Description
A tall, sweet bread with sugar glaze on top is a traditional Easter treat in Russia.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
- ¾ cup granulated sugar, divided
- 1 cup warm milk
- 4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
- 3 large whole eggs, separated
- 2 egg yolks
- ½ tablespoon brandy
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 10 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
- ½ cup slivered blanched almonds, coarsely ground
- ¼ cup raisins
- 1 tablespoon water
- ¾ cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Stir together warm milk
- yeast
- and 1/4 teaspoon sugar in a large bowl and let stand until foamy
- about 10 minutes. Stir in 1 1/2 cups flour until combined; cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Let stand in a warm place until doubled
- about 1 hour.
- Beat 4 yolks with remaining sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until mixture is thick and pale
- 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in brandy and salt.
- Stir yeast dough to deflate. Add yolk mixture and melted butter; stir until well blended. Beat 3 egg whites in a bowl with cleaned beaters until they hold soft peaks. Fold whites into batter
- then stir in remaining 2 1/2 cups flour. Cover the bowl and let rise in a warm place until doubled
- about 1 hour 10 minutes.
- Stir dough to deflate
- then mix in almonds and raisins.
- Butter 4 clean (10 1/2-ounce) coffee cans. Line bottom of each with a round of parchment or wax paper. Dust insides with flour
- knocking out excess. Divide dough evenly among cans. Let dough rise in cans
- covered with a towel
- until about 1/2 inch from rim
- about 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Whisk together remaining yolk and water in a small bowl; lightly brush over tops of dough.
- Bake loaves in cans in the preheated oven until tops are golden brown
- 35 to 40 minutes. Turn loaves out onto a rack
- turn right-side up
- and let cool completely
- about 1 1/2 hours.
- Make glaze: Sift powdered sugar into a bowl
- then stir in lemon juice until smooth.
- Spread glaze over tops of loaves
- letting it drip down the sides. Let loaves stand until icing is set
- about 15 minutes.
Prep Time: 50 mins
Cook Time: 35 mins
Total Time: 4 hrs 45 mins
Servings: 8