The Ukrainian Christmas Bread Kalach is one of the most popular recipes of the Christmas season and is especially served at Christmas Eve dinner. Christmas.
This Kalach bread is a symbol of prosperity and good luck in Ukraine and can be made in a long shape as I did, or in a ring shape.
From what I’ve read, Christmas is very much celebrated in Ukraine and traditions are respected by many.
As you know by now, I love traditional Italian recipes, but foreign ones fascinate me and when I find a recipe that someone gives me, especially if it’s original from the place, well, I can’t help but prepare it.
Then, in the end, it seems like a simple braided bread, but with an aroma and taste that wins you over. Just looking at it, I could eat it all, and indeed at home, they devoured it.
With this dough, you will make 2, but if you want, you can easily halve the doses and make just one.
They have the habit, as I’ve been told, of putting many courses on the table, as is also done in my region of Abruzzo.
If you make this recipe or others on the blog, send me the photos, and I will publish them on my page with your name.
Approx. 1475 Kcal per whole braid
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 3 Hours
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 2 braids
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Ukrainian
- Seasonality: Christmas
Ingredients to make Ukrainian Christmas Bread Kalach
- 1 cup whole milk
- 7 g fresh yeast
- 1.4 oz sugar
- 1.4 oz all-purpose flour
- 4.2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1.2 oz sugar
- 1 tsp honey
- 1.8 oz butter
- 1 packet vanillin (or 1 tsp liquid vanilla)
- 2 eggs (medium)
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 drop water (or milk)
- as needed poppy seeds
Preparation of Ukrainian Christmas Bread Kalach
First, prepare the pre-dough. In a bowl, put the lukewarm milk and dissolve the yeast in it, then add the sugar and flour, mix well, and let it rest for 15 minutes or until bubbles form on the surface.
When the dough has bubbled, make the actual dough by adding the rest of the sugar, honey, eggs, vanilla, and finally, the flour a little at a time until everything is well incorporated and a well-worked dough is obtained.
Form a ball, cover with kitchen wrap, and let it rise for about 2 hours or until doubled.
Once risen, transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface, form a ball again, divide it into two, and then each half into 3 parts.
With the three pieces of dough, form 3 long and narrow cords, but not too much, form a braid and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Do the same with the other 3 pieces….
….let it rise again for about 40-45 minutes.
After this brief rise, in a glass beat an egg yolk diluted with a drop of water or milk and brush our braids.
Sprinkle the surface with poppy seeds and bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for 30-35 minutes checking the cooking…..
……if during baking it browns too much on the surface, cover with foil, then remove it one minute before the end of baking.
When baking is complete, remove our Ukrainian bread from the oven and wrap it in a cloth to cool.
It keeps in a plastic bag for 3-4 days and can be frozen in slices once cooled if not consumed immediately. Let it defrost at room temperature… perhaps a few seconds in the microwave after defrosting, and it will seem freshly baked.
