Sunday, 21 2010
kitchy weekends: kugelhopf
post by guest food editor Ayu
I’m always attracted to a yeast cake recipes, but I have never tasted one and never baked one. That is why I always dreamed of tasting one and baking one. All this time, I always skip a yeast cake without any good reason and god, have I been wrong! I decided to bake this kugelhopf after I spent days of craving and dreaming about a cake with slight hint of yeast in it.
Everything went very smooth from measuring to mixing to rising although I skipped a few rising steps and didn’t measure the butter properly. It was a very light dough and very sticky and I had my hopes high and it went to the oven. After 10 minutes of baking time, I took a peek and there it was, the sad dough’s top went down- floppy, ugly, and not glorious. I carried on baking the kugelhopf, soaked it in butter and sprinkled it with sugar while it was still hot.
Fast forward 15 minutes, I cut the warm kugelhopf, took a bite and smiled so wide- this is the yeast cake I’ve been wanting to try, although it didn’t rise right in the oven and got all ugly, the taste is just glorious. So its worth a try for sure!
KUGELHOPF
adapted from Dorie Greenspan
1/3 cup moist, plump raisins
Scant 1 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
1/3 cup just-warm-to-the-touch whole milk
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
3 tablespoons sugar
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
For the soak
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Sugar, for dusting
confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
Instructions:
1. Bring a little water to a boil in a small saucepan and toss in the
raisins. Turn off the heat and let steep for 2 minutes, then drain the
raisins and pat them dry.
2. Put the yeast and milk in the bowl of a stand mixer and, using a wooden
spoon, stir until the yeast is dissolved. Add the flour and salt and stir
just to moisten the flour—don’t be concerned, the mixture will be shaggy
and there may be dry patches.
3. In a small bowl, beat the eggs and yolk together lightly with a fork.
Fit the mixer with the dough hook, if you have one, and, working on low
speed, pour in the beaten eggs, mixing until they are incorporated. Add
the sugar, increase the mixer speed to medium-high, and beat until the
dough comes together and smoothes out a little, about 5 minutes. Reduce
the mixer speed to medium and add the butter in 4 to 6 additions,
squeezing each piece to soften it before adding it and beating until each
one is almost fully incorporated before adding the next.
4. When the butter is blended in, the dough will be very soft. Increase
the mixer speed to medium-high and beat, scraping down the sides and
bottom of the bowl as needed, until the dough pulls away from the sides of
the bowl and climbs up the hook, about 10 minutes. Remove the bowl from
the mixer and stir in the raisins. Scrape the dough into a clean bowl,
cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until nearly doubled
in size, about 1 1/2 hours. (The length of time will depend on the warmth
of your room.)
5. Deflate the dough by lifting it up around the edges and letting it fall
back with a slap into the bowl. Cover the bowl again and put it in the
refrigerator. Slap the dough down in the bowl every 30 minutes until it
stops rising, about 2 hours. Then, if you have the time, let the dough
rest in the refrigerator overnight. (The dough can be wrapped tightly and
refrigerated for up to 2 days.) (I skip this step)
6. Generously butter a 9-inch kugelhopf mold (8-to-9-cup capacity) and put
the chilled dough in the pan. Cover the pan lightly with buttered
parchment or wax paper and let the dough rise in a warm place until it
comes almost to the top of the mold, 2 to 3 hours.
7. When the dough has almost fully risen, center a rack in the oven and
preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
8. Remove the paper and bake the kugelhopf for 10 minutes. Cover the pan
loosely with a foil tent and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until
the kugelhopf is golden brown and has risen to the top — or, more likely,
over the top — of the pan. Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with foil and
place a rack over it. Remove the kugelhopf from the oven and unmold it on
the rack.
Soak the cake
1. Melt the butter and gently brush the hot cake with it, allowing the
butter to soak into the cake. Sprinkle the hot cake lightly with sugar and
cool it to room temperature.
2. Right before serving, dust the Kugelhopf with confectioners’ sugar.
