If you read my blog for a while you know how much I like gugelhupf. There are not only many gugelhupf recipes on my blog but I also wrote about the history of the gugelhupf (read it here) and about the Austrian Franz-Joseph gugelhupf (read it here).
A few Sundays ago I was craving a gugelhupf and I made a very traditional Alsatian gugelhupf which consists of a yeast dough with almonds and raisins. The gugelhupf or kouglof how the French call this sweet bread was good but it was not good enough that I would make it a second time. For my taste it was a little bit too salty and a little “tasteless”. Ever since I made this Sunday gugelhupf I was craving a gugelhupf that was a little bit sweeter and flavored with orange. In the end I made gugelhupf with caramelized almonds, chocolate chunks and orange zest which combines my favorite foods in one yeast bread. I love almonds, I love oranges (and everything that is orange flavored) and I love chocolate (who does not), so I name this gugelhupf “Marianne’s Gugelhupf”.

Makes 5 little gugelhupfs * (ø 12 cm /  height 5 cm)

INGREDIENTS

  • 100 ml lukewarm whole milk
  • 15 g fresh yeast
  • 225 g all-purpose flour
  • 75 g softened unsalted butter
  • 75 g granulated sugar
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 2 teaspoons of orange zest (finely grated)
  • 75 g almonds
  • 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons of almonds flakes
  • 50 g semisweet chocolate (roughly chopped or use chocolate chips)
  • 2 tablespoons of melted unsalted butter
  • Some extra flour for kneading the dough
  • Powdered sugar for decoration
* You can also make a big gugelhupf instead. Double the recipe and bake the gugelhupf for 20 to 25 minutes. If the surface of the gugelhupf color too quickly, cover with aluminium foil.

DIRECTIONS

  • Crumble yeast into a big bowl. Add two tablespoons of the lukewarm milk. Stir until the yeast is dissolved. Add the rest of the milk and about a third of the flour and mix well. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel. Let the dough rest in a warm and draft-free place.
  • In the meantime whisk butter and sugar creamy; then add one egg yolk at a time. Add salt and orange zest and stir well.
  • Add this mixture and the rest of the flour to the yeast dough and mix well.
  • On a well-floured surface knead the dough until the dough is smooth. If the dough is too sticky, add more flour.
  • Place the dough in a bowl and cover the bowl with a kitchen towel. Let the dough rise for about 45 minutes or until the dough is doubled in size.
  • Roughly chop the almonds. Add chopped almonds and powdered sugar to a pan and cook at high temperature. As soon as the powdered sugar starts melting lower to medium heat. Stir constantly, so the almonds do not get burned. As soon as the powdered sugar is completely melted, stir for two minutes, remove from the stove. Place the almonds on parchment paper and let it cool. If the almonds chunks are big, chop them into smaller pieces but wait until the almonds are completely cooled.
  • Butter and flour gugelhupf moulds. Sprinkle the bottom of each mould with almond flakes.
  • Take the risen dough out of the bowl and knead the dough again on a well-floured surface.
  • Roll the dough into a square (about 1 cm thick). Sprinkle the square with almonds and chocolate. Roll the square into a roll and cut the roll into five pieces. Place each roll into a gugelhupf mould.
  • Brush the surface with melted butter and cover the moulds with a kitchen towel. Let the gugelhupfs rest for 20 or until the dough has risen to the edge of the moulds.
  • Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
  • Bake the gugelhupfs for 9 to 11 minutes.
  • Let the gugelhupfs cool for 15 minutes. Unmould the gugelhupfs and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
  • Enjoy. The gugelhupf tastes the very best while lukewarm.