Ingredients:
1/2 cup seedless raisins (dry)
2 Tbs Kirsh or Rhum (and hot water)
2 envelopes of dry yeast
1 cup milk, but lukewarm
1 pinch of salt
3 tablespoons sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 small eggs
4 oz unsalted butter, softened
confectionners' sugar
Directions
Legend says that the Kugelhopf was a gift from the Three Magis coming back from Bethlehem 2000 years ago...
To succeed in the making this recipe, first soak the raisins in hot water and add the Kirsh or Rhum (optional). Set
aside for 30 minutes.
Mix the yeast, 1 tablespoon of sugar, salt, 1/2 cup of milk (lukewarm) and 5 to 6 Tbs of the flour in a bowl
until you obtain a soft dough.
Cover the bowl with a clean towel and put it aside in a warm place for 25 minutes. The paste should double in volume.
In another bowl, mix the remaining flour, salt, 2 Tbs of sugar, the 2 eggs and add the rest of the lukewarm milk - 1/2 cup.
Work this dough with your fingertips vigorously.
Add the butter into the paste and resume working the dough with your fingertips for a few minutes. ideally, the dough stop
sticking to your fingers.
Add the yeast mixture prepared before and work the two together.
Drain the raisins and mix them into the dough.
Knead the dough for a good 5 minutes, let sit for a few minutes, and knead again.
Butter a 8-cup Kugelhopf mold or any mold for cake you have!
Optionally, you may put an almond in each groove of the mold.
Put the dough inside the mold equally and let the dough rise in a warm place for one hour.
Put the mold in a pre-heated oven (350 degrees) for 50 minutes until the top is brown.
Remove from the mold upside-down and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar before serving.
This recipe is given by the excellent Alsatian restaurant
"Sandrine's Bistro". Click here to learn more...
Bon Appétit!
