”Kougelhopf is a traditional bread from the Alsace region of France and is similar to a brioche but made in a distinctive, fluted tube pan and with more mix-ins. The true origins of the bread are hard to trace, but it is popular across Germany, Switzerland, and France. Whilst it is made in many different variations, the most popular is made with almonds and dried fruit. My small-batch version sticks to raisins for the dried fruit and adds a splash of rum for a kick. Whilst many versions of the bread are finished with a generous dusting of confectioners’ sugar, I like to brush these mini loaves with a little melted butter and then coat them in granulated sugar, giving them an almost doughnut-like crust.” —Edd Kimber
Edd Kimber’s Small-Batch Kougelhopf
For the dough: Add the raisins, rum, and water to a small saucepan over medium heat, and cook until almost all the liquid has cooked off and the raisins are plump. Remove from heat, and let the raisins with liquid cool to room temperature. (If you want more of a boozy note, you can simply cover the raisins in the rum and leave for a day or so to allow them to soak up the rum slowly.)
Add the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer, and whisk together to combine. Pour in the milk and egg, and beat on medium-low speed using the dough hook until a shaggy dough is formed. Scrape dough hook and bottom and sides of bowl. With the mixer on medium-low speed, knead the dough for 12 to 15 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
With the mixer still running, add the butter one piece at a time. Continue beating the dough for up to another 10 minutes or until the butter has fully been incorporated and the dough is once again smooth and elastic.
Tip in the orange zest and the soaked raisins with liquid, and knead just until evenly distributed throughout the dough. Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, and form into a ball. Place the dough into a lightly greased bowl, cover, and set aside for about an hour or until doubled in size.
Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, and divide into 6 portions (about 100 grams each). Form each piece of dough into a neat ball, cover, and leave whilst you prepare your pan.
Lightly grease a 6-well mini Bundt pan with a little softened butter or baking spray with flour.
Using your fingers or the end of a wooden spoon, poke a small hole through the middle of each ball of dough, as if making a bagel, and place in the prepared pan. Loosely cover the pan with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel, and set aside until doubled in size, 30 to 45 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
Bake for about 10 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool in the pan for a few minutes, and then carefully invert them onto a wire rack to cool enough so you can handle them.
For the coating: Brush the kougelhopfs with melted butter, and then roll in sugar to coat them entirely. Best served warm. These will keep for 2 to 3 days in a sealed container.
Source: https://www.bakefromscratch.com/category/recipes/bread/feed/
