The Kouglof, We don't know when and where it first appeared: Alsace, Austria, Poland... What is certain is that according to legends, its unique shape represents the turban of a Magi King. It is this shape that allows you to make very large brioches, the center of which is always well-cooked thanks to the “chimney” in the center of the mold.
Today I offer you a traditional Kouglof recipe on my blog! In a sweet version of course, since there is also a versionKouglof Rum-Vanilla With Citrus Syrup
There are many kouglof recipes, and often you end up with a brioche with a form of Kouglof. However, there is a difference in taste and texture. In my memories, it must have a stringy and dense crumb, whereas a Parisian brioche will be lighter and buttery.
I added a soaking syrup, which makes the crumb even softer. It's completely optional, it depends on your preferences. If you don't want to use kirsch in this syrup, you can replace it with orange blossom water.
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| Kouglof Recipe |
A traditional Kouglof Recipe for 6 to 8 people (22 cm kouglof mold)
Preparation: 30 min
Rest: 3 hours
Cooking: 45 min
Difficulty: Medium
Material :
A pastry robot
A kuglof mold of approximately 22 cm
Ingredients :
The kouglof dough:
60 g of raisins
300 g of type 45 flour
60 g of sugar
3 g of salt
100 g eggs (2 small eggs)
100 g of milk
10 g of fresh baker's yeast
90g butter
A handful of whole almonds
Icing sugar
Soaking syrup (optional):
50 g of water
30 g of sugar
10 g of Kirsch (optional)
Preparation :
The kouglof dough:
The day before, soak the raisins in water or kirsch (your choice).
In the mixer bowl fitted with the hook, mix the flour, sugar, eggs, milk, salt, and yeast (avoiding contact with the salt). So you should only be left with the butter.
Leave to knead at a slow speed until the mixture is hom*ogeneous.
Add the butter cut into pieces and let knead at medium speed for 20 min.
Unlike a brioche, the Kouglof dough is more humid, it will not come off the bowl and there will not be the characteristic snap when kneading a brioche.
Scrape the mixer bowl cleanly then place a film in contact with the dough. Leave to rest for 1 hour 30 minutes at room temperature.
Drain the raisins.
Once the resting time is over, add the drained raisins to your dough and mix again until the raisins are well distributed.
Grease your Kouglof mold with melted butter or oil, be generous so as not to have any unpleasant surprises when unmolding.
Place an almond in each groove at the bottom of your mold.
Place the dough on your work surface and fold the dough upwards to form a ball, then make a hole in the center. This is not easy because the dough sticks a lot, so don't try to have something perfect.
Place the dough in your mold, packing it well (to avoid air bubbles). The smooth part of your ball of dough should be in contact with the mold, the less attractive part with the folds facing up.
The chimney in the center of the mold must not be covered so that the air can circulate and cook your Kouglof correctly (if it becomes blocked during cooking, it does not matter).
Leave to rest again for 1 hour 30 minutes at room temperature, no need to cover your Kouglof, but avoid drafts.
Soaking syrup (optional):
Boil the water and sugar.
Remove from the heat, add the Kirsch.
Cooking Kouglof:
Preheat your oven to 170°C then bake your Kouglof for 45 min. You can cover it with aluminum foil halfway through cooking if the top browns too much. This cooking time is valid for a clay Kouglof mold, you will need to be careful if you use a silicone or metal mold, as the cooking time may be shorter.
Unmold your Kouglof onto a rack as soon as it comes out of the oven.
If you have chosen to make the syrup, soak it immediately (while it is still very hot) using a brush. Soak the entire kouglof well, paying particular attention to the lower part which is thicker.
The quantity of syrup is limited, the aim being of course not to make a baba!
Let cool and sprinkle with icing sugar.
Tips and Advice to remember:
Same tip as for brioche: you can prepare and cook your Kouglof the day before and place it in an airtight container when it is still warm. You will then have a still-soft Kouglof for breakfast.
It is imperative to respect the 20 minutes of kneading, otherwise, you will not have a stringy crumb.
As is often the case, the secret is rest. Don't miss out on the growing time needed for a successful Kouglof!
When you pack the dough, be careful not to move it in the mold, you risk moving the almonds that you have placed at the bottom. You simply need to apply pressure from top to bottom on your dough.
It is important not to block the chimney of your mold. The dough will naturally cover it during cooking, guaranteeing you a beautiful result and perfect cooking in the center of the Kouglof.
