Easter cake with yolks

Ingredients:

• 2 packets of dry yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 2 cups of milk
• 2.5 cups of sugar
• About 8-10 cups of flour
• 12 egg yolks
• 240 g plus 4 tbsp (60 g) butter, melted
• 1 cup chopped candied fruit
• 1 cup raisins
• 1/3 cup chopped blanched almonds
• 1 tbsp rum
• 2 crushed vanilla beans
• Zest of 1 lemon, grated
• A pinch of salt

Preparation:

1. Dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup of warm water. Let it sit for 15 minutes.
2. Heat the milk until fine bubbles form. Combine 1 cup of sugar and 1.5 cups of flour and pour in the hot milk, stirring until it reaches the consistency of sour cream. If the mixture is too thick, add another 1/2 cup of milk. Let the mixture cool slightly and add the yeast. Beat the egg yolks with the remaining sugar until light in color. Add the melted butter to the yeast mixture, then fold in the egg yolks and sugar. Gradually stir in the remaining flour. The dough should be soft, elastic, and not sticky.
3. Add candied fruit, raisins, almonds, rum, vanilla, lemon zest, and salt and knead thoroughly for about 30 minutes. Let the dough rise for at least 3 hours in a warm, draft-free place, covered with a kitchen towel.
4. After the dough has risen, pour it into greased and floured kulich pans or tins. (Greased pans can be lined with greased kraft paper.) Make sure the pans or jars are no more than 1/3 full. Let the kulich rise for another 30-45 minutes. Bake for approximately 1-1.5 hours at 120-150°C, until golden brown and fluffy.