No. 3087 — Kulich, with Saffron Variation

Warm 5 glasses milk to the temperature of freshly drawn milk or a little hotter, and mix with 6 pounds flour and ½ glass good yeast mixture to form a sponge. After it rises, knead in 10 yolks, 5 whole eggs, 1 pound melted butter, 2–3 teacups sugar, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon finely crushed cardamom.

For fragrance, add 10 drops lemon oil, or 1 lot vanilla drops, or 10 drops rose oil. Add 1 glass raisins and 1 glass almonds, reserving some for decoration. Knead everything well and allow to rise. The dough must be stiff enough not to stick to the table.

When the dough has risen well, start shaping the kulich while heating the oven. Leave the shaped loaves in a warm place until the oven is ready. Do not rush to bake before they rise thoroughly; stiff dough may take quite a long time.

Before baking decorate with whole raisins and whole or shredded almonds, brushing with egg beaten with milk. The author remarks that this rich dough is unlike ordinary bun dough and is widely liked.

For a saffron kulich, omit the cardamom and substitute ½ teaspoon saffron ground to a powder, first dried in paper on a very warm stove so its scent does not escape, then rubbed with butter. Adjust the saffron to taste.

The closing ingredient list gives 6 pounds flour, 5 glasses milk, 1 glass yeast mixture, 10 yolks, 5 eggs, 1 pound butter, 2–3 cups sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon cardamom or about ½ zolotnik saffron, 1 glass raisins, 1 glass almonds and 2 eggs for glazing.

To provide