RECIPES
Kulich with paskha
By Miele
24 hours
Preparation time
1 hour 30 minutes
Cooking time
12 serves
INGREDIENTS
Ricotta
2 litres unhomogenised milk
10 g salt
5 g citric acid
65 g water
Pashka
35 g butter, softened
350 g ricotta, drained
200 g creme fraiche
1 tsp vanilla extract
Zest of 1 orange
Zest of 1 lemon
3 egg yolks
30 g caster sugar
120 g pouring cream
120 g candied fruits, diced
Kulich
75 g mixed peel
75 g sultanas
60 g cranberries
40 ml rum
190 ml milk
Pinch of saffron threads
12 g dry yeast
435 g plain flour
125 g caster sugar
130 g butter
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
40 g slivered almonds
White sugar sprinkles to decorate
Lemon icing
250 g pure icing sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
100 ml milk
Miele accessories
METHOD
Ricotta
- Pour milk into a 4 litre solid steam tray, whisk in the salt and place in the steam Oven and Steam at 95°C for 5 minutes.
- Dilute the citric acid in the water.
- Remove milk from the steam oven and immediately stir the acidulated water into the milk.
- Cover with a clean tea towel and set aside for 30 minutes undisturbed.
- Line a small colander or sieve with muslin and sit over a bowl allowing space for liquid to collect in the bottom.
- After 30 minutes, curds will have formed in the milk. Using a slotted spoon scoop the curds gently into the muslin lined colander and drain thoroughly overnight.
Pashka
- In a food processor, process the butter until smooth. Add ricotta, crème fraiche and vanilla extract and blend until smooth. Add zests and set aside.
- Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar in a heat proof bowl.
- In a saucepan bring the cream to a simmer on medium heat, induction setting 6.
- Add a small amount of the hot cream into the egg yolks, whisk to combine. Whisk in the remainder of the cream, then return the mixture to the saucepan and cook while stirring on medium heat, induction setting 5, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Strain into a bowl and set aside to cool, discard the zest.
- Combine the cooled custard with the ricotta mixture and stir until well incorporated. Fold in candied fruits.
Kulich
- Soak mixed peel, sultanas and cranberries in the rum overnight.
- Place milk and saffron threads into a saucepan and heat gently on low heat, induction setting 2, until milk is infused with saffron, approximately 2 minutes. Remove the milk from heat and add yeast, 1 tablespoon of flour and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Stir to combine and let sit for 15 minutes until foamy.
- Beat butter and remaining sugar in a mixer until pale and creamy. Gradually add in eggs, vanilla extract and a pinch of salt, beat to combine.
- While mixing add the yeast mixture to butter and mix until incorporated.
- Change to a dough hook and add remaining flour. Knead on low speed until dough is smooth and starts to come away from the sides of the bowl, adjust with extra flour if required.
- Add the soaked dried fruits including the rum and the almonds and mix until combined. Transfer to a lightly greased bowl and prove in the oven on Conventional at 35°C for 2 hours, or until doubled in volume.
- Line a cake tin measuring 15 cm diameter and 10 cm high with baking paper, leaving an extra 8 cm above the height of the tin, creating a collar that is 18 cm high.
- Knock back dough to remove large air bubbles and place into prepared tin. Let dough prove in the oven again at 35°C until it reaches the top of the paper, approximately 1 hour.
- Place the kulich in the oven on shelf position 2.
- Select Moisture Plus at 180°C with 2 bursts of steam, releasing the first burst of steam immediately and the second burst of steam after 15 minutes. Bake for 30 minutes until the kulich is dark brown and a skewer comes out clean when tested.
- Remove the kulich from the oven and cool in the tin on a wire rack.
Lemon icing
- Sift icing sugar into a bowl, add lemon juice and gradually add milk until a pourable icing forms.
- Once kulich is completely cooled, pour icing over the top, decorate with sugar sprinkles and leave to set completely.
To serve
- Discard any liquid that has collected in the bowl under the paskha, then carefully invert onto a serving plate. Remove the sieve and muslin and garnish with candied fruits.
- Slice a slim wedge of kulich and plate.
- Serve kulich with paskha.
Notes
- Kulich is a Russian Easter cake.
- Making homemade ricotta is very easy using a steam oven. The recipe results in 350 g of smooth and soft ricotta. Citric acid can be purchased in the baking aisle of the supermarket.
- Kulich is best eaten on the day it is baked.
- If a paskha with a firmer texture is preferred, it can be strained in muslin lined conical strainer or sieve over a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- The kulich can also be served without icing. For decoration, top the cake with whole blanched almonds after you’ve completed step 8, just prior to baking.
APPLIANCE / FUNCTION
Miele
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