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This week’s Tuesdays with Dorie pick was either the best I could have started out with, or the worst, depending on how you look at it. On the one hand, it got me to try a delicious recipe that I most likely never would have otherwise; you know those recipes that you just flip past in cookbooks? On the other hand, it was so time and labor intensive, at one point I got supremely frustrated with its difficulty and debated waiting until the following week to make my TWD debut. In the end though, I was so happy with the way it turned out, and how delicious it tasted.

I started the bread late on Friday night, after I got home from work at about 9 pm. After waiting for the dough to climb up the mixer hook for what seemed like forever, I got scared, and just stopped. I only slapped the dough twice over an hour–I was so exhausted I pretty much gave up, put the dough in the refrigerator and hoped for the best.

When I woke up on Saturday, I put somehow managed to mold the dough, now very tough, it into my Bundt pan. When I realized that it wouldn’t rise on its own, I set it on top of a warm oven for three hours.

Considering how much time went into the dough, I thought it was classic that it only took a total of about 25 minutes to bake–10 minutes without foil and 15 minutes with. And even then, when I took my bread out, it looked overbaked! I’m not sure if the crust was supposed to be that crusty…but I definitely didn’t expect it.

I made a few adjustments to the original recipe. Unlike a lot of posters, I love raisins, so I added some extra to the dough. On top of that, I boozed up them up, soaking them in Frangelico for well over the required two minutes :) For the bread itself, I used SmartBalance instead of butter, and subbed a little bit of the whole wheat flour for the AP flour.

A couple thoughts on baking the Kugelhopf:

• I should have either bought the Kugelhopf pan or baked the it in a smaller pan. My 10-12 cup capacity Bundt pan was way too big–the dough never rose to the top of the pan, resulting in a squat-looking loaf.
• I should have checked on the bread in the oven even earlier than I did. I let left it in for the exact 10 minutes for the first bake without the foil, and then for another 15 with the foil. The bread just seemed way too crusty.
• I really need to buy a pastry brush. Because I didn’t have one, I sort of mopped the melted SmartBalance on the bread with a paper towel. Definitely didn’t get into the nooks and crannys the way a brush would have.
• This definitely should be eaten with jam or jelly. I thought it was good enough on its own, but when I tried it with strawberry jam, it was absolutely delicious. Very light, flaky, buttery and chewy.

My adaptation of Dorie’s recipe is below, but if you want Dorie’s original, head over to Yolanda’s blog, The All-purpose Girl. And be sure to check out how other Tuesdays with Dorie bakers did on this challenge!

I’m so happy that I made the October 31 cutoff to join Tuesdays with Dorie. I adore Dorie Greenspan—especially when she talks with Lynne Rosetto Kasper on The Splendid Table—so I’m glad to be a part of this amazing group. Can’t wait for next week’s recipe!

Recipe: Kugelhopf
Adapted from Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan
Makes 8 servings

• 1/3 cup moist, plump raisins
• 1/2 cup Frangelico (any dark, sweet liqueur would work)
• Scant 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1/3 cup just-warm-to-the-touch whole milk
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 large egg yolk
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 8 tablespoons Smart Balance 50/50 Butter Blend, at room temperature
• 4 tablespoons Smart Balance 50/50 Butter Blend
• Turbinado sugar, for dusting

Soak the raisins in Frangelico for at least 10 minutes, or until raisins have absorbed the liqueur and plumped up. Drain the raisins and pat them dry.

Whisk the flours together in a bowl. Put the yeast and milk in the bowl of a stand mixer and, using a wooden spoon, stir until the yeast is dissolved. Add the flour and salt and stir just to moisten the flour—don’t be concerned, the mixture will be shaggy and there may be dry patches.

In a small bowl, beat the eggs and yolk together lightly with a fork. Fit the mixer with the dough hook, if you have one, and, working on low speed, pour in the beaten eggs, mixing until they are incorporated. Add the sugar, increase the mixer speed to medium-high, and beat until the dough comes together and smoothes out a little, about 5 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and add the butter in 4 to 6 additions, squeezing each piece to soften it before adding it and beating until each one is almost fully incorporated before adding the next.

When the butter is blended in, the dough will be very soft. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and beat, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and climbs up the hook, about 10 minutes. Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir in the raisins. Scrape the dough into a clean bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until nearly doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours. (The length of time will depend on the warmth of your room.)

Deflate the dough by lifting it up around the edges and letting it fall back with a slap into the bowl. Cover the bowl again and put it in the refrigerator. Slap the dough down in the bowl every 30 minutes until it stops rising, about 2 hours. Then, if you have the time, let the dough rest in the refrigerator overnight. (The dough can be wrapped tightly and refrigerated for up to 2 days.)

Generously butter a Bundt pan (make sure it’s no more than 8-to-9-cup capacity) and put the chilled dough in the pan. Cover the pan lightly with buttered parchment or wax paper and let the dough rise in a warm place until it comes almost to the top of the pan, 2 to 3 hours.

When the dough has almost fully risen, center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).

Remove the paper and bake the kugelhopf for 10 minutes. Cover the pan loosely with a foil tent and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until the kugelhopf is golden brown and has risen to the top — or, more likely, over the top — of the pan. Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with foil and place a rack over it. Remove the kugelhopf from the oven and unmold it on the rack.

Melt the butter and gently brush the hot cake with it, allowing the butter to soak into the cake. Sprinkle the hot cake lightly with sugar and cool it to room temperature.