Kouglof

A yeasted sweet loaf whose mould is buttered and lined with almonds before any dough goes in, because that is the only decoration it has.

Egg. Vegetarian, but not vegan — contains egg, dairy (butter), dairy (milk).

Ingredients

• 500 g strong white flour
• 100 g caster sugar
• 10 g salt
• 10 g fast-action yeast
• 3 eggs
• 200 ml warm milk
• 200 g butter, softened
• 200 g raisins
• 4 tablespoons kirsch or warm tea
• 30 whole blanched almonds
• 50 g butter, melted, for the mould
• icing sugar, to finish

Method

1. THE MOULD IS BUTTERED AND ALMONDED, AND THE ALMONDS GO IN BEFORE THE DOUGH. One whole almond pressed into the butter at the bottom of each flute, all the way round, and then the dough goes on top of them. Turned out, they sit proud at the top of every ridge and they are the only decoration this cake has. Scattered on afterwards they fall off; stirred into the dough they vanish.
2. AND THE MOULD IS BUTTERED HEAVILY AND COLD. Melted butter brushed into every flute, then the mould CHILLED so the butter sets before the dough goes in. A warm greased mould sheds its butter down the sides as the dough proves, and a kouglof that sticks cannot be rescued -- the whole shape is the point.
3. THE RAISINS ARE SOAKED AND DRAINED, as on the pain aux raisins page here, and for the same reason both ways.
4. IT IS A BRIOCHE-RICH DOUGH, so the butter goes in AFTER the dough is developed, exactly as the brioche page sets out. The same fault waits here: butter into an underdeveloped dough and it is a heavy cake.
5. IT IS PROVED TO THE TOP OF THE MOULD AND NO FURTHER. Over-proved, it rises over the rim, then collapses and tears away from the flutes as it cools.
6. Raisins covered with the kirsch or tea 30 minutes, then DRAINED and dried on a cloth.
7. Flour, sugar, salt and yeast in a mixer bowl. Eggs and warm milk added and beaten with a dough hook 8 minutes until smooth and elastic.
8. The softened butter added a little at a time, 8 minutes more, until glossy and leaving the bowl.
9. The raisins folded through on the lowest speed.
10. Risen covered 1 hour 30 minutes until doubled, then knocked back and chilled 1 hour, which makes it possible to handle.
11. The mould brushed thoroughly with melted butter and CHILLED 15 minutes. One almond pressed into the base of each flute.
12. The dough shaped into a ring and lowered in over the almonds, seam down, filling the mould about halfway.
13. Proved 1 hour 30 minutes until it reaches the TOP of the mould. Not above it.
14. Baked at 180C for 40 to 45 minutes, covered with foil after 25. Turned out at once, cooled, and dusted heavily with icing sugar.

Our own recipe. This one was written for this site rather than taken from anywhere, so there is no source to point you at. The quantities and the order of the steps are choices, not the only way to do it.

Filed under France · All recipes