BREADS - GUGELHUPF

SPONGE

1 ¼ cups bread or all-purpose flour, approximately

1 package dry yeast

½ cup warm water (105-115F)

DOUGH

½ cup currants or raisins

¼ cup dry white wine

3 ½ cups bread or all-purpose flour, approximately

4 eggs, beaten, room temperature

2 tablespoons warm water (105-115)

1/3 cup sugar

2 teaspoons salt

½ cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature

1/3 cup sliced almonds, plus 24 whole almonds

1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar

BAKING PAN - One large 2-quart gugelhupf pan preferred, or 1 Bundt or angel food pan; if too much dough for the pan, have a small standby such as a large brioche or charlotte pan.

PREPARATION

To make the sponge, in a medium bowl measure 1 cup flour and add the yeast and warm water.  Beat by hand to fashion a rough ball of dough.  Add flour if the ball of dough is too sticky to shape, cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for a minimum of 6 hours, or overnight.  The sponge will spread across the bowl as it ferments and rises.

An hour or so before preparing the dough, soften and plump the currents or raisins in the white wine for about 1 hour.  Drain off the wine. 

MIXING

To make the dough, in a large mixing bowl or mixer pour 2 cups flour and fashion a well at the bottom.  Pour in the beaten eggs, warm water, sugar, and salt.  Slowly pull in flour from the sides while stirring with a large wooden spoon, or with the mixer flat beater.  Cut the butter into several pieces and drop into the egg-flour mixture.  Beat with 75 strong strokes, or for 2 minutes in the mixer.  Add additional flour to form a soft mass that can be worked with the hands or under the dough hook without sticking.

KNEADING

Uncover the sponge, stir or punch down, and turn onto a floured work surface.

Turn out the dough and pat and punch into a large flat oval.  If by hand, place the sponge in the center of the oval, fold the dough over the sponge, and knead together.  If using a mixer, drop the sponge into the bowl with the dough and knead together for about 10 minutes. 

The white sponge will gradually blend with the yellow eggy dough, as the two become a fine, elastic mass in about 10 minutes.  Add sprinkles of flour if needed.

Let the dough rest on the floured work surface.  Drain the currants and pat them dry on paper toweling.  Flatten the dough and drop the currants into the center.  Fold the dough over the currants and knead until the fruit is distributed evenly throughout, about 5 minutes.

FIRST RISING

Place the dough in a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and leave at room temperature until doubled in bulk, from 2 to 3 hours.  The dough takes a while to begin rising but then performs admirably in the latter stages.  (If prepared with the new fast-rising yeast and at the recommended higher temperature, reduce the rising times by about half.)

SHAPING

Turn back the plastic covering and punch down the dough with your outstretched fingers.  Before preparing the pan, experiment with the amount of dough needed to fill the mold to the halfway point.  At this point, you will know if an additional pan is necessary for the balance of the dough.  Put the dough aside for a moment.

With your fingers, smear the mold with a liberal film of cold butter to which the almonds will cling.  Push the almond slices against the walls of the pan.  Place the whole almonds uniformly along the bottom.  Reserve some almonds if an additional pan is necessary.

Flatten the ball of dough into an oval roughly the diameter of the pan.  With your fingers, tear and fashion a hole in the center through which the pan tube will slip.  Drop the dough into place in the pan and push down with your fingers.

Butter an overflow pan, if you are using one, and place almonds against the sides of the pan.  Put the dough in the pans, as above.

SECOND RISING

Tear a hole in a length of wax paper and fit over the pan’s tube.  Put aside for the dough to rise to the edge of the pan at room temperature, about 1 hour.

PREHEAT

Preheat the oven to 400F about 20 minutes before baking.

BAKING

Place the pans on the middle shelf.  Midway during baking, change the positions of the pans so they heat evenly.

A small loaf may be baked in 40 minutes.  Check with a metal skewer or wooden pick to determine if done.  Test a larger loaf in about 1 hour.  Loaves should have a deep brown crust.

Many gugelhupf pans are made with shiny metal, which makes it difficult to achieve a deep brown crust.  If necessary remove the loaf from the pan and return to the oven for 5 to 8 minutes for a deeper tan.  (If using a convection oven, reduce heat 50F.)

FINAL STEP

Remove the bread from the oven (and from its pan) and place on a metal rack to cool.  While it may be served as soon as it is cool, boulangers suggest allowing the bread to mature for 1 or 2 days before cutting. 

Sprinkle the loaf with the confectioners’ sugar.  It makes a handsome piece for a special breakfast, brunch, or buffet.

From Bernard Clayton’s New Complete Book of Breads.