Sour Cream Kulich (Easter Bread)

Step 1 of 19

Slightly warm the milk.

Step 2 of 19

Pour the yeast into the warm milk and add 1 tsp sugar.

Step 3 of 19

Add 200–250 g flour and mix.

Step 4 of 19

Cover with a towel or napkin and leave in a warm place.

Step 5 of 19

Wait until the starter doubles in size (it took about 30 minutes for me).

Step 6 of 19

Beat the eggs together with sugar.

Step 7 of 19

Slice the vanilla bean and scrape out the seeds.

Step 8 of 19

Combine the starter with the egg mixture and stir.

Step 9 of 19

Add vanilla sugar or vanilla seeds.

Step 10 of 19

Add softened butter (not clarified) and mix.

Step 11 of 19

Stir in the sour cream.

Step 12 of 19

Gradually add the remaining flour (the amount may vary slightly depending on the quality of the flour) and knead the dough. Thoroughly knead the mixture: it should not be too stiff or stick to your hands.

Step 13 of 19

Cover with a towel or napkin and leave in a warm place.

Step 14 of 19

Wait until the dough has risen well (it took about 30 minutes for me).

Step 15 of 19

Mix in the washed and dried raisins. Cover again with a towel or napkin and place in a warm place.

Step 16 of 19

Allow the dough to rise well again (it took about 30 minutes for me).

Step 17 of 19

Grease the baking pans with oil and fill them with dough to ⅓ of their height.

Step 18 of 19

Allow the dough to rise. Place in an oven preheated to 100 degrees for 10 minutes. After that, increase the temperature to 180 degrees and bake until done (about 30 minutes). Check the readiness of the golden-brown Kulich (Easter bread) with a wooden skewer or toothpick: it should come out dry.

Step 19 of 19

Decorate as desired. I used meringue frosting and confectionery sprinkles.