I really wanted to make a real Alsatian kougelhopf, also kouglof in French or German Gugelhupf. It is a yeast brioche, whose appearance is characteristic for its mold, which gives it a tall, striated and hollowed-out shape in the middle. The kougelhopf is slightly sweet, and is filled with & nbsp; raisins soaked in rum and almonds. It is a perfect brioche for breakfast, it has an intense buttery flavor and perfectly accepts a little jam as a side.
I have the original mold that I bought in Strasbourg a few years ago, that beautiful one with the red heart that you can see in the photos. The original mold is ceramic, although it would work out the same if you use a metal mold. The truth is that I cannot assure you that you will notice any difference from one mold to another. What is important is that the mold has a hole in the middle, to ensure perfect cooking.
On that trip to Strasbourg I discovered this wonderful sweet. All the pastry shops in the area sell them daily. Obviously I couldn’t resist and we bought one to test. And my goodness what a delight! The shops in the city center are full of such beautiful ceramic molds, with decorations that are more delicate. The truth is, it is very difficult to choose one. Actually I bought mine in a town called Colmar, in my opinion, the most beautiful town in the region.
In the same store where I bought this mold in Colmar, the owner gave me a paper with the original recipe written on it. It is the same recipe that I share with you here today. & Nbsp; A curious thing that I learned about these molds is that you do not have to wash them with soap and water, It sounds weird, but that’s what they say. They must be allowed to cool and clean with a cloth. Don’t ask me why …
One of the origins of this brioche states that the Alsatian brioche comes from the city of Bethlehem. A wise man, coming out of the manger, would have forgotten his hat, a turban of gold thread set with diamonds, in the shape of an almond. This headdress would have been brought to Strasbourg by a crusader and would have served as a mold for a pastry chef in the city. Thus was born the Kougelhopf, which means “turban” in Alsatian.
In Alsace, this famous brioche is served on Sunday mornings for breakfast. The Kougelhopf is also taken at aperitif time, accompanied by a glass of “gewurztraminer”, a white wine made from a grape that bears the same name and that predominates in the vineyards of the Alsace region.
About the ingredients of this recipe, nothing complicated: a little sultana raisins that must be hydrated in rum beforehand, some good almonds to decorate and the kougelhopf will be perfect! I have used an assortment of raisins of different colors and sizes, to give it a more special touch, but obviously any variety of raisins will work.
If you have tried this recipe, leave me a comment so I know if you liked it! You can also upload a photo to Instagram using the hashtag #caudesucre and tag @caudesucre so you can see them. I love reading you and seeing your creations !!
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Sweet dreams,
Kougelhopf
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Loading...It is a yeast brioche, whose appearance is characteristic for its mold, which gives it a tall, striated and hollowed-out shape in the middle. The kougelhopf is slightly sweet, and is filled with rum-soaked raisins and almonds. It is a perfect brioche for breakfast, it has an intense buttery flavor and perfectly accepts a little jam as a side.
Ingredients
- For 1 kg of dough:
- 500 g of sifted wheat flour
- 60g sugar
- 25 cl of whole milk
- 180 g soft butter
- 25 g fresh yeast
- 1 medium egg
- 10 g of salt
- 100 g raisins
- 5 cl of rum
- For the mold:
- 50 g whole almonds
- 20g butter, melted
- For decoration:
- 15 g icing sugar
Instructions
Start by hydrating the raisins in the rum the day before.
The next day we started preparing the dough. To do this, in the bowl of the mixer, combine the fresh yeast and milk. Add 100 g of flour and mix again. A slightly soft dough is obtained that we will use as a preferment. Cover with the rest of the flour (400 g) and without mixing cover with a clean cloth. Let stand 20 min at room temperature (around 22 ° C).
Break the egg over the flour covering the yeast, then pour the salt and sugar on all sides. Knead using the hook of the mixer at medium-low speed for about 8 minutes.
The kougelhopf batter will take on a slightly lighter shade and is ready when it peels off the sides of the bowl.
Add the creamy butter to the batter and beat until well incorporated. You will see that the dough becomes flexible and shiny. Add the marinated raisins and knead for a few more moments.
Roll the kougelhopf dough into a ball. Place it in a large bowl greased with a little oil. Cover it with a cloth. Let it rest for 1 hour 30 minutes at room temperature (24 to 26 ° C).
When the dough has risen to half its volume, take it out of the mold and fold it over on itself a couple of times. Cover again with a cloth and let it rest for another 40 minutes at room temperature.
Moisten the almonds by immersing them in very hot water for 1 min. Butter the kougelhopf pan. Place a whole almond in each groove of the mold.
Then place the ball of dough in the mold. Cover with a cloth and let it rest for 1 hour 30 minutes at room temperature (24 to 26 ° C). The dough should rise in the pan almost double in size.
Preheat the oven to 200 ° C. When you put the mold in the oven, lower the temperature to 180 ° C. Bake for about 45 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before unmolding. Sprinkle with icing sugar before serving.
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