Kugelhopf

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Kugelhopf recipe with step-by-step photos. A kugelhopf is a yeasted bread, similar to a French brioche, which is perfect at breakfast or morning tea. Make this kugelhopf plain, with raisins or other dried fruits.

kugelhopf on wire rack with kugelhopf mould in background

What is a Kugelhopf?

A kugelhopf is a yeasted bread which has been baked in a special mold, and it is typically served at breakfast in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The taste and texture of a kugelhopf is quite similar to a French brioche, although the butter and sugar content can vary a bit between recipes.

Rather confusingly, many cakes in this region are also called Kugelhopf or Gugelhupf if they are baked in similar kugelhopf molds or bundt pans.

kugelhopf on wire rack with ceramic kugelhopf mould in background

Kugelhopf Cake

A traditional kugelhopf cake contains a small amount of dried fruit, which makes it an ideal bread for serving at breakfast or morning tea. You can either eat it plain, or spread it with some butter and/or jam.

Our local bakery sells a rather delicious kugelhopf cake on weekends, and what I find unusual about their loaf is that there is hardly any sugar in it. Hence, you do need a bit of jam on the side.

But over the years, I have tried various kugelhopf recipes and I think the following recipe is, hands down, the best I have ever tried. In fact, this kugelhopf is the best I have ever eaten.

kugelhopf on wire rack with slice of kugelhopf on plate with dollop of jam

Kugelhopf Recipe

The kugelhopf recipe below produces a cake which is much like a brioche, though less buttery and less sweet, and which, therefore, makes it very moreish.

Unlike some kugelhopf which need to rest for a few hours, or even a few days, before being consumed, this one can be eaten when still warm from the oven.

But it tastes just as lovely over the next few days, if you can manage to make it last for that long; my husband and I demolished this kugelhopf between ourselves within 24 hours.

I’m not a big fan of dried fruit in bread and cakes, but I do love prunes, and even more so when they are juicy and plump with liquor. Hence, the recipe below includes prunes in the kugelhopf, but feel free to substitute with other dried fruit of your choice, such as raisins or sultanas.

Types of Kugelhopf Molds

A kugelhopf is traditionally baked in a ceramic kugelhopf mold, but any bundt pan or brioche pan would also work.

If you canot find a ceramic kugelhopf mold, I would recommend using a non-stick bundt pan.

Where to Buy Kugelhopf Molds

Ceramic kugelhopf molds are commonly sold in the Alsace region of France, where kugelhopf is very popular and thought to have originated. You can find them in most tourist shops throughout the Alsace region, and they come in a variety of sizes and colours. Your main difficulty will be choosing just one!

Many ceramic kugelhopf molds come with a hole punched on the rim to allow you to hang them on the wall as a decorative item, but rest assured that you can also use them for baking.

ceramic kugelhopf molds in Alsace, France
{Ceramic kugelhopf moulds in Alsace, France}
ceramic kugelhopf molds in France
{Ceramic kugelhopf moulds in Alsace, France}
kugelhopf molds in Alsace, France
{Ceramic kugelhopf moulds in Alsace, France}

How to Make Kugelhopf

For a printable recipe, please scroll down.

ingredients for making kugelhopf
bowl of prunes soaked in armagnac
bowls of flour, sugar, salt and yeast
kitchenaid bowl with dry ingredients, bowl with egg, small jug of milk
incorporating butter into the kugelhopf dough
kugelhopf dough in bowl before proving
ceramic kugelhopf mould with whole almonds in the grooves of the mould
risen kugelhopf dough after proving
risen kugelhopf dough after proving with dried prunes about to be added
kugelhopf dough in ceramic kugelhopf mould
kugelhopf dough in mould with small dish of eggwash
risen kugelhopf dough in kugelhopf mould after proving
baked and golden kugelhopf in ceramic mould
baked and golden kugelhopf inverted on wire rack

More Breakfast Recipes

If you are looking for more breakfast recipes, you might also like:

Basic Crêpes Recipe

Best Scone Recipe

Bircher Muesli (Overnight Oats)

Easy Fluffy Pancakes

Raspberry Almond Scones

Print

Kugelhopf

kugelhopf

4.8 from 5 reviews

  • Resting Time: 2 hours
  • Author: Thanh | Eat, Little Bird
  • Prep Time: 30 mins
  • Cook Time: 30 mins
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: Serves 4-6
  • Category: Bread
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: French

Kugelhopf recipe with step-by-step photos. A kugelhopf is a yeasted bread, similar to a French brioche, which is perfect at breakfast or morning tea. Make this kugelhopf plain, with raisins or other dried fruits.

Ingredients

  • 70 g (2 1/2 oz) soft pitted prunes (or raisins or other dried fruit)
  • 50 ml (1/4 cup) Armagnac (or warm water)
  • 300 g (2 cups) strong white bread flour
  • 40 g (3 heaped tablespoons) sugar
  • 1 teaspoon fine salt
  • 5 g instant dried yeast (please see Kitchen Notes below)
  • 1 egg
  • 125 ml (1/2 cup) milk
  • 70 g (2/3 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 egg lightly beaten with 2 teaspoons milk
  • whole almonds

Instructions

To prepare the dried fruit

  1. If you are using prunes, chop the prunes into 1 cm pieces.
  2. Soak the prunes (or other dried fruit) in the Armagnac (or warm water), preferably overnight if they are really dry. Otherwise, soaking them for as long as it takes for the dough to rise should be sufficient.

To make the dough

  1. Place the flour, sugar, salt and yeast into the bowl of an electric stand mixer and attach the dough hook.
  2. Add the egg and milk, and mix on medium speed for 6-8 minutes, or until the dough is soft, smooth and elastic in texture.
  3. With the motor still running, add the butter a bit at a time.
  4. Mix on medium speed for 5 minutes until the butter is thoroughly incorporated into the dough.

Proving the dough the first time

  1. Place the dough into a lightly oiled large bowl.
  2. Cover with a clean towel and leave it somewhere warm until it has doubled in size (about 1 hour). Alternatively, you can place the bowl in the fridge and let the dough rise slowly overnight. (See Kitchen Notes below)
  3. Meanwhile, generously butter a kugelhopf mould, about 20 cm or 8 inches wide.
  4. Place a whole almond in each of the grooves at the bottom of the kugelhopf mould.

Shaping the dough

  1. When the dough has doubled in size, punch it back lightly to knock out the air.
  2. Drain the prunes and lightly knead them into the dough.
  3. Shape the dough into a ball and poke a hole through the middle.
  4. Place the dough into the mould, and make sure that the middle of the mould is visible.
  5. Lightly brush the dough with some egg wash.

Proving the dough the second time

  1. Cover with a clean tea towel and, again, leave it somewhere warm to double in size (about 45 minutes). (See Kitchen Notes below)
  2. Once the dough has doubled in size, preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F) (without fan).

Baking the kugelhopf

  1. Brush the dough with some more egg wash and bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
  2. If the kugelhopf is browning too quickly during the baking time, cover it loosely with some foil.
  3. Remove the kugelhopf from the oven and leave it to cool in the mould for 10 minutes before turning it out on a wire rack.
  4. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Kitchen Notes

DIFFERENT TYPES OF YEAST
* Please note that there is a difference between instant yeast (also called instant dried yeast or fast-action dried yeast) and dried yeast (also called active dry yeast). If you are not sure what type of yeast you have, please check the packaging for instructions on how to use the yeast.
* With instant yeast, you can add it directly to the flour mixture without having to activate it first.
* With dried yeast, you will need to activate it first as per the recipe above.

ELECTRIC STAND MIXER
Given the butter content, it is easiest to make this kugelhopf using an electric stand mixer or a food processor fitted with a dough hook. However, you can, of course, make the dough by hand if you don’t mind a bit of an upper-body workout.

VARIATIONS
You can substitute the prunes for the same quantity of other dried fruit. You can also substitute the Armagnac for another liquor. The original recipe calls for Cognac, rum or brandy. If you prefer not to use alcohol, you could instead use fresh orange juice or even warm water.

LETTING THE DOUGH RISE
The original recipe instructs you to leave the dough in the fridge overnight for the first session of proving. This method often produces a dough with a better texture. I’m an impatient person and prefer to let my dough rise in an oven at the lowest possible heat, around 50°C (120°F).

USING A LOAF PAN
If you don’t have a kugelhopf mould, you can also use loaf pan. I would go one step further and proceed to bake them in a loaf pan as you would make brioche. That is:
* Line the loaf pan with baking paper and scatter the base with whole almonds.
* After the first session of proving, divide the dough into four pieces and place them side-by-side in the pan.
* Brush the dough with egg wash.
* Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rise in a warm place as per the recipe.
* Before baking, use a sharp pair of scissors to make a deep incision in the middle of each section of dough (to create 8 pieces in total).
* Brush with more egg wash and proceed with the recipe.

RECIPE CREDIT
This recipe is adapted from My Little French Kitchen by Rachel Khoo.

OVEN TEMPERATURES
All recipes on this website state temperatures for a regular oven (i.e. a conventional oven without fan). If you have a convection oven with a fan, please consult the manufacturer’s handbook on how to adjust the temperature and baking time accordingly.

CONVERSIONS
To convert from cups to grams, and vice-versa, please see this handy Conversion Chart for Basic Ingredients.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 6
  • Calories: 422
  • Sugar: 17.8g
  • Sodium: 439.6mg
  • Fat: 13.5g
  • Carbohydrates: 65.8g
  • Fiber: 1.4g
  • Protein: 7.6g
  • Cholesterol: 63.4mg

Did you make this recipe?

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kugelhopf in loaf tin 2

Update

This recipe was first published on 13 December 2013. It has been updated with new photos and more comprehensive recipe notes.

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