KOUGELHOPF
Servings
8
Servings
8
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. In a small saucepan, bring the rum to a simmer, add the apricots, and stir. Remove from the heat, cover, and soak for 30 minutes. Transfer to the refrigerator to cool.
  2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast on the lowest speed to combine. Add the milk, then the eggs, one at a time, allowing the dough to start gathering between additions.
  3. Increase the speed one level to knead for about 5 minutes, until it resembles a sticky dough that pulls from the sides of the bowl and gathers around the hook. Continue kneading until the dough becomes slightly warm, another 5 minutes.
  4. Add the butter a few cubes at a time, allowing it to be absorbed into the dough after each addition. Continue kneading the dough until homegeneous and it begins to pull from the sides of the bowl, about 8 minutes.
  5. Strain the apricots and add them to the dough with ½ cup of the pistachios. Mix just to combine.
  6. Grease a large bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Scrape the dough into the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. It should rise by about one-third.
  7. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease a 9½-inch-diameter (3-quart) kougelhopf mold or Bundt cake pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line the grooves inside the bottom of the pan with the remaining pistachios. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and shape into a smooth ball by rolling it between the palms of your hands. Poke a hole into the center of the dough and set inside the prepared mold. Set in a warm area (about 78°F), such as near the oven, and cover with a damp cloth. Allow the dough to rise to the rim of the mold, about 2 hours.
  8. Bake for 10 minutes, turn the pan 180 degrees, and continue baking for 10 more minutes, or until a thin knife or cake tester inserted into the thickest part of the dough comes out clean. Remove from the oven and immediately invert the kugelhopf onto a cooling rack. Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm or at room temperature. Serve with ice cream, if desired.