Kugelhupf

Discover the history of Kugelhupf.

1. Brioche Dough

   • 360 g of strong flour
   • 180 g of whole milk
   • 150 g of butter
   • 60 g of egg (1 unit)
   • 55 g of vanilla sugar or white sugar
   • 10 g of fresh yeast
   • 7 g of salt

   • In the stand mixer bowl, start by mixing the flour, eggs, milk, sugar, fresh yeast, and salt until all the ingredients are combined.
   • Next, knead at medium speed for 10 minutes until the flour develops gluten and becomes elastic.
   • Then, gradually add cold butter in small pieces and knead for another 10 minutes until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and becomes smooth, shiny, and uniform.
   • Afterwards, transfer the dough to your work surface, shape it into a ball, and place it in the fridge overnight.
   • Letting our dough ferment in the cold slows down the rising process but makes it more consistent over time, resulting in better flavour development and a superior crumb texture once baked.

2. Macerated Fruits

   • 75 g of candied orange
   • 75 g of raisins
   • 30 g of dark rum
   • 30 g of kirsch
   • 12 g of white sugar

   • Start by heating the rum and kirsch in a glass in the microwave.
   • Next, add the sugar and mix until it is completely dissolved.
   • Then, pour it over the raisins and the candied orange, chopped into small pieces of about 5 mm, and mix well.
   • Set aside for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight.

3. Orange Glaze (optional)

   • 60 g of water
   • 30 g of orange syrup or orange juice
   • 30 g of white sugar
   • 10 g of orange blossom water

   • In a saucepan, heat the water with the sugar until dissolved.
   • Then, turn off the heat and add the syrup used to preserve the candied orange, if available, or orange juice otherwise, along with the orange blossom water.
   • Set aside.

4. Assembly

   • Raw almonds with skin
   • 30 g of butter
   • 30 g of powdered sugar

   • Once the dough has rested overnight, take it out of the fridge and turn it onto your lightly floured work surface.
   • Deflate the dough, stretch it out, and place the drained fruit maceration on top. Knead until the fruit is evenly distributed throughout the dough.
   • Shape it into a ball, pierce the centre with your fingers, and stretch the dough to form a ring.
   • Grease your Kugelhupf or bundt cake pan and place some almonds into the indentations at the bottom.
   • Next, place the dough into the mould and let it proof until it triples in size. The time required will depend on the dough's conditions and can take between 2 and 3 hours.
   • The optimal fermentation temperature for this dough is 27ºC. If you do not have a proofing chamber, you can create a similar environment by placing a pot of boiling water in your switched-off oven. This will help achieve the right temperature and humidity for proper fermentation.
   • Now, bake with top and bottom heat for 40 minutes at 180ºC.
   • Once baked, remove the Kugelhupf from the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes. Then, turn it onto a wire rack and carefully remove it from the mould. Allow it to cool completely.
   • Once cooled, apply a thin layer of softened butter, at room temperature, using a kitchen brush over the entire surface.
   • Place it in the fridge to harden the butter for about 15 minutes.
   • This step is recommended as the hardened butter acts as a protective layer, helping to keep the Kugelhupf fresh and tender for longer.
   • Next, remove it from the fridge and dust a generous amount of powdered sugar over the Kugelhupf.
   • Store in a cool, dry place and cover with cling film to maintain its moist and tender texture for longer.

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