Home > Worldwide Recipes > Russia > Specialities From The Republics > Ukrainian Sweet Braid
Bulka
Ukrainian Sweet Braid
Bulka
Honey often figures as a temptation in Nikolai Gogol's Ukrainian tales. In one tale, Viy, some young seminarists visit a market place where they are tempted by a stunning array of home-baked goods. The peasant women cajole them to buy bread, one offering her special poppy-seed buns, another claiming that her loaf has been sweetened with real honey. The recipe below is for a typical Ukrainian sweet loaf, one which even the strictest seminarist cannot resist.
Ingredients
Makes 2 loaves.
1 tablespoon dried yeast
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons warm water
Grated rind of 1 lemon
Pinch of sugar
1½ lb (700 g) plain flour
¼ pint (150 ml) milk
4 oz (120 g) butter
3 eggs, beaten
6 oz (170 g) honey
¼ pint (150 ml) soured cream
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon water
Blanched sliced almonds
Method
Dissolve the yeast and the sugar in the warm water until bubbly.
Scald the milk; stir in the butter, cut into small pieces, and let it cool to lukewarm. Then add the milk mixture to the yeast, along with the eggs, honey, soured cream, salt and lemon rind. Stir in the flour, 4 oz (120 g) at a time, adding enough to make a soft dough.
Turn the dough out on to a floured board and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning it to grease the top. Cover and leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours. Knock back the dough and let rise again until doubled, about 1 hour.
Turn the dough out on to a floured board and divide it in half. Divide each half into three balls of equal size. Roll each ball out between your palms into a rope about 12 in (30 cm) long. Braid three ropes together and place the loaf on a greased baking tray. Repeat with the remaining dough. Cover the loaves and leave them to rise until doubled, about 40 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas 5. Brush the loaves with a glaze made by beating the egg yolk with the water. Sprinkle the almonds over the tops of the loaves. Bake for 35 minutes, or until nicely browned on top.
Related food category:
