To give you a little history…

The savoury Kougelhopf is a variant of the traditional sweet Kougelhopf, with a soft crumb and brioche texture scattered with bacon lardons and nuts, instead of raisins. Its succulence is unrivalled and this Alsace aperitif is perfect for sharing.

Practical info

Difficulty

Easy

Time to make

•          40 minutes for preparation
•          2 hours 30 minutes for rising
•          40 minutes for cooking

Ingredients

Pastry:

•          250g plain wheat flour
•          5g fine salt
•          10g caster sugar
•          10g fresh baker's yeast
•          2 eggs
•          80g butter
•          40g milk

Filling:

•          100g bacon lardons
•          50g chopped nuts
•          40g walnut kernels
•          1 white onion, diced
•          1 clove of garlic
•          10g chopped parsley
•          Ground pepper

Method

Step 1

Gently fry the lardons, diced onion and parsley in a pan.
Add the chopped nuts, crushed garlic and chopped parsley.
Pepper to taste.

Step 2 

Using an electric mixer set to a low speed, with a dough hook attachment, mix the flour, salt, sugar, yeast, eggs and well-chilled milk for 6 minutes.

Use the second speed to knead the dough for around 5 minutes (the dough should be slightly stretchy and shouldn't stick to the sides of the bowl.

Add the butter and continue kneading at the same speed until it is fully incorporated, for around 3 minutes (the dough should be very stretchy and not stick to the sides of the bowl).

Add the fillings and mix gently on a low speed for around 2 minutes.

Cover your mixing bowl with a tea towel, then leave the dough to rise at room temperature for approximately 1-1.5 hours (20°C minimum).

Step 3

Grease a Size 5 Kougelhopf mould and add a walnut kernel into each groove of the mould.

Turn your dough out onto the work surface, knock down the dough by completely flattening it, then fold the outer edge into the centre, turn the dough round, then shape into a ball.

Leave your dough ball to rest for 5 minutes, and create a wreath shape by making a hole in the middle of it. Lightly dampen the top of the wreath, as this will help the nuts to attach to the dough better. Place the dough into the base of the mould, pressing down as little as possible. 

Cover again with a dry tea towel and leave to rise at room temperature until the dough slightly reaches over the edge of the mould, or for approximately 1 hour 30 minutes. 

Cooking

Bake at 180°C for approximately 40 minutes.

Once baked, remove the mould from the oven and tip the Kougelhopf out onto a cooling rack.
Leave to cool before serving.

Our serving tips

An unrivalled favourite at any event, savoury Kougelhopf is best enjoyed with one of our region's wines.

Related products

• Savoury Kougelhopf