Kugelhopf

Why this recipe works Kugelhopf is a festive, crown-shaped yeasted bread traditionally baked in a heavy earthenware mold. One legend suggests it originated in the Alsatian village of Ribeauvillé, when the Three Kings presented it to a local baker named Kügel, who had hosted them. Other histories point to origins in Vienna, where bakers may have made the bread in the shape of a sultan’s turban to celebrate the defeat of the Turks by Hapsburg forces in 1683. For our version, we set out to make a kirsch-scented, raisin- and dried cherry–studded, almond crusted Kugelhopf typical of Alsace. Classic Alsatian recipes we tested yielded dense, somewhat dry breads that we needed to dunk in coffee or wine to fully enjoy. Several modern versions we tasted were sweeter, airier, moister, and even doughnut-like. Our goal was to develop a Kugelhopf recipe that would please traditional and modern palates alike—not too sweet, yeasty and a tad boozy, light but not fluffy, chewy yet soft, rich but not heavy. Many traditional recipes call for a sponge—a mixture of yeast, flour, and liquid that ferments seprarately and is added to the dough—for flavor, but we found that allowing our dough to ferment slowly (up to 2½ hours) during the initial rise, and folding the dough upon itself twice during that time to redistribute and stimulate the yeast, gave our bread plenty of heady flavor. Adding just the right amount of cherry brandy augmented this complexity. We tested our way through hydration levels and amounts of sugar, butter, and eggs until we landed on the perfect formula to yield a delicate yet satisfying texture and a moderate level of richness. We developed this recipe using our favorite 12-cup Bundt pan, however, we also like using a traditional 10-cup Kugelhopf pan. If using a Kugelhopf pan, the dough will rise ½ inch above the lip of the pan in step 7. We do not recommend mixing this dough by hand.

MAKES: 1 loaf

RISING TIME: 4 to 5 hours

BAKING TIME: 25 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 9¼ to 10¼ hours

KEY EQUIPMENT: stand mixer, 12-cup nonstick Bundt pan, instant-read thermometer

INGREDIENTS:

• ⅔ cup dried cherries, chopped coarse
• ⅓ cup golden raisins
• ¼ cup (2 ounces) kirsch or other cherry-flavored brandy
• 3½ cups (17½ ounces) all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ⅔ cup (5⅓ ounces) whole milk, room temperature
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 6 tablespoons (2⅔ ounces) granulated sugar
• 8 tablespoons (4 ounces) butter, softened
• ¼ cup sliced almonds
• confectioners’ sugar

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Microwave cherries, raisins, and kirsch in a covered bowl until steaming, about 1 minute. Let it sit until the cherries and raisins have softened, about 15 minutes. Drain the fruit and reserve the kirsch.
2. Whisk flour, yeast, and salt together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk milk, eggs, granulated sugar, and reserved kirsch in a 4-cup liquid measuring cup until the sugar has dissolved. Using the dough hook on low speed, slowly add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and mix until a cohesive dough starts to form and no dry flour remains, about 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed.
3. Increase the speed to medium-low and knead until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl but sticks to the bottom, about 5 minutes. With the mixer running, add butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, and knead until the butter is fully incorporated, about 4 minutes. Continue to knead until the dough is elastic and slightly sticky, about 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to low, add the fruit mixture, and mix until incorporated, about 1 minute. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased large bowl or container, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let it rise for 30 minutes.
4. Using a greased bowl scraper (or your fingertips), fold the dough over itself by gently lifting and folding the edge of the dough toward the middle. Turn the bowl 90 degrees and fold the dough again; repeat turning the bowl and folding the dough 2 more times (a total of 4 folds). Cover tightly with plastic and let it rise for 30 minutes. Fold the dough again, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic and let the dough rise until nearly doubled in size, for 1 to 1½ hours.
5. Grease a 12-cup nonstick Bundt pan and sprinkle the bottom with almonds. Press down on the dough to deflate it, then transfer it to a lightly floured counter. Using your lightly floured hands, press the dough into an 8-inch round.
6. Using your fingertips, press through and stretch the center of the dough to create a 2-inch hole.
7. Place the dough in the prepared pan and gently press it into an even thickness. Cover loosely with greased plastic and let it rise until the loaf is level with the lip of the pan, for 2 to 2½ hours.
8. Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake until golden brown and the loaf registers 190 to 195 degrees Fahrenheit, for 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking. Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert the loaf onto a wire rack and let it cool completely, for about 3 hours. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve.