Kalyta Bread
The centrepiece of St Andrew's Eve in Ukraine: the kalyta hangs from the ceiling on a red ribbon and everyone takes a turn jumping up to bite it without using their hands. Whoever manages it is promised a lucky year; whoever laughs gets a smudge of soot. The dough is deliberately dense, with no yeast, packed with poppy seeds and nuts, and the honey glaze makes it shine — and harder to bite.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Rest
- 20 min
- Total
- 1 h 15 min
- Servings
- 10
- Level
- Easy
- Per serving
- 330 kcal
Ingredients
Makes: 1 kalyta, 25 cm across, 10 pieces
Shopping list
The ingredients for the servings you chose — copy them or send them to a messenger. Tick what you already have at home: only the rest goes on the list.
Method
Oven
180 °C · top and bottom heat, no fan
With a fan: 160 °C
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Step 1: Mix the dry
In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt and baking powder.
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Step 2: Add water and oil
Pour in the warm water and stir, then add the oil and stir again until even.
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Step 3: Work in the seeds
Add the poppy seed sugar, walnuts and raisins and knead until evenly spread through. Shape into a ball, cover with a towel and leave for 20 minutes.
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Step 4: Shape the ring
Heat the oven to 180 °C (350 °F). Set the ball on parchment, flatten it to a round 3–4 cm thick and open a palm-wide hole in the centre with your fingers. Decorate the top with a few nuts and raisins if you like.
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Step 5: Bake
Bake for 30 minutes, until browned and hollow-sounding when tapped underneath.
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Step 6: Glaze with honey
Brush the hot kalyta with honey, let it cool and thread a ribbon through the hole.
Tips & variations
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Tip
Make the hole wider than seems right: the dough rises in the oven and closes it by half.
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Tip
Kalyta is meant to be dense, closer to gingerbread than a soft loaf — otherwise someone bites it on the first try and the game is over.
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Variation
Dried sour cherries in place of raisins look like rubies on the crust.
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Storage
Under a towel it keeps 2–3 days and gets better as the honey soaks in.
Nutrition
| 1 serving | Whole dish 10 servings | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 330 kcal | 3,300 kcal |
| Protein | 8 g | 80 g |
| Fat | 12 g | 120 g |
| Carbohydrates | 49 g | 490 g |
Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.
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