Christmas Calendar 2015 - Saffron Christmas kougelhopf

Using the very last portion of the kougelhopf flour mix left from my Summer vacation to Alsace, I decided to twist my Christmas kougelhopf with another Christmas flavour in form of saffron. It turned to be a excellent taste combination :-)


Saffron Christmas kougelhopf: - 1 cake

• 250 g kougelhopf flour mix
• 40 g sultana raisins
• 1/4 teaspoon saffron
• 10 g sugar
• 12 g fresh yeast
• 120 g water
• almonds for top decoration
• Icing sugar - optional

1. Dissolve the yeast in the water in the mixing bowl.
2. Grinding the saffron and sugar together in the morter. Mix into the yeast liquid.
3. Add in the flour mix, knead the dough on stand alone mixer, first 3 minutes on speed 1 followed by 10 minutes on speed 4.
4. Add in the raisins and knead until they are distributed homogeneously in the dough.
5. Let the dough raise at 20'C for 1 hour.
6. Place almonds in the bottom of the kougelhopf form. Place the dough in the form on top of the almonds.
7. Let the dough raise in the form at 30'C for 1½ hour.
8. Heat up the oven (conventional) to 160'C.
9. Bake the kougelhopf in the lower of the oven at 160'C for 50-60 minutes.
10. Cool down the cake, before it is removed from the form.
11. Before serving the kougelhopf sprinkle it with icing sugar.