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Brief Overview
Kulich is the kind of bread that appears once a year but leaves a lasting impression. Tall, sweet, and crowned with glossy icing and colourful sprinkles, it’s Russia’s signature Easter bread and a centrepiece of celebration.
Baked in cylindrical tins and shared after midnight mass, Kulich is more than food. It’s tradition, symbol, and offering all at once. With its soft crumb and fragrant sweetness, it speaks of renewal and festivity in every slice.
Even those who aren’t religious often look forward to it, not just for the taste but for the memories it brings. It is a bread made with care, given with warmth, and eaten in the spirit of togetherness.
What Is Kulich?
Kulich is a yeasted sweet bread typically baked in a tall mould, giving it a shape closer to a pillar than a loaf. It is rich and airy, studded with dried fruit and nuts, and often finished with a sugar glaze that drips slightly over the sides.
Once baked and cooled, the bread is decorated and blessed during Easter services. It’s traditionally sliced and shared on Easter Sunday, often paired with sweet cheese spreads like paskha. Despite its ornate look, the flavour is warm and familiar.
Though often compared to Italian panettone, Kulich has a firmer texture and a more delicate sweetness. It’s a bread meant to be sliced thick, eaten slowly, and enjoyed with tea, family, and quiet celebration.
Ingredients and Taste
The dough is made with flour, butter, milk, sugar, and eggs, enriched further by the addition of raisins, candied peel, or chopped almonds. Some recipes call for rum or vanilla to round out the flavour with warmth and fragrance.
Kneading and rising take time. This is not a bread to be rushed. Once baked, the result is golden and soft, with a delicate crumb that pulls apart gently. The fruit adds bursts of sweetness, while the glaze adds a festive finish.
Each bite offers gentle sweetness, not overpowering but full of comforting richness. The crumb is light yet firm enough to hold its shape. Eaten fresh, it is soft and buttery. Eaten the next day, it becomes even more fragrant.
A Taste of History
Kulich has been part of Russian Orthodox Easter tradition for centuries, its roots tied to both Christian and pre-Christian spring rituals. Bread, in many cultures, symbolises life. At Easter, Kulich represents rebirth and renewal.
Its tall shape is no accident. It’s said to represent Christ’s resurrection, rising above the everyday. It is usually baked only once a year, reinforcing its status as something sacred and celebratory rather than routine.
The blessing of the bread in church is as important as the baking itself. Families bring their Kulich to be sprinkled with holy water, a moment shared across generations. This ritual connects the spiritual and the communal.
Even outside of religious circles, Kulich remains a marker of spring and celebration. Many families keep the tradition going for the flavour, the symbolism, and the feeling of continuity. In every sense, it is bread with meaning.
How to make Kulich (Russian Easter Bread)
Kulich is a tall, rich, and aromatic Easter bread traditionally baked across Russia and Eastern Europe to mark Orthodox Easter. Expect a lightly sweet, buttery crumb studded with dried fruits, scented with cardamom and vanilla, and crowned with a sugar glaze. Plan ahead, as rising time plays a key role in the bread’s signature lightness. See the recipe card at the bottom for printable directions
Ingredients
For the dough
- 400g plain flour
- 2 tsp active dry yeast
- 100ml warm milk
- 100g unsalted butter (softened)
- 100g caster sugar
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 whole egg
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 80g golden raisins or sultanas
- 40g mixed candied peel
For the glaze
- 100g icing sugar
- 1–2 tbsp lemon juice
- Sprinkles (optional)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1: Activate the yeast
To begin, warm the milk until just lukewarm (about 38°C). In a small bowl, combine it with yeast and 1 teaspoon of the sugar. Let it sit for 10–15 minutes until frothy. Move on to preparing the dry ingredients.
Step 2: Prepare the dry mixture
In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and ground cardamom. Add lemon zest and mix briefly. This forms the base for the enriched dough. Proceed to make the wet mix.
Step 3: Mix the wet ingredients
In a separate bowl, beat the softened butter, remaining sugar, egg yolks, and whole egg until pale and creamy. Stir in the vanilla extract. Next, combine wet and dry components.
Step 4: Combine and knead the dough
Add the yeast mixture and butter and egg mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix until a shaggy dough forms. Knead by hand or mixer for about 8–10 minutes until soft and elastic. Transition to adding fruits.
Step 5: Incorporate dried fruits
Fold in the raisins and candied peel evenly throughout the dough. If sticky, dust the fruits with a little flour before mixing in. Prepare for the first rise.
Step 6: First rise
Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with a cloth, and leave in a warm spot for 1.5–2 hours, or until doubled in size. While it rises, prepare your baking moulds.
Step 7: Shape and proof
Punch down the risen dough gently. Divide into portions and shape into rounds. Place into tall paper moulds or cylindrical tins lined with parchment. Let them rise again for 30–45 minutes. Preheat the oven now.
Step 8: Bake the Kulich
Preheat your oven to 180°C (fan 160°C). Bake for 30–35 minutes or until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. If browning too quickly, cover loosely with foil. Let cool on a rack.
Step 9: Make the glaze
Once the Kulich has cooled completely, mix icing sugar with lemon juice until smooth and slightly thick. Spoon or drizzle over the tops of the loaves. Add sprinkles if using.
Final Step: Serve and present
Slice and serve the Kulich as part of your Easter table. Best enjoyed with tea or strong coffee. For traditional presentation, place the glazed bread in the centre of the table surrounded by coloured eggs and spring flowers.
Variations and substitutions
- Replace golden raisins with chopped dried apricots or cranberries.
- Add chopped almonds or walnuts for texture.
- Use orange zest instead of lemon for a warmer citrus note.
Cooking Tips for Perfect Kulich
- Always allow the yeast to froth fully before mixing; this ensures a strong rise.
- Don’t rush the rising stages, Kulich needs time to develop its airy crumb.
- Use tall cylindrical moulds to mimic traditional shape.
- Let cool completely before glazing or the icing will melt off.
Russian Kulich (Easter Bread)
Ingredients
For the dough
- 400 g plain flour
- 2 tsp active dry yeast
- 100 ml warm milk
- 100 g unsalted butter softened
- 100 g caster sugar
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 whole egg
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 80 g golden raisins or sultanas
- 40 g mixed candied peel
For the glaze
- 100 g icing sugar
- 1 –2 tbsp lemon juice
- Sprinkles optional
Instructions
- To begin, warm the milk until just lukewarm (about 38°C). In a small bowl, combine it with yeast and 1 teaspoon of the sugar. Let it sit for 10–15 minutes until frothy. Move on to preparing the dry ingredients.
- In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and ground cardamom. Add lemon zest and mix briefly. This forms the base for the enriched dough. Proceed to make the wet mix.
- In a separate bowl, beat the softened butter, remaining sugar, egg yolks, and whole egg until pale and creamy. Stir in the vanilla extract. Next, combine wet and dry components.
- Add the yeast mixture and butter and egg mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix until a shaggy dough forms. Knead by hand or mixer for about 8–10 minutes until soft and elastic. Transition to adding fruits.
- Fold in the raisins and candied peel evenly throughout the dough. If sticky, dust the fruits with a little flour before mixing in. Prepare for the first rise.
- Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with a cloth, and leave in a warm spot for 1.5–2 hours, or until doubled in size. While it rises, prepare your baking moulds.
- Punch down the risen dough gently. Divide into portions and shape into rounds. Place into tall paper moulds or cylindrical tins lined with parchment. Let them rise again for 30–45 minutes. Preheat the oven now.
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (fan 160°C). Bake for 30–35 minutes or until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. If browning too quickly, cover loosely with foil. Let cool on a rack.
- Once the Kulich has cooled completely, mix icing sugar with lemon juice until smooth and slightly thick. Spoon or drizzle over the tops of the loaves. Add sprinkles if using.
- Slice and serve the Kulich as part of your Easter table. Best enjoyed with tea or strong coffee. For traditional presentation, place the glazed bread in the centre of the table surrounded by coloured eggs and spring flowers.
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