TWD #1: Mango Kugelhopf
I’ve been enjoying a food blogging event called Tuesdays With Dorie for a while now. During my foodblog-hopping (a very enjoyable thing!), I was puzzled by an acronym – TWD – that foodies talked about it a lot.
It’s an insane(ly awesome) community baking through a book strangely titled “Baking” by Dorie Greenspan – yup, all 491 pages! Anyday is baking day, but Tuesday is blogging day!
Today I stand before you, officially a TWD noob member! Whee!! *blows kisses* Yeah baby, No. 350 but no less excited! This week we’re making Kugelhopf.
A French concoction with an identity crisis.
Also known as a cake bread, kugelhopf is apparently a dream baked in a slice. Simple, the goodness of the richer brioche (okay so I’ve never eaten brioche in my life…) but light. I got a little anxious here as 80% of my yeast baking experiments have rocked. Like, literally.
I read through the recipe on Sunday and thought “man, is this worth 6 hours of my life!?” and promptly began Monday night (…I do plan my time so well!)
Contrary to a lot of bakers, I had a lot of fun making this! I was done at midnight, starting at 8, completely disobedient to our great mama Dorie, but having a lot of fun in the process. I punched as I like, and mixed whither I fancied.
I didn’t start out so cocky though. My heart sank when I mixed in the eggs. The dough, if we could call it that, was soooo wet. At this rate, I thought, I’ll never be able to call myself a real baker! Keep reading folks…
The recipe? It’s pretty straightforward. First you boil the raisins & let em dry. Then you mix the yeast in the warm milk. No trouble there. Next, mix the flour & salt.
>> I used brown sugar & sea salt. I do think her loaf could’ve done with a little more of a savoury flavour. Anyone agree?
Now Dorie says to attach yourself a dough hook and mix up the dough with the beaten eggs added in slowly. Now don’t despair if it looks NOTHING like dough cos, it will! Read the next paragraph!
I don’t have a dough hook, so I attached my regular butter-and-sugar-creaming-hook and looked at the dough square in the eye, hands on my hips with the air of a hero. I am a hero. I will be a real baker! 5 minutes on and hey, it’s doing pretty good! It looks remotely doughy. So no need to invest in a dough hook! But beware of the dough riding up into the mixer. The yeast in my dough was terrifyingly lethal – nothing like the “shaggy” Dorie had pronounced!
I put in the brown sugar & butter, all the time fighting with the dough riding up to destroy my poor little mixer. Suddenly I got a little creative. Hmm, how bout a Mango Kugelhopf hey? I put in 1 tbsp of mango essence…
>> Dear friends, please know that any flavour in bread will totally evaporate if you put it in at such an early stage.
Although 2 days into this post, the kugelhopf has a tinge of mango flavour sweetly seeped in, I would rather have put in dried mangos, boiled ala raisin boiling-method.
My confidence and the dough rose throughout this time and I even had time to have a guest over and chat. It was an awesome experience peeking back at the dough and having it rise SO HIGH. Hello yeast where have you been all my life?
Dorie said to punch the bread down till it could rise no more, but dude. I only have one night and every flippin time I punched it down it rose right up again! Defiant, that bread is. All I did now was keep on punching and munching (said for poetic effect, last statement is not true) until I figured it was high time to stuff it in the oven! :) I skipped the refridgeration part. Time, time, time.
Ooh. I remembered the molds my granmma has for making her famous Kuih Buluh, a traditional Malaysian Chinese treat. No one said fusion was bad right? Well we were gonna try a little french-chinese mix right over here…
My gramma’s old detailed pans being Kugelhopf-ed.
Last but not least, I let it all rise again. Before, I had still very little faith it would rise up again, so I’d switched my bundt pan’s tower into a plain cake pan with upright edges. Wrong move! It rose.
AND ROSE.
In the oven, it rose some more! 20 minutes, later, it was done. I reduced the temperature to 160 though, as things (and burnt tops) were heating up way too fast!
I completely forgot about the icing sugar part though I spread melted butter & some brown sugar on top.
Verdict
It isn’t a rich bread, it’s very light, and a nice breakfast to have!
Ratings: B+
I liked the light loaf! Didn’t regret making it at all. But it wasn’t my favourite. It was great while it was hot, but my sisters said it was dry the next day. It may be because I didn’t keep it airtight, or kugelhopfs are just not so cool. I think it’ll be deeelightful if toasted though. It was pretty kewl..gelhopf. I wished I added more flavour like candied mango slices, more mango extract, maybe some light alchohol and I wisheddd I didn’t leave out the icing sugar! The butter also didn’t soak because, I very embarassingly, didn’t turn it upside down.
Thanks Yolanda of The All Purpose Girl for hosting this week! Go check her out for the recipe and most importantly, check out the other great bakes on the TWD Blogroll. Have fun!
Next up on TWD: Arborio Rice Pudding! (who can say ew!??? well we’ll see next week!)
(PS: Please keep me (and mankind) in your praaayurs because I’m going for my first driving lesson tomorrow morning at 8am!)
November 11th, 2008 at 9:02 pm
Welcome aboard! I think you did a bang-up job!
November 11th, 2008 at 9:31 pm
I love how you used your grandmother’s beautiful molds – glad it turned out so well for you (even though, yes, it’s not the most flavorful cake).
November 12th, 2008 at 12:44 am
Wow, awesome post!
November 12th, 2008 at 1:06 am
great to see you in the group, eunice! :) the Kuih Buluh molds are so pretty. glad you liked the end result :)
November 12th, 2008 at 1:16 am
Welcome! And what a great job you did! I love your Grandmother’s mold pan – lovely idea to use it.
November 12th, 2008 at 1:18 am
Great job on your kugelhopf! I love the molds, and your pictures are terrific. Welcome to TWD!
November 12th, 2008 at 4:34 am
Ooooh – mango! I need to remember to grab some dried mango next time I’m at the store! Your kugelhopf looks great!
November 12th, 2008 at 5:36 am
Welcome at TWD, your Kugelhopf looks great! Good luck on your driving lessons!!
November 12th, 2008 at 6:30 am
I thought, “A French concoction with an identity crisis” was good, but “Hello yeast where have you been all my life?” got me literally LOL!
I’m still waiting for mine to rise. I’ve had good experience with Babka (check my “I am a Magician” post on my blog if interested) and I should have known to proof my yeast regardless of Dorie’s “…stir until the yeast is dissolved. Add the flour and salt and stir just to moisten the flour…” instructions. I should have waited for the foamy sign of yeasty-goodness before dumping in the damned flour. So it’s 5:30, I’m still waiting…but I’m hoping!
Seriously adorable blog by the way! Did you design your own logo? I’d like to do the same, but I suck at drawing from my imagination.
November 12th, 2008 at 11:05 am
Wow! What wonderful looking cakes! Welcome to TWD!
November 12th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
looks awesome dear! :)
and yes, I shall be a-praying for your first driving lesson. ;) don’t panic and don’t feel like a terrible consumer the way I did every time I stepped on the gas!
November 12th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
Mari – Thank you! I’m loving it!
Jessica - Psyching myself to think it was a bread made it all the better! ;-) It’s all in the mind. And yes, isn’t it gorgeous? Thanks for stopping by! Check by here in January or February when it’s Chinese New Year & I’ll do an entry on what the real things look like!
Landa - Thanks for stopping by! Thanks for hosting this :D
kim - I have you to thank ;-) And flickr! My gramma loves it too, thank you! Honoured you came by over here, always inspired by yours ;-)
Jayne This is so nice! I love TWD :D I feel very welcomed! *falls into plushies*
Di - Thank youuu! I loved taking pictures….and eating bits of it when i *had* to cut it for the photo. Haha, the joys! ;-) Can’t wait for next week.
Kimberly – Thanks!!! You should definitely try that, one of my favourite things in the world: dried mango! Next only to fresh mango ;-)
Marthe – Thank you! I did well, apparently! haha. I’m not afraid to drive any longer. Watch out Kuala Lumpur! Muahaha.
Aimee – Awwww thank you!! I love it when anything I write is appreciated. Which you see, is few and far between. ;-)
I’m waiting up for your post to be on!! Helloo girl, it’s Wednesday already! Haha, I checked it out and WOW it’s magic…its ALIVE! I know, I hope it turns all good for you! No one recipe book is perfect I guess, at least, the instructions part!
Thank you so much! I was doubting if I liked the header already. Hehehe. Yes I designed it myself. Your picture is great though! I could make you one really. ;-) Just ask!
food librarian – Thanks! I love TWD. Can’t wait for the weeks to come. #350 is bent on reporting stringently. Hehe.
Melissa That’s EXACTLY what I felt!!! LOL. But he said I did very well! :D:D:D
November 12th, 2008 at 6:19 pm
ah yes, you just brought back some of the best memories of my childhood, since kugelhopf used to be made quite often at our house back in those days.
good luck with the driving lesson, I have never had one myself. and I’m 34. oops?
November 12th, 2008 at 8:29 pm
What a gorgeous mold! And your kugelhopf looks so light and delicious.
November 13th, 2008 at 1:33 am
Awesome post, and welcome to the group. I didn’t make the kugelhopf myself- had visions of panettone and how much I dislike panettone, so I skipped it. *shrug*
Yours looks yummy though, and makes me wish I had made it.
November 13th, 2008 at 2:13 am
the mango sounds good
November 13th, 2008 at 5:01 am
Welcome to TWD! your kugelhopf looks really good. :-)
November 13th, 2008 at 8:08 am
You have a very pretty blog! your photos are amazing…I would definitely be coming back (”,)
November 13th, 2008 at 11:30 am
celine ah i’m honoured, and slightly shocked. now how in the world does a cake traveller get around without a car? ;-)
Audrey – Thank you! I love it too!
Sweetcharity Hello fellow TWDer! *it gives me joy to say it lol* Thank you! I’m not familiar with Panettone, being very Malaysian, but I’m not sure why visions of it made you retreat. Why? And oh I wished you did too, I’ll be checking out your post about the Arborio Rice pudding next week though the thought of it gives me the shudders! Hehe!
Spike - Dude it was awesome. I didn’t realise but the flavour seeped in the next day. Try it with dried mangoes soaked up!
Piggy Thanks Piggy!!! *faints* Piggy came by!!!!!!!!! *happy jig* Your pictures are amazing, by the way.
Anne – Aww thank you! You have no idea how sweet it is to hear that. You encourage me to go on! You make my heart go on! You mean everyth—- LOL! Sorry. Thank you. thank you. Stop by whenever you can!
November 13th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
Eunice, I LOVE your blog. It’s lovely and your photos are gorgeous. I look forward to reading lots more.
November 13th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
You surely did something right to your yeast, to make it rise so beautifully! Your pictures are gorgeous and I love the writing. Welcome to TWD!
November 13th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
Syrie – Syrie, thank you. You’re up there on my admiration list since discovering Tastebuddies last week. I love how you write about the way you eat. In everyday eating, I’m also tending toward the natural way! You inspire me :)
Elizabeth – Thank you so much. It shocked myself it actually rose! And yes, I’m glad to be on board!
November 13th, 2008 at 9:59 pm
Thanks for visiting my blog and leaving a comment…I admit, I gave up trying to get around to all the blogs…number 350 would not have been in my radar, so I was very happy you found me as I thoroughly enjoyed your post, loved your photos, thought your ideas of mango were very creative, have now put you on my TWD blogs to check back on weekly, and want to thank you for the introduction to candied mango… who knew??? See you next week!
November 14th, 2008 at 3:54 am
Great photos – it looks like it turned out great!
November 14th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
Kayte – You’re welcome! I was blog hopping randomly because I was really curious to see how the kugelhopf turned out for everyone else, and yours happened to be one of those random clicks! I can’t wait to check back on your pudding next week! Thank YOU!
Madam Chow – Thank you! It did, but not as great as I hoped! :)
November 15th, 2008 at 1:11 am
awesome, dear! ever so proud of u! :X
November 16th, 2008 at 7:55 am
Looks awesome !!! welcome to TWD, babe no:350 .. yay, well done !!
November 17th, 2008 at 2:52 am
Sheryl Hoh Thank you dear! YOU are one reason I joined ‘member?
Jin Hooi Thanks Jin Hooi!!!