I have an ordeal coming up, where i need to bake some Russian bread. I have no recipes, actually, i have never cooked breads (other than bananna, pecan, etc). so does anyone have a recipe that they would mind sharing? Even if it is not Russian, i can act like it is. Just something tasty.

Russian Black Bread INGREDIENTS 1 1/2 cups water 2 tablespoons cider vinegar 2 1/2 cups bread flour 1 cup rye flour 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons margarine 2 tablespoons dark corn syrup 1 tablespoon brown sugar 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules 1 tablespoon caraway seed 1/4 teaspoon fennel seed (optional) 2 teaspoons active dry yeast DIRECTIONS 1)Place ingredients into the bread machine in order suggested by the manufacturer. 2)Use the whole wheat, regular crust setting. 3)After the baking cycle ends, remove bread from pan, place on a cake rack, and allow to cool for 1 hour before slicing. I have been looking for a good Russian Black Bread recipe. This one is the closest I have come. The vinegar adds a bit of a bite, but believe me, with cheese it is marvelous."

Kaleech - Russian Bread INGREDIENTS: 1 quart of water or milk 2 1/2 cups sugar tablespoon dry yeast flour 6 eggs 1/2 lb. butter 1 lb of raisins candied fruit, optional PREPARATION: Combine 1 quart of water or milk, 2 1/2 cups sugar, and 6 tablespoons dry yeast. Add enough flour to make a sponge dough. Let rise till doubled or so. Add 6 eggs, 1/2 lb. butter, 1 lb of raisins, and enough flour to stiffen dough into round high loaves. Some use candied fruit in the bread. Frost top with sugar coating. Bake in cake pan at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until bread sounds hollow.

My hbby is russian and he loves this bread. The black bread too, but is not so easy to like, cause is not so common. Russian Bread 4½ cups Flour 1 cake compressed yeast 1¼ cups scalded milk ¼ cup sugar 1½ cups raisins 2 eggs ¼ cup butter 1 teaspoon salt Cinnamon to taste Instructions Dissolve yeast in scalded milk, cooled to 80 degree C, add 1 1/2 cups flour and mix until smooth; let stand until light and puffy. Add eggs, sugar, butter, raisins, salt, remainder of flour and cinnamon. Mix to a stiff dough and knead thoroughly. Let stand until double in volume. Divide into two equal parts for two loaves; cut each loaf into three equal parts; roll the parts into strips about 12 inches long and tapering to a point at each end; press ends together and braid. Place on buttered baking sheet, cover and allow to stand until light. Bake from one-half to three quarters of an hour. When cool, ice with an icing made by mixing a few drops of hot water with powdered sugar, flavoring with vanilla.

Almond Kulich # 1 kg flour. # 1/2 l milk. # 60 g yeast. # 5 ea eggs. # 200 g sugar. # 300 g butter. # 200 g peeled almonds. # 150 g raisins. # 1 ea lemon. # salt to taste. Bring milk to boil and cool down. Dissolve yeast in a part of milk, add 1 tb sugar. Stir in flour in the rest of milk, add yeast and mix thoroughly. Cover with towel and put in a warm place. Kulich dough must be "coddled" and "cherished", the temperature of the dough must not less than 29-30C. Beat up 5 yolks with the rest of sugar. Melt butter, chop finely a lemon and a half of almonds. Add yolks, melted butter, chopped almonds and lemon, raisins, salt to the risen up dough. At the end stir in beaten to a white foam egg-whites. Knead the dough carefully upside down. Grease the form for Kulich with soft butter, sprinkle with flour and pour in the dough half. Leave in a room to rise. When the dough is up to the top, brush the top with yolk and sprinkle with almonds. Bake in the oven 180 C. The duration of baking depends on the size of Kulich and can last 1-2 hours