Whole Wheat Savory Kugelhopf - We Knead to Bake#7

We Knead to bake, an bread baking group, kick-started by Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen. We are going to complete one year and it means we have learnt to bake 12 new breads this year!!! Wohooo!! that is some achievement, that too for someone who had a bad relationship with yeast!!!! 🙂 It was all in the past now, yeast is like my good friend now, we can get along anytime for a cup of tea/coffee!!! 😉
Kugelhopf is a yeasted sweet cake well known in the Alsace region of France, as well as in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria, and variations of this are also found in some countries of Eastern Europe. There are many stories surrounding this bread, it will be reaaly long posst!!! The most commonly told story about the Kugelhopf is that Marie Antoinette (the same lady of the “let them eat cake” fame!) brought it from her home country Austria, to France upon her marriage to King Louis XVI.

Since it is a yeasted cake, the Kugelhopf has a dense bread-like texture and is made from a somewhat enriched dough like brioche but is not as rich. It is considered similar to a coffee cake that might be eaten for or with breakfast, or could be part of an afternoon snack with coffee.
Aparna chose to bake the lesser known version of the Kugelhopf its savoury Alsatian version called the Kugelhopf aux Lardons. “Lardons” is the French word for bacon, and this version is typically made with onions, ham/ bacon, walnuts and herbs. I made the vegetarian version of the Kugelhopf using carrots, corn and tomatoes along with cheddar cheese. Feel free to use any combination of veggies and don't forget the cheese!!!!

Ingredients

1.5 Cups of Whole Wheat flour + ¼ Cup extra (for dusting and kneading)

1 teaspoon instant yeast

½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)

50gm butter, at room temperature

¼ Cup + 2 tablespoon milk

¼ Cup Yogurt (replacing 1 egg)

½ teaspoon oil

Stuffing (Savory Ingredients)

1 small onion, chopped

1 small tomato, chopped

1 small carrot, chopped

2 tablespoon corn, i used frozen

¼ teaspoon red chili powder

½ teaspoon coriander powder

¼ cup of Cheddar cheese, chopped into cubes

2 tablespoon of melon seeds

Method

Take flour, yeast, and salt in a bowl. Mix well to combine. Then add butter, a little at a time, mix well.
Add the warm milk, yogurt and knead to a soft and sticky dough. Knead some more, adding flour(from the extra ¼ up), a little at a time and just enough till the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Do not be tempted to add more flour than absolutely necessary.

Your dough will be very soft, elastic and just short of sticky. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, cover and let it rise until double in volume. This can take from 1 ½ hours to 2 ½
In the meanwhile, heat ½ a teaspoon oil in a pan. Add the chopped onion, tomatoes and the spice powders, saute till the rawness disappears. Next add chopped carrots and corn mix well to combine with the added spices. Let it sit on the stove for 5-8 minutes. Remove and keep aside.
Grease an 6” kugelhopf mould or bundt pan well especially around the centre (or whatever pan/ tin you plan to use). I used a 6"bundt pan. Place some melon seeds in the bottom of the mould/pan.

Once the dough has risen, deflate it. Then flatten the dough out and spread the stuffing over the surface, fold the dough over and then knead it. This will ensure a more uniform incorporation of the “filling”. The dough will be a bit sticky, so use a scraper to help you with the kneading. Do not add more flour!
Roll the dough into a longish log, long enough to fit into the mould comfortably. Lift the “log” of dough and place it in the mould in a circular fashion and pinch the two ends together to close the “circle” of dough. Cover and let the dough rise for about an hour or so, until it reaches the edge/ rim of the mould.

Bake the Kugelhopf at 200C (400F) Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees for about 35 to 40 minutes until the top is golden brown and sounds hollow when it is tapped.
Unmould the Kugelhopf and let it cool on a rack. Slice and serve . Makes a perfect Brunch or Lunch with a hearty salad and warm soup.
We enjoyed it as such as a snack and i packed some for my hubby breakfast too and kuttu's lunchbox.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#34