Recipe By : Michel Roux & Albert Roux
Serving Size : 16 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : French
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
Dough:
25 g Fresh yeast (1 oz)
120 ml Milk (4 oz) -- boiled,
- cooled to lukewarm
15 g Fine salt (1/2 oz)
500 g Flour (1 lb 2 oz)
6 Eggs
350 g Butter (12 oz)
75 g Sugar (3 oz)
Filling:
200 g Raisins (7 oz)
3 tb Rum
100 g Whole almonds (4 oz) --
- skinned, very light toasted
1 Egg yolk -- mixed with:
1 tb Milk
Butter -- for the mould
Icing sugar -- for dusting
Equipment:
1 kouglof mold (3.5 l), 6 pints, or two 1.75 l.
Traditionally, Kouglof (also spelt Kugelhopf or gougelhopf) is
baked in a tall, fluted mold. A savarin or baba mould can be used
instead.
Dough:
Put the yeast and the milk in the bowl of your mixer and beat
lightly. Add the salt, then the flour and the eggs. Switch the
mixer on to medium speed and work the mixture with the dough hook
for about 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic with
plenty of body. If you are making it by hand, use a spatula and
work the dough for about 20 minutes.
Mix together the butter and sugar, reduce the speed of the mixer to
low and add the butter mixture to the dough, a little at a time,
working the dough continuously. When all the butter is
incorporated, increase the speed and mix for 8 to 10 minutes in the
mixer or about 15 minutes by hand, until the dough is very smooth
and glossy. It should be supple and fairly elastic and will be
coming away from the sides of the bowl.
Cover the dough with a baking sheet and leave it in a warm place
(about 24°C/75°F) for 2 hours, until it has doubled in bulk.
Knock back the dough by punching it with your fist not more than 2
or 3 times. Cover it with a baking tray and refrigerate for at
least 4 hours, but not loner than 24 hours.
Raisins:
Put the raisins in a bowl with the rum, cover with cling film and
leave to macerate for several hours.
Moulding:
Generously butter the mould and place 1/3rd of the almonds in the
bottom of the ridges.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled dough into a
narrow rectangle long enough to line the bottom of the mould. Chop
the remaining almonds and strew them and the rum-soaked raisins
over the dough. Roll out the dough into a fat sausage shape,
pressing it firmly together. Arrange it round the bottom of the
mould and press down lightly. Seal the two edges together with a
very little egg yolk-milk-mixture. Leave in a warm place (about
25°C/77°F) for about 2-1/2 hours, until the dough has risen to
3/4ths fill the mould.
Preheat the oven to 210°C/425°F.
Bake the kouglof in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, then lower
the temperature to 200°C/400°F and cook for another 35 minutes. If
it is becoming to brown towards the end, cover it with grease-proof
paper. Invert the hot kouglof on to a wire rack, carefully remove
the mould and return it to the oven for 5 minutes so that the
centre finishes cooking and becomes ligthly coloured. Leave to cool
for at leat 2 hours before serving.
Serving:
Lightly sprinkle with icing sugar.
Kouglof freezes very well once cooked. Wrap in a plastic bag and
freeze; it will keep for several weeks. Be sure to take it out of
the freezer 2 or 3 hours before serving.
