*** This recipe is online at http://orthodoxkitchen.com/recipes/koulich/ ***

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   Koulich - Russian Easter Bread
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Makes 3-4 loaves 

Ingredients
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1 1/2 cups dried fruit (I use chopped apricots and/or currants)
1/2 cup rum
1 1/2 cups lukewarm milk
2  tbsp. yeast
2 cups sugar
7-8 cups white flour
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
10 eggs
1/2 lb. unsalted butter (softened)


Instructions
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Soak fruit in rum. Heat milk to lukewarm. Pour into large bowl and add yeast and a tsp.
of sugar. Let stand about 10 min. Add vanilla, 6 1/2 c. of flour, salt, sugar and the
eggs(slightly beaten). Stir together until smooth. Beat in the butter, then add fruit and
the remainder of the flour. Knead and add flour until the dough is smooth and shiny.
Let rise for 3 hrs. Punch down and fill greased 1 lb. coffee cans to half full. Let rise
for about an hr. Preheat oven to 325. When dough is just below the top of the can, put
into oven to bake(it will rise more while baking). It can take up to 1 1/2 hrs. to bake,
the tops should be well browned. If you are unsure of the "doness" take one out of the
oven and very gently remove it from the can , just enough to see the side of the bread,
if the sides are brown it should be done. If they are not slip it back into the can and
continue to bake.