Happy New Year!!!!

Hey! It's been an entire month since I last posted which is kind of pathetic, but what Christmas (twice) and New Years, things got incredibly hectic! Anyways, I have finally got my act together and have planned out posts for the rest of the month. I'm hoping that I can stick to this and actually post things more than twice a month!!

I hope you all had a fabulous New Year and are ready to get back in the kitchen with me for an awesome year of baking and cooking.

Ukrainian Christmas

Ukrainian (or Orthodox) Christmas is celebrated on January 6 and January 7 since we follow the old calendar. I always loved celebrating two Christmases because I felt like Christmas (Dec 25) could be the "commercial" Christmas while Ukrainian Christmas was the religious one that involved more family. Its always nice to have a wide selection of food out on the table for everyone in the family to enjoy. What makes it even more special is that it is all homemade Ukrainian food.

On Ukrainian Christmas eve (day) no dairy or meat is allowed since we have to respect the animals that kept Baby Jesus warm in the manger. Ukrainian's have a tradition of serving twelve dishes for Christmas because they represent the twelve apostles. The included things such as: kutia (buckwheat), borsch (beet soup), vushka (mushroom dumplings), pierogies, fish, and yzvar (fruit compote).

My mom and I got together two days before Christmas to start making everything and we cooked up a storm. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures since my hands were often covered in bread crumbs, tomato, or other ingredients. It was a lot of fun, but so much hard work!

My favourite thing that I made this year were my kolachi (Christmas bread). It is the traditional centerpiece of the table, and tastes awesome dipped in borsch. I usually do a long braided bread, but I love this recipe for the round breads. I'm hoping to try my hand at the round one next year.

Kolach (Ukranian Christmas Bread) (from A Bread a Day) 

Makes 1 round loaf
For the starter:
1/2 cup milk (at room temperature)
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (approximately)
2 packages instant yeast

For the dough:
 2 cups all-purpose flour (approximately)
1/4 cup water, at room temperature
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
Egg wash:
1 large egg beaten
1 tablespoon water

1.  In a medium bowl, combine the milk, flour, and yeast. Let sit for approximately 10 minutes.
2.  Stir until a sticky dough forms.  Cover loosely and let rest in a warm place until risen and puffy, about 1 hour. DO NOT MAKE NOISE AROUND THE STARTER OR IT WILL FALL.
3.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine all the remaining ingredients (except egg wash).  Mix in the starter at a low speed, using the dough hook attachment. Cover with a dish towel  Let stand in place for 1 hour (again no noise)
4. Punch down the bread and knead for a few minutes. Let rise again for 45-60 minutes.
5.   Thoroughly butter or grease a 9 inch round pan with tall sides, such as a cake or springform pan.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface.  Divide the dough into two pieces, one slightly larger than the other.
6. Divide the larger piece into equal halves, and divide the smaller piece into equal thirds.

5.  Shape each piece into long ropes.
6.  Using the two thicker ropes, cross them on your work surface in an “X” shape.

Starting in the middle, twist the ropes together.

Pinch the ends firmly to seal.

Set the rope aside, and cover loosely with a dish towel.
7.  To braid the smaller ropes together, lay the right piece on the counter, cross the left piece over top, and then lay the center piece in the middle. Pinch the top of the pieces and begin to braid. Repeat the braiding on the other half of the ropes.  Pinch the ends firmly to seal, or fold under.  Set aside and cover loosely.
8.  Arrange the first twisted rope in a circle around the inside bottom edge of the prepared pan.  Pinch the ends together firmly to seal.  The circle of dough may or may not be quite as big as your pan.

Arrange the braided rope in a ring on top of the circle of twisted dough, matching the seams up, and pinching the ends to seal.

This can either be left as is, or you can place a heavily-buttered metal ring 3 inches tall (such as a tall cookie cutter, or a tall tin can opened at both ends) in the center of the ring to help hold its shape.  This will also help the braided dough stay on top of the twisted dough, as it can have a tendency to fall to the inside as the loaf rises.

9.  Cover the dough loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap, and let rise at room temperature until nearly doubled in size, about 1 hour.  Thirty minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 350º F.
10.  Gently brush the dough with the egg wash, taking care not to deflate it.  Bake at 350º F for 15 minutes, then lower the temperature to 325º F and continue baking for 30 minutes more, or until golden brown.  An instant-read thermometer should register 195º to 200º F when inserted into the center.  Remove the bread from the pan, and transfer to a wire rack to cool thoroughly before slicing.


My kolach: