Russian Easter Loaf

Many Russian families still treasure an heirloom recipe for kulich. The traditional loaf is saffron-flavored and somewhat dry in texture, but it may also be made rich in butter and cake-like, as in the second recipe below. Old-fashioned cooks treat their kulichi very gently upon removal from the oven. They turn the bread out onto a large down-filled pillow and carefully roll it from side to side until it is completely cool, so that the loaf does not lose its shape. Kulich may be decorated with silver or varicolored dragées or, for a dramatic effect, crowned with a large red rose.