Festive Kulich Recipe

Method

Mise en Place: Weigh all ingredients accurately. Soak raisins in warm water for 15–20 minutes, then drain thoroughly and pat dry. This prevents them from absorbing moisture from the dough. Prepare tall cylindrical Kulich or Panettone paper moulds by greasing or placing on trays. 

Mixing: Place SwissBake® Brioche Mix, T55 flour, softened butter, eggs, water, and crumbled yeast into the mixing bowl. Using a spiral mixer, mix on low speed for 4 minutes until the dough begins forming. Shift to high speed and mix for another 6 minutes until fully developed. The dough should be smooth, elastic, and have a final temperature between 24°C–26°C. Add soaked raisins and chocolate chips on low speed for 1 minute or just until evenly incorporated. 

Bulk Fermentation, Shaping and Proofing: Transfer dough into a lightly oiled container, cover, and bulk proof for 20 minutes at ambient temperature. Divide the dough into 250 g portions. Pre-shape gently into round balls and place each into a prepared mould. Avoid degassing the dough excessively. Place moulds in a proofing chamber at 31°C and 75% relative humidity for about 40 minutes, or until the dough has risen to 1–2 cm below the mould rim. 

Baking and Finishing: Pre-heat oven to 200°C. Bake the Kulich at a falling temperature — start at 200°C and reduce to 180°C after 10 minutes. Total bake time is 20–25 minutes. The surface should be a deep golden brown, and a wooden skewer inserted into the center should come out clean. Let loaves cool fully on wire racks before finishing. 
 • For the glazed version, whisk powdered sugar with water or milk into a thick, pourable glaze. Drizzle over the top and add sprinkles before it sets. 
 • For the dusted version, use a fine-mesh sieve to generously dust powdered sugar over the cooled tops.