan to help keep its tall shape. Icing and sprinkles are also included, of course.
Kulich
2 pounds Brioche dough (page 300 of The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, or the recipe here on the website), with 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads mixed into the wet ingredients
All-purpose flour, for dusting
Egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water), for brushing the dough
Icing
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons cream (or more as needed for a thick but pourable consistency
To bake: Generously grease a panettone mold with butter (the mold I use in the photos is currently unavailable but it is a 6 x 6 inch panettone pan with a removable bottom. Many people also bake them in large, empty, parchment lined coffee cans to achieve the high domed loaf.) Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 2-pound (cantaloupe-size) piece. Dust the piece with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go. Place the ball in the greased panettone mold, seam-side down.
Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rest at room temperature for 90 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350F, with a rack placed in the center of the oven. Brush the dough with egg wash. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow the bread to cool on a wire rack.
Make the icing: Mix the confectioner’s sugar and heavy cream together until smooth and thick enough to cling to the cake. You don’t want it to drip off the sides (like the very first photo shows) but if it does (like the one directly above) it will still taste good. Drizzle the icing over the cake and cover with colorful sprinkles.
Cinnamon Roll Kulich
1 1/2 pounds Brioche dough (page 300 of The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, or the recipe here on the website), with 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads mixed into the wet ingredients
All-purpose flour for dusting
Filling
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Pinch salt
Icing
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons cream (or more as needed for a pourable consistency)
Grease a 12 cup (or two 6 cup) large popover pans. (If you don’t have popover pans, you can use a greased 9×13 inch baking pan.)
Roll the dough into 1/4-inch thick rectangle. Brush the entire surface with the melted butter. In a small bowl mix together the sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Spread the mixture over the butter topped dough. Use your hands to make sure you have an even coat of the sugar. Then roll the dough up, starting at the long end.
Use a Bread Knife, Kitchen Scissors or floss to cut the log into 12 equal pieces.
Loosely cover the buns and let them rest between 1 1/2 to 2 hours. The long rest will insure that you have a fluffy bun. (You can set these up the night before and let them rest overnight in the refrigerator. In the morning take them out and let them sit on the counter for about 45 minutes to an hour.) You may get away with slightly shorter rise, but the buns will not be quite as soft.
Preheat the oven to 350°F and place the rack in the middle of the oven.
Bake for about 20 to 30 minutes, just until the centers are set when poked with your finger (they should be caramel colored). Turn the buns out of the pan (if using the popover pans). Let them cool on a wire rack.
Make the icing: Mix the confectioners’ sugar and heavy cream together until smooth and thick enough to cling to the cinnamon rolls. Drizzle the icing over each roll and cover with colorful sprinkles.
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Happy Easter
Great giveaway, fingers crossed.
Making multichannel into cinnamon rolls!
These look so good! Love the cinnamon roll pan too! Would love to be entered in the giveaway. Thank you!
The height on the cinnamon Kulichs really makes them look special.
That looks delicious! I just made pizza from your Neapolitan pizza recipe last night and it was amazing!
Really love the festive, cheerful, and accessible posts you all always do. looking forward to trying one of these on our stay at home easter!
The Kulich looks oh so good . I will have to try!
I am just learning to make yeast based foods and my brother put me on to your bread in 5 min. Recipes by sending me one of your books. In enjoying the experience and have loaned my book to a good friend. Can’t wait to get it back!
The cinnamon rolls are on my to do list. I am thankful to have Red Star yesat in the house
Absolutely beautiful! Thank you for the inspiration!
Happy Easter. This looks so goood! Would love to win the yeast …sigh…
I have been surprised at how many younger people are learning to make bread. I think ti’s awesome. I am a science teacher and I try to show them how easy it is to make food from real ingredients. I hope they continue doing this when things get back to more-normal. I have recommended you book/method to many friends. Stay safe!
That flatbread book! ❤️❤️
I’m missing Easter Bread this year – I’m on my 4th bucket of the master recipe since quarantine – thankfully I had the New Artisan Bread In 5 Minutes a day in my cookbook selection -would love to win the Holiday Book! Thank you , Kathleen
Thank you for your recipes. I make the bread in 5 minutes a day the original recipe and distributed to my neighbors as of late who are in need of extra bread due to some shortages around here and I’m grateful that it can be done easily and quickly.
All your recipes are so inviting! I want to make them all!
Love your bread!! You make the process so easy and it is so good!! Adicting!! I would sure be happy with your Kulich!
Your books and recipes are wonderful!
Another good looking bread. Yum!
I love the 5 Minute Bread Recipes!
This bread is the best!! I have shared it with many friends who all feel the same way!
Thanks!
I love to bake different breads and especially cinnamon rolls! These recipes sound amazing. I can’t wait to try them.
I love the cinnamon rolls in the muffin type pan idea it’s perfect! Can’t wait to make these today! Your bread book has saved me in this social distancing times.
I have been making your bread for about a year. We have a man (Chef) who owns a small (one room) restaurant and he does demos once a month at our new library kitchen. He uses your recipes exclusively. He makes fresh bread products every day at his restaurant and has them for sale. All of his sandwiches are made with your breads. So you see…you are very well known here! I enjoy your e mails as well! Keep the ideas coming!!
Thanks for all of your recipes! (I hope I win a book!)
Love your books, your recipes, your style. Thanks for all.
I love your amazing bread recipes and your writing is so lovely – I so enjoy both! Baking has been such a great escape from this madness! Be well!
Love your cookbooks. Thank you for the emails with extra ideas!
I’ve been making the breads and rolls from the first book and gifting them to truckers for a couple years, would love the new one for more ideas!
I am going to have to add those to my list of things to bake while I
am stuck in place.
Those both look amazing! Yeast has been all out in my neck of the woods for weeks 🙁
Now I have another reason to buy a popover pan!
Kristos Voskres! Voistinu voskres! Christ is Risen! Indeed, He is Risen!
Love your recipies!
I would LOVE to win the Holiday and Celebrations book! Making something special can be the highlight of the day and a definite mood improver. Thank you for all you do!
Happy Easter!
I cant tell you how much I enjoy all of your books. You have changed the way we look at bread and baking in general at my home. Thank you!!
Eastr brdad a la ftisan-a real fest!
Love to bake! I also love to receive your emails with yummy bread recipes. Thank you for sharing them via your great newsletter emails.
This sounds lovely – I adore your recipes and love getting your emails.
Your book artisan bread had saved me over the years. Living in Seoul, the artisan bread we know savory and delicious is very expensive…. and not easy to find. Well your recipes have blessedness my family and hundreds other people that we have come in contact with. HAPPy Easter!
I make this every year for Easter… it is our Ukrainian babka. Now I make it gluten free so I’ve had to adapt our recipe by using the 5 minute a day method. It’s been so great to have an easy GF alternative for our family traditions!
these look absolutely delicious, you make it sound so easy 🙂
Happy Easter! I bought your book for my husband and am so happy that I did. With social distancing and stay at home orders we have been able to make some wonderful bread products (bagels, pretzels, rolls and cinnamon buns) and even better some good memories. We have been sharing pictures with our out of state family and keeping a list what we will make together when next we are able to visit. Thank you.
Oh my these look so good!!
I am using expired red star yeast and it still works! I had stopped making bread, but since at home, have made four batches. Deli Rye, Peasant X2 and the basic white. I live in Hershey PA. They are making peanut butter cups as an essential business.
I’ve been baking for many years, but always love learning more “tricks of the trade” and new recipes!
Your original Artisan Bread book was the best gift I ever got! I have since gifted the book to all my family members, thank you!
Easter Sunday, the snow is falling here in the great white North. Sourdough rasain bread smell fills the air. Good as it sounds here in Calgary Alberta we are not eligible for the contest. Isolation now this will the cold winds ever stop?
Happy Easter…Stay safe
Ian Wellington
Calgary, Alberta
Canada
Hi, I have been a bread baker for 65 years. I started early with Mom and Grand mom. Now with everyone staying home as much as possible, I have been making more food at home. I adore bread cooking anytime of the day. I made more when our triplet boys were young. Pizza dough that is homemade is much better taste. Now I would like to be considered for your book give away. We do have 4 boys. The 4th is 10 years after the triplets. Thanks for having the site and the cookbooks. Rosalie
I have several of your cookbooks, but have yet to try any of the celebration breads. Thank you for posting a recipe for this beautiful Kulich bread!
I have really enjoyed making your artisan bread! Happy Easter!