French Food Friday....Kugelhopf

Photo and recipe from here

Bonjour mes belles,

The weather here is about to turn cold so I can think of no better place I would rather be than in the kitchen.

I am in the mood to make Kugelhopf and this recipe appeals to me as it uses orange flower water in the glaze and I adore the taste of it.

Kugelhopf

 

Adapted from A Baker’s Tour by Nick Malgieri and Paris Sweets by Dorie Greenspan.

Sponge
½ cup milk
2 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast (not instant)
2/3 cup all-purpose flour

Dough
½ cup raisins
1 tablespoon dark rum
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large egg yolks
1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup whole blanched almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped
½ cup sliced almonds, for lining the cake pan

One 6- to 8-cup kugelhopf pan (or you can use a bundt pan)

1. Maker the sponge by warming the milk over low heat in a small saucepan until it’s tepid. Pour into a bowl, and mix in the yeast then the flour. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until bubbly, about 20 minutes.
2. In a small bowl, stir together the raisins and the rum, then set aside.
3. In a standing electric mixer, beat the butter with the sugar and salt with the paddle attachment until soft and light, about 3 minutes. Beat in the lemon zest and vanilla.
4. Beat in the egg yolks until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the mixer bowl, add the sponge, then beat another minute.
5. Drain the raisins then beat the rum into the dough, then beat in the flour. Beat on low speed for 2 minutes and let rest for 10 minutes.
6. Beat on medium speed until smooth and elastic, about 2 minutes.
7. Slowly beat in the raisins and chopped almonds.
8. Scrape the dough into a butter bowl and turn it so the top is buttered. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until the dough just begins to puff, about 20 minutes.
9. Butter the kugelhopf mold well the scatter the sliced almonds over the inside of the mold, turning to coat it evenly.
10. Scrape the dough into the kugelhof mold and cover with a towel or buttered plastic wrap.
Let rise until doubled.
11. About 15 minutes before the dough is fully risen, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake the kugelhopf until it’s well-risen, and deep golden, about 40-45 minutes.

....bonne fin de semaine à tous, Leeann x

Cool the kugelhopf for 10 minutes, then unmold.

To make a nice, moist syrupy glaze; bring 1/3 cup of water and 1/3 cup of sugar to a boil. Remove from heat once the sugar is dissolved and add 1 ½ teaspoons orange flower water and 2 tablespoons finely ground almonds (optional, but good).
Liberally brush the syrup all over, on top of, and around the cake.
Cool completely before slicing and serving.