Breads Recipes - Kugelhopf

Ingredients

• 100g raisins

• 15ml Kirsch or brandy

• 15ml easy-blend dried yeast

• 120ml lukewarm water

• 115g unsalted butter, at room temperature

• 90g sugar

• 3 eggs, at room temperature granted rind of 1 lemon

• 5ml salt

• 2.5ml vanilla essence

• 425g strong white flour

• 120ml milk

• 25g flaked almonds

• 80g generous

• 1/2 whole blanched almonds, chopped icing sugar, for dusting.

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Method:

1. In a bowl, combine the raisins and Kirsch or brandy. Combine the yeast and water, stir and leave for 15 minutes.

2. Cream the butter and sugar until thick and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add the lemon rind, salt and vanilla. Stir in the yeast mixture. Add the flour, alternating with the  milk, until well blended. Cover and leave to rise in a warm  place until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.

3. Grease a 2.75 liter / 4.5 pint cup kugelhopf mould, then sprinkle the flaked almonds evenly over the base. Work the raisins and chopped almonds into the dough, then spoon into the mould. Cover with a polythene bag, and leave to rise in a warm place until the dough almost reaches the top of the tin, about 1 hour.

4. Preheat the oven to 180'C/350"F/Gas 4. Bake until golden brown, about 45 minutes. If the top browns too quickly, cover with foil. Cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then turn out on to a wire rack Dust the top lightly with icing sugar.