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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We’re half packed up for a move and now I’m looking all over my house trying to find something that will work as a pan for this. Looks delicious!
Looks so good!! Will have to try it out for easter!
I absolutely looove your recipes! I’m a huge fan of yours. I’ve made countless loaves and given them to friends. I always get requests for the recipe and of course, I tell them about you two and your books. I’d like to to be baking now but am out of yeast. Very sad yes. Very sad. But a new book and some yeast would certainly cheer me up… !
BTW Zoe I love the live videos that you and Charlie have been doing it’s been such a great distraction from what’s going on right now. Thank you!
Would LOVE a copy of your cookbook!! Thanks for all that you share!
I have great success with all of your recipes! Thank you!
The original kulixh looks soo perfect, I have never made my own but my mom usually does around Easter, but because we are all at home I have to make my own, and like u said yeast is nowhere to be found….
I have the first three books and love them and turned others onto them. I have been lax in baking lately, but I’m ready to get back to it NOW.
Alas, no yeast. Thanks for your techniques and tips and the beautiful photos1
This Kulich looks so great! I have a ton of amazing saffron, this would be a wonderful use for it!!
Joy to the eyes. Can’t wait to bake it!
I want to bake bread!!!
Yum!! Cinnamon rolls with brioche dough sound amazing! Can’t wait to try to make them.
These recipes look so yum!
I love the idea of the Cinnamon Roll Kulich! Thanks for the suggestion
Your brioche dough is my absolute favorite to make! In fact I was going to make a batch today for cinnamon rolls. Question – if I already have the dough made is there a way to add the saffron to it? Thanks!
Looks amazing! I definitely need a panettone mold now! Fingers crossed for some yeast! 🙂
The best part of social distancing had been been my trial and error in the bread making department, it’s an amazing stress relief for this full time teacher and mom of 2 toddlers!
Yum, I’ll take this over a chocolate bunny!
Everything that I’ve made from their cookbook has been amazing!
I’m so excited about this giveaway so I can try this recipe! I love baking bread but everywhere is out of yeast right now!!
We love cinnamon rolls at our house and these look outstanding. Looking forward to giving those a try.
Oh!! I’m so excited to try this! My flour and yeast was delivered on Tuesday and I am just baking my first batch of Bread!!
Our family loves Bread in 5! We made pizzas last night. If I win, I will gift the yeast and book to my dear friend who is homebound in an apartment in a far more restrictive way than most of us because her little girl has two rare diseases.
I have been trying to up my bread baking game during this enforced quiet time. A holiday bread book would be a welcome distraction!
Love following you on Instagram, Zoe! Your recipes and fun personality always add some extra joy to my day!
The Kulich seems to be just the thing for this shelter-in-place Easter!
Would love to have the Holiday Breads book!
These look amazing! Can’t wait to try for Easter!
I’ve always been a fan of your bakes!! So excited for this recipe and can’t wait to try it out!
Ahhhh this bread is the prettiest, happiest bread I’ve seen! I’m excited to try it for Easter! Cheers bakers!
These look amazing!
Easter seems to have snuck up on us at our house. Baking seems like a great way to start the celebration. Due to your book my roommates have become avid taste tasters-waiting for what my restlessness bakes next. A little extra yeast should come in handy
With this pandemic I’ve really taken on bread baking! This is one recipe I’m definitely going to try!!
I love Bread AND Giveaways! This is great!
I’d love to try all the goodies in these books!
This looks amazing! Waiting on my GF flours to get delivered so I can get started on baking bread again! I can’t wait!
I love 5-Minute bread and Brioche is my favorite recipe. It’s going to be my Easter bread/roll dough this year & be gifted via door drop to my family.
I had your original cookbook and have been tearing my home apart trying to find it! I must’ve lent it out but it’s still driving me crazy because now I finally have the time to use it again.
These are unfortunate times we are currently experiencing, but its also a great time to hone the skills of baking!
The brioche bread recipe is my absolute dough to work with. Works for a lot of different pastries
I would absolutely love to win this. We need yeast!
Thank you for the recipes, they sound simple and look amazing! Very excited about the givaway!
How incredible for you to partner up and for a generous giveaway! Bringing smiles near and far, thank you for doing what you do!
I’m just getting started with bread and am excited to build up my confidence with your approachable recipes. Thank you!
I would love to have a copy of the book. I have checked it out from the library multiple times. Unfortunately, our library is closed for now, so I don’t have access to it right now.
I LOVE TO SEE IT
Mmmm. This looks heavenly.
This looks delicious! Can’t wait to try it
Have loved following you on Instagram and have always wanted to get into baking! Now I have the time and can’t wait to dive in! Would love to learn from your books 🙂
Oh my gosh, the bread I didn’t know I needed until now.
Fabulous giveaway.thank you.
Making use of my time at home to bake using your recipes! The family loves it. Always a hit!