In a small bowl add 50g of flour, ¼ cup of luke warm milk and yeast and mix well and set aside until it becomes frothy and bubbly.
In a large bowl add flour, salt mix well and set aside.
In another bowl add egg, egg yolk and sugar and butter and mix well. If you want beat, you can do that at this time.
Then add egg -butter-sugar mixture to flour mixture and add yeast mixture mix (sponge) cardamom, orange zest, combine everything until it become soft sticky dough.
Transfer to lightly floured area and knead well until you get a soft and supple dough. Transfer to greased bowl for double in volume it takes about 1-1 ½ hours depending upon the kitchen temperature.
While the dough is doubling, puff up the raisins but adding them to hot water and drain and set aside. This step is optional, but I did it.
Once the dough double in volume punch down and spread it as rectangle and add raisins and chopped apricots. Try to incorporate well. This recipe makes about 833g of dough. I divided two 333g and one 167g. You can divide the dough depending upon size of the tin.
Transfer the divide dough balls into well buttered floured tins. Set aside for until the dough double to slightly above ¾th of tin.
Bake it in pre heated oven at 375F for 10 minutes and then reduce the temperature to 350F and bake it for 20 minutes. If the top start to brown cover with aluminum foil and bake.
Once the tin is cool enough to touch, slightly run the knife through the sides of tin and carefully remove the Kulich and set aside.
Make a thick glaze with confectioner’s sugar and lemon juice and drizzle over the top of the bread. Add sprinkle on the top.
Enjoy