Kulich (Russian Easter Bread)
A tall, soft, buttery Easter loaf studded with raisins and lemon, topped with white icing.
- Time3 hr 30
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £0.42 a head
- Oven180°C (160°C fan)
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Mix the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add the milk, butter, egg yolks, whole egg, vanilla, cardamom and lemon zest and mix to a soft, sticky dough.
- 2
Knead for 10 minutes by hand until smooth and stretchy. Knead in the raisins. Cover and leave in a warm place for 1 hour 15 minutes until doubled.
75 min - 3
Grease and line the insides of two clean 400 g food tins or two 450 g loaf tins with baking paper, standing 3 cm above the rim.
- 4
Knock back the dough, divide in two and put one half in each tin so it fills just under half. Cover and prove for 45 minutes until it rises to the rim.
45 min - 5
Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until deep golden and hollow sounding when tapped. Cover with foil if the tops brown too quickly.
37 min 30 s - 6
Cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then turn out. Stir the icing sugar and lemon juice to a thick icing, drip it over the domes and add sprinkles.
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.
