20220117+0124 Le Cordon Bleu (lemony) Kouglof with CLAS

To learn more about concentrated lactic acid sourdough (CLAS), please see here and here. 

After eating the entire gigantic (2.4kg) Pain de Rois I made during the holidays, neither my family nor I could stand to eat another slice of "orangey" bread. Hence, the idea of making lemon-flavored bread came to mind. Many thanks to Derek, aka yozzause, who inspired me to perfect Le Cordon Bleu's Kouglof recipe; his brilliant idea and my beloved CLAS took the recipe up a notch and transformed it into a super flavorful and refreshing lemony dessert bread that I can't wait to share with you!

Kouglof = Alsatian brioche

"OR" = original recipe

"tweak" = adjustment to OR

A.

39% eggs

3% rye - CLAS, tweak

5.7% water - CLAS, tweak

10% sugar

5% lemon juice, tweak; none in OR

0.5% lemon extract, tweak; none in OR

0.25% vanilla extract, tweak; none in OR

97% Beehive AP

B.

27% full-fat milk, boiled and cooled( tweak; no pre-processing in OR)

C.

1.6% gold yeast, tweak; OR uses fresh

1.5 % salt

zest of 1 lemon

D.

29% butter, diced

E.

40% golden raisins, rum-soaked, tweak; OR uses much less

Total dough weight ~ 1140g

Mix

by Zojirushi bread machine

1. x10mins

+ A.

then gradually + ~ half of B

2. x10 mins

+ remaining B.

develop the dough to "medium-well" 

3. x10 mins

+ C.

The dough must be fully developed before proceeding to the next steps. 

+ D. gradually

4. x5 mins

+E.

DT 29C

Bulk

32-33C until doubled ~ 60-75 mins

In the meantime

generously butter a 9” bundt pan 

Then coat it with almond slices, tweak; OR uses very little 

Refrigerate the pan, tweak; not done in OR

Make lemon syrup, tweak; Derek's idea; none in OR; 

juice of 3 lemons : sugar

1:1 by weight

microwave until sugar dissolves

Shape

round

poke a hole in the middle and dump it in the bundt pan

Proof

32-33C x 30-45 mins

Bake

preheat 350F, tweak; OR temp too high; no stone; my oven takes ~ 15 mins

egg wash, tweak; not done in OR (this part of the dough will become the bottom of the Kouglof)

sprinkle almond slices on top, tweak; not done in OR

350F x 30 mins, no steam

start checking doneness with a skewer

cover with foil

insulate the bottom of the bundt pan; I use a few pizza pans

350F x ~ +5 mins

Glaze, tweak; Derek's idea; not done in OR

Before inverting the Kouglof onto a wire rack, gently brush it with lemon syrup

Invert the bread onto a wire rack, which sits on top of a pan that collects syrup dripping

Gently brush or dab lemon syrup onto the bread

Let cool/dry overnight

Decorate with powdered sugar before serving

Glazed and dried overnight

 20210124 Kouglof 2.0

This time I used the tricks that Leigh, aka Naturaleigh, shared to enhance the lemon flavor. 

Rubbed the zest with sugar

Poked holes in the Kouglof to let the lemon syrup seep through

And I used my flower mold

The lemon flavor is more intense and the crumb is moister this time,  I  it!  Thank you, Leigh!