Ukrainian Christmas Bread (Kolach)

By
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek is a former chef who became a cooking school instructor and award-winning food writer.
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Updated on 07/8/21
Ukrainian Christmas bread kolach recipe

The Spruce / Nita West
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 60 mins
Rise Time: 3 hrs
Total: 4 hrs 20 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
318 Calories
7g Fat
52g Carbs
10g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 318
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7g 9%
Saturated Fat 1g 7%
Cholesterol 116mg 39%
Sodium 304mg 13%
Total Carbohydrate 52g 19%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 10g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 27mg 2%
Iron 3mg 19%
Potassium 112mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This recipe for Ukrainian Christmas bread or kolach is a slightly sweet yeast bread that is braided and shaped into either an oblong loaf, a round braided loaf, or three separate round braids stacked one on top of the other.

In the case of a stacked kolach, a candle is placed in the middle and is an essential part of the Christmas Eve supper (Sviata Vechera). The bread isn't eaten until Christmas Day because it contains eggs and Orthodox Christians fast for Advent, including Christmas Eve.

Kolach is a symbol of good luck, eternity, prosperity, and also is featured at memorial services for the dead.

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Ingredients

For the Yeast:

  • 1 (1/4-ounce) package active dry yeast

  • 1 teaspoon sugar

  • 1/3 cup lukewarm water

  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature

For the Dough:

  • 2 tablespoons sugar

  • 2 tablespoons oil

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 cup lukewarm water

  • 4 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 teaspoon water, for the glaze

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for Ukrainian Christmas bread
    The Spruce / Nita West

  2. Prepare the yeast mixture. In a small bowl, mix together the yeast, sugar and lukewarm water. Let stand 15 minutes or until bubbly.

    Mug of yeast
    The Spruce / Nita West

  3. Make the dough. In a large bowl or a stand mixer, beat the eggs until thick. Beat in the yeast mixture, sugar, oil, and salt.​

    Make the dough
    The Spruce / Nita West

  4. Then add the 1/2 cup lukewarm water and mix until fully incorporated.

    Add water
    The Spruce / Nita West

  5. Add 2 cups of the flour and mix well. Add remaining 2 cups of flour and knead until dough is smooth and blistered.

    Add flour
    The Spruce / Nita West

  6. Place dough in a greased bowl. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise 1 hour or until doubled.

    Let dough rise
    The Spruce / Nita West

  7. Punch down dough and let rise again until doubled. Knead by hand a few times and then turn out onto a lightly floured board

    Punch down dough
    The Spruce / Nita West

  8. Divide the dough into three equal pieces and braid. Shape into an oblong loaf and place on a parchment-lined baking pan. Or shape into a circle, joining the ends, and place in a greased 10-inch tube pan.

    Braid dough
    The Spruce / Nita West

  9. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until almost doubled.

    Braided dough
    The Spruce / Nita West

  10. Heat oven to 350 F. Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer registers 180 F.

    Bake
    The Spruce / Nita West

  11. Brush bread with 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 teaspoon water the last 5 minutes of baking or until an instant-read thermometer registers 190 degrees.

    Brush with butter
    The Spruce / Nita West

  12. Remove from oven and turn out of pans to cool completely on a wire rack.

    Let cool
    The Spruce / Nita West

  13. Enjoy as a lightly sweet dessert with tea or coffee after a meal or with butter for breakfast.

    Butter bread
    The Spruce / Nita West

Tip

  • This recipe will make either 1 braided oblong loaf or 1 braided round loaf. To make three round braided loaves that are stacked on top of each other, triple the recipe. The three loaves should be baked in 3 tube pans of decreasing size, 12-inch, 10-inch, and 8-inch would be perfect.