You will need:
- 500 g of flour with W300 strength
- 150 g of milk
- 100 g of sugar
- 175 g of whole eggs
- 175 g of butter
- 20 g of fresh East or (100g sourdough starter + 3g of fresh east)
- 10 g of salt
- 1 vanilla pod
- 25 g of Rum for maceration
- 25 g of Rum for the final dough (OPTIONAL)
- 150 g of sultana raisins
- optional peeled almonds for decoration
- optional powdered sugar for decoration
If you choose the version with ourdough starter, refresh it early in the morning and use it at twice its volume. The ingredients should be at room temperature, and the butter should be soft (like a cream).
Soak the raisins in Rum for about 90 minutes, drain them, and let them dry well on absorbent paper.
In the mixer or stand mixer bowl, place all the flour, milk, and brewer’s yeast (add ourdough starter if you choose this route). Allow the ingredients to absorb well until they compact, and the dough feels tenacious to the touch.
Now, proceed with the eggs in about 3 times, add the next dose only when the previous one has been absorbed.
Next, add the sugar in three portions: touch the dough, and when you no longer feel the sugar, it means it has dissolved, and you can add the next portion. At full development, add the salt, and then the butter with the scraped vanilla pod, also in 3 or 4 portions. Once everything has been absorbed, consider whether or not to add the Rum. In my opinion, my dough still seemed to need more liquid, so I dared to add it.
Finally, add the raisins and let them blend in just enough. Do not prolong this phase too much and try to finish the dough warm, between 25 and 26°C (not more, though). Place the dough on a buttered surface, perform two folds and one rounding, and place it in a large, buttered container.
Let the dough rise at a constant temperature of 26°C for the first rise. If you don’t have a proofing box, preheat the oven with the light on to 28°C and then turn it off. During this phase, the dough should not double in volume but should only start fermenting, so make a mark and when it has grown by about 1.5 to 2 cm, take it.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and lightly round it, without applying excessive tension. The dough will be very delicate and full of gas, so handle it with care. Leave it on the counter for 15 minutes, and in the meantime, butter the mold thoroughly. If you want to put the almonds in the bottom recesses, do it now and moisten them lightly.
Now, with buttered hands, pierce the center of the dough and widen the hole with your hands. Lift it and place it in the mold. It will be puffy, so use your fingers to bring the dough as low as possible.
Place the mold with the dough at 26°C and let it rise to the edge; it will take about an hour for the preparation with only east and about 2 to 2.5 hours for the mixed version.
Preheat the oven to 180°C in static mode and bake the cake for about 40-45 minutes. Insert a probe when there are 5 minutes left in the baking time, and take it out when it reaches 93-94°C at the center.
Only when the mold is completely cool, turn it upside down and remove the Kougelhopf.
Store it in a tightly closed plastic wrap and away from damp sources. Consume it within 7 days. If you don’t have a specific mold, you can use a bundt cake pan with high sides or a pandoro mold.
