Gingerbread Kougelhopf
I first discovered kougelhopf in Strasbourg when I visited the Christmas markets there with my friend Xanthe. In one tent, an elderly gentleman demonstrated how to make and fill a traditional kougelhopf. The shape of this enriched dough is said to be inspired by the turbans worn by the Three Wise Men who, legend has it, passed through Alsace on their way back from visiting Jesus in Bethlehem. Most kougelhopf recipes are not the filled version, but I wanted to replicate the one I had seen during my trip, so this is my closest approximation. If you want the flavour without the faff, you could use shop-bought gingerbread rather than baking your own. Likewise, if you don't have a kougelhopf/bundt tin, simply make these into buns as you would cinnamon buns/rolls.
This kougelhopf is perfect for Christmas breakfast or afternoon tea, with a glass of chilled Alsace wine. I hope you give it a go: as it bakes in the oven, I promise it will fill your kitchen with festivity.
This recipe makes one kougelhopf, with a few off-cuts for rolls. Alternatively, you could make approximately 12 cinnamon-bun style rolls.
Ingredients
For the kougelhopf
For the filling
Equipment
Method
1. The day before, prepare the filling: in a medium bowl, break the gingerbread up so it resembles breadcrumbs. Mix it with the egg yolks, single cream, and cinnamon. Cover it and put it in the fridge.
I first discovered kougelhopf in Strasbourg when I visited the Christmas markets there with my friend Xanthe. In one tent, an elderly gentleman demonstrated how to make and fill a traditional kougelhopf. The shape of this enriched dough is said to be inspired by the turbans worn by the Three Wise Men who, legend has it, passed through Alsace on their way back from visiting Jesus in Bethlehem. Most kougelhopf recipes are not the filled version, but I wanted to replicate the one I had seen during my trip, so this is my closest approximation. If you want the flavour without the faff, you could use shop-bought gingerbread rather than baking your own. Likewise, if you don't have a kougelhopf/bundt tin, simply make these into buns as you would cinnamon buns/rolls.
This kougelhopf is perfect for Christmas breakfast or afternoon tea, with a glass of chilled Alsace wine. I hope you give it a go: as it bakes in the oven, I promise it will fill your kitchen with festivity.
This recipe makes one kougelhopf, with a few off-cuts for rolls. Alternatively, you could make approximately 12 cinnamon-bun style rolls.
Ingredients
For the kougelhopf
- 250ml semi-skimmed milk
- 60g butter, cut into small cubes
- 80g caster sugar
- 1 generous pinch of salt
- 4.5g fast action dried yeast
- 500g T45 flour (I used Shipton Mill’s Cake & Pastry Flour but you could use Type 00 Italian flour; avoid strong white bread flour – you need a soft wheat, light, finely ground flour for this recipe)
- 1 free-range egg
For the filling
- 200g gingerbread/pain d’épices (preferably on the stale side) – I used my homemade gingerbread but you could use shop-bought. If you’re making this from scratch, I recommend this recipe here.
- 2 egg yolks
- 60g single cream
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 60g dark chocolate
Equipment
- 1 standard-size kougelhopf tin (I use Nordic Ware) brushed with butter and sprinkled with flour, and a baking tray lined with parchment OR, if you’re making rolls instead…
- Two baking trays lined with parchment
Method
1. The day before, prepare the filling: in a medium bowl, break the gingerbread up so it resembles breadcrumbs. Mix it with the egg yolks, single cream, and cinnamon. Cover it and put it in the fridge.
2. For the kougelhopf, warm the milk in a saucepan until it is just warm (it’s important it’s not hot otherwise it will kill the yeast). Sprinkle the yeast on top, and mix it lightly (it will clump a little; don’t worry about this).
3. Put 375g of the flour in a large bowl and, on top, place the butter, sugar and salt. Pour the milk-yeast mixture over this gradually and mix together.
4. Add the egg to this dough and mix again. Then, add the rest of the flour (125g) and mix again.
4. Add the egg to this dough and mix again. Then, add the rest of the flour (125g) and mix again.
5. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead the dough for approximately 8 minutes until it’s smooth and elastic.
6. Return the dough to the bowl and cover it with a clean tea towel. Leave it in a warm place to double in size. Due to the butter in the dough, this will take longer than it does for normal bread. Allow 2-3 hours; check it around 1h30 to see how it’s getting on. Towards the end of the prove, remove the filling from the fridge (this will make it easier to spread later on).
7. When it’s doubled in size, remove the dough and stretch it on a floured surface into a rectangle measuring approximately 20 x 40cm. You could use a rolling pin if you prefer, but doing it by hand gives you decent control of the shape of the dough (just make sure the dough ends up the same thickness throughout).
8. Spread the filling mixture over the dough, leaving a centimetre or so around the edge. Then, cut the chocolate into small pieces and sprinkle them over the filling.
6. Return the dough to the bowl and cover it with a clean tea towel. Leave it in a warm place to double in size. Due to the butter in the dough, this will take longer than it does for normal bread. Allow 2-3 hours; check it around 1h30 to see how it’s getting on. Towards the end of the prove, remove the filling from the fridge (this will make it easier to spread later on).
7. When it’s doubled in size, remove the dough and stretch it on a floured surface into a rectangle measuring approximately 20 x 40cm. You could use a rolling pin if you prefer, but doing it by hand gives you decent control of the shape of the dough (just make sure the dough ends up the same thickness throughout).
8. Spread the filling mixture over the dough, leaving a centimetre or so around the edge. Then, cut the chocolate into small pieces and sprinkle them over the filling.
9. Roll up carefully from the longest edge. Use a tiny amount of the leftover egg whites to secure down the edges.
10. Shape it into a ring shape. Depending on the actual size of your kougelhopf tin, you will probably need to cut it to fit the tin. Place it carefully into the kougelhopf tin and gently shake it to make sure it’s touching the bottom of the tin.
11. Divide the off-cut up into smaller pieces to make buns. You can put these straight onto a baking tray or you could stand them upright, like cinnamon buns.
12. Cover the kougelhopf again with a clean tea towel and leave to double in size again (approximately 2 hours).
10. Shape it into a ring shape. Depending on the actual size of your kougelhopf tin, you will probably need to cut it to fit the tin. Place it carefully into the kougelhopf tin and gently shake it to make sure it’s touching the bottom of the tin.
11. Divide the off-cut up into smaller pieces to make buns. You can put these straight onto a baking tray or you could stand them upright, like cinnamon buns.
12. Cover the kougelhopf again with a clean tea towel and leave to double in size again (approximately 2 hours).
13. Pre-heat the oven to 150°C and, when the oven has reached temperature, bake the kougelhopf at this temperature for 7 minutes. Then, turn up the heat to 180°C and bake for 30 minutes.
14. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool in the tin for 20 minutes. Then, place the upside of the wire rack on the kougelhopf and flip it over, removing the tin gently to reveal the kougelhopf.
15. Once fully cooled, dust the kougelhopf with icing sugar (mixed with cinnamon, if you’d like).