Kouglof(Sweet brioche with raisins and almonds)

* Exported from MasterCook *

Kouglof (Sweet brioche with raisins and almonds)

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 16 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
-----EQUIPMENT-----
1 kouglof mold (1x3.5 litre/
-- 6 pints or 2x1.75 litre)
-- Traditionally, Kouglof
-- (also spelt Kugelhopf or
-- gougelhopf) is baked in a
-- tall, fluted mold.
-- A savarin or baba mould
-- can be used instead.
-----DOUGH-----
25 g Fresh yeast (1 oz)
120 ml Milk (4 fl oz), boiled and
-- 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
-- and very light toasted
1 Egg yolk mixed with 1 table-
-- spoon milk
Butter for the mould
Icing sugar for dusting

Preparation, 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.

Preparation, raisins:
Put the raisins in a bowl with the rum, cover with clingfilm and leave to
macerate for several hours.

Moulding
Generously butter the mould and place one-third 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 three-quarters fill the mould.
Preheat the oven to 220 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 greaseproof 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.
(The Roux Brothers, French country cooking, M Papermac, 1992, ISBN
0-333-57670-5)



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