Strasbourg Kouglof: Brioche Buns with Almonds & Rum Soaked Raisins
Strasbourg Kouglof is a yeasted confection made with an enriched dough which lies somewhere between bread and cake. Traditionally it includes almonds and raisins and you can find it in abundance at the Strasbourg Christmas Markets.
Kouglof or Kugelhopf
Kouglof is a speciality of Strasbourg and the wider region of Alsace, that fascinating, oft-disputed region, where France and Germany rub shoulders. It’s a sort of brioche studded with almonds and raisins and shaped to look like a crown. Although they can be found all year round, they come into their own at Christmas time. The recipe for Strasbourg kouglof here is my take on this classic French bake.
The Kouglof, it turns out, is known by many different names: kugelhopf, guguluf, kugluh or even gugelhupf, as named in my review of Betty’s Christmas Kugelhupf from a few years ago. In fact it’s pretty much the same as the Polish Babka.
It seems the inhabitants of many regions across central Europe claim similar cakes. There are various theories as to its name though. I’m going with an Alsatian version I heard which makes some sort of sense. The kouglof bears the shape of a kugulhut, which was a traditional hat worn by Strasbourg’s members of parliament. Hut means hat and it does rather look like the sort of ornate contraption that medieval officials might wear on their heads.
Strasbourg Kouglof
Strasbourg kouglof is mostly found as a large bundt shaped brioche, but at the Christmas markets you can find mini ones so you can eat them on the go. I decided, in true Strasbourg Christmas Market fashion, to make individual ones.
It’s a rare thing indeed for me to use only white flour, but there are some bakes where wholemeal just doesn’t work. Croissants are one of those and brioche is another. I make sure my flour is organic and unbleached, but – oh là là! These Strasbourg kouglof are pure indulgence. There’s plenty of butter and eggs too.
The recipe contains sugar, but not too much. It satisfies my sweet tooth, without making me paranoid that I’ve consumed my entire quota of sugar for the week. Kouglof sometimes contain citrus, which sounds really nice. But rum seemed like an apt festive addition, so rather than adding the raisins dry I soaked the fruit in rum overnight. I can’t tell you how good rum soaked raisins are. I reckon Amaretto would work wonderfully well too.
The Strasbourg kouglof proved to be very much like rich and buttery brioche with crunchy nuts in every bite and surprise pops of rum soaked raisins. They were a real hit and I’m now thinking I might make a large one for Christmas morning or maybe Boxing Day. It’s a lot easier to make than I ever thought.
Kouglof and Coffee
Apparently, the best way to eat the Strasbourg kouglof is too dunk it in coffee or hot chocolate for breakfast. Well that’s how the Alsatians to it anyway. I was slightly dubious about this, but I gamely gave it a try. Not for breakfast, but at elevenses, which seems a much better time to consume something sweet. It turned out to be a pleasant surprise and I shall be dunking my kouglof in coffee from now on in.
Strasbourg Christmas Market
I have to confess, I’ve never been to the Strasbourg Christmas Market or Christkindelsmärik, as it’s known locally. But mon dieu, how I’d love to go. Strasbourg is a spectacular city and the old quarter is enchanting with its steep roofed medieval buildings and gothic cathedral. It’s only just under two hours from Paris by TGV. From London all I’d need to do is hop on the Eurostar and change at Paris.
The market started way back in 1570 and is the oldest Christmas market in France. It’s also one of the largest in Europe. Actually there isn’t a Strasbourg Christmas Market as such, there are in fact eleven of them, dotted around the city. The most well known is the one in front of the Cathedral. The festivities start on the 24th of November this year and continue until the 31st of December.
The Christmas tree in the Place Kléber has become well known for being particularly imposing and the Christmas lights are a talking point. As well as plenty of Christmas food, drink and crafts, there are various activities on offer, including carol singing, concerts and an open air ice-rink.
There are literally hundreds of stalls selling all kind of gifts and refreshments, but handmade decorations are a particular specialty. And of course, you’ll find lots of stalls selling Strasbourg kouglof. I think I’ll book my train ticket right now, purely for kouglof quality research purposes, n’est ce pas?
12 Days of Blogmas
I’ve teamed up with Titan Travel this year to offer this Strasbourg kouglof recipe. Head on over to their 12 Days of Blogmas to find other recipes, crafts and ideas inspired by Christmas markets from around Europe. You can also follow the fun on social media with #Blogmas.
Other Yeasted Buns You Might Like
- Baked yeast doughnuts
- Chocolate Chelsea buns
- Chocolate cinnamon rolls
- Cornish saffron buns
- Creme egg buns
- Mincemeat buns with cardamom
- Tea cakes
- Vegan saffron buns
- Vegetarian lardy cakes
Keep in Touch
Thanks for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make these Strasbourg kouglof, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. And do please rate the recipe. Have you any top tips? Do share photos on social media too and use the hashtag #tinandthyme, so I can spot them.
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Choclette x
Strasbourg Kouglof. PIN IT.
Strasbourg Kouglof – The Recipe
Strasbourg Kouglof
Ingredients
- 40 g raisins
- 1 tbsp rum
- 100 ml milk
- 30 g golden caster sugar or vanilla sugar
- 10 g fresh yeast or 1 tsp dried yeast
- 225 g plain flour (all purpose flour)
- 100 g unsalted butter melted – plus a little extra for greasing the moulds
- pinch sea salt
- 2 medium eggs free range of course
- 25 g flaked almonds + 10g for the topping
Instructions
- The first thing to do is to get your raisins soaking in rum. The earlier you can do this the better, but leave them at least 1 hour before they’re needed. Place the raisin and rum in a small jar and give a shake every so often.
- Warm the milk until tepid. Place in the bowl of a stand mixer or large mixing bowl. Add the sugar and yeast and stir until they’re dissolved.
- Stir in 100g of the flour, cover with a cloth or plastic bag and leave in a a warm place for 20 minutes to ferment.
- Brush 12 mini kouglof or bundt moulds (or one large one) with a little melted butter. Scatter a few slivered almonds over the bottoms of each mould.
- Add the remaining flour, butter, salt and eggs to the ferment and knead using the dough hook of the stand mixer or hand held mixer for 10 minutes. The dough is too soft to knead by hand, so if you don’t have an electric mixer, stir hard with a metal spoon instead.
- Finally throw in the raisins with any remaining rum and the slivered almonds and knead until everything is well combined.
- Divide the mixture between the 12 moulds. Place in a large plastic bag ensuring there is plenty of room for the dough to rise. Leave in a warm place for a couple of hours or until the dough has completely filled the moulds.
- Bake at 180℃ (350℉, Gas 4) for 20 minutes when the kougloffs are golden and an inserted skewer comes out clean. You will need longer in the oven for a larger kouglof. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool. Dust with icing sugar before serving.
Notes
Nutrition Estimate
Sharing
I’m sharing my Strasbourg Kouglof with #CookBlogShare which is hosted via Easy Peasy Foodie this week.
These French brioche buns also go to #BakeOfTheWeek over at Casa Costello.
And #Baking Crumbs over at Only Crumbs Remain is another must enter link-up.
Titan Travel commissioned this post. I was not expected to write a positive review and all opinions are, as always, my own. Thanks to my readers for supporting the brands and organisations that help to keep Tin and Thyme blithe and blogging.
These look so yummy. These also look delicious but alas in my country I didn’t get any Strasbourg Kouglof! Yes, I successfully make it today in your clear direction. Thanks a lot for this recipe.
Glad you liked the kouglof and thanks for letting me know.
These do look rather festive Choclette and sound delicious! Although I would be happy with a bowl of rum-soaked raisins!!! x
Rum soaked raisins are the bees knees. Highly recommended that every kitchen should have a permanent jar on the go.
Oh, the mini gugelhupfs look so cute!
Thanks. They tasted rather good too and are much easier to make than you might think.
I have to admit I’ve never been to the Christmas Markets at Strasbourg either (it’s somewhere I would LOVE to visit over the Christmas period) let alone tried a Kouglf/Kugelhopf but they sound absolutely delicious with those lovely almonds and rum soaked raisins! Love the story of how they came by their name too – things like that are always so fascinating. Thankyou for linking up with #BakingCrumbs Choclette
Angela xx
Thanks Angela. I love the shape of them and can just imagine what the good folks of Strasbourg used to look like wearing those hats. One day we will get to that market.
Mmmmm these look and sound so good! I adore brioche bread and with the rum soaked raisins, perfect! x #BakeoftheWeek
Thanks Kirsty. Brioche is one of CT’s favourites, but it’s not often he gets a homemade version.
I’ve never been to Strasbourg, but luckily managed to hit the Christmas markets in Cologne one year. My only Northern European Christmas market adventure (London aside). these look like a lovely Christmas bake to add to one’s repertoire!
Thanks Ceri. I bet the Cologne experience was excellent. One day …
I love learning about other countries’ Christmas food and these yeasted delights sound amazing, I’d definitely love to try them:-)
Thanks Camilla. I feel there is a need for a book on the lesser known bakes of Europe – complete with histories.
These look so cute – and I love the colour of them. a perfect golden colour. I would love to visit a German Christmas market – it must be amazing.
thank you for linking to #Bakeoftheweek x
Thanks Jenny. I rather like the mini versions, though a great big one would be fun to tear into.
These are adorable…and I can feel another baking accessory required for my ever-expanding collection…we’re gluten free so to recreate this will be a fiddle…but I’m stubborn and like the challenge
Oh do let me know if you pull it off Rebecca. I’m sure you will. You don’t absolutely need the mould(s), but the shape does add to the element of specialness.
Many years ago I lived in Germany for a while and I absolutely loved German cookies and pastries. Kugelhopf is a delicious cake and you have made it beautifully. I wish I could go there now for the Christmas markets and their mulled wine.. mmm!
I didn’t know you’d lived in Germany Alida. How interesting. I’ve only had a very brief stay – one night I think it was. And I’ve never had a German cookie.
Oh these are definitely going to have to be baked at the weekend. I do love some rum in my food!
The rum soaked raisins shine through beautifully Dannii 🙂
What a lovely recipe…I must admit I am a bit partial to a piece of cake and a coffee mid morning…and these look like they would hot the spot nicely. Thanks for linking them up to #CookBlogShare Eb x
Thanks Eb. They make a perfect mid-morning break. Dunking is required.
These look so lovely I could gobble the lot up. Hope I can make the time to make a batch for Christmas but unfortunately they won’t be in ‘proper’ tins. They’ll still taste good. Thanks for the yummy recipe.
They will still taste good Mary. You could make a large one or small ones in muffin tins.
I love the shape and what funny names they have. I need to find glughglugh mould next time I am in France.
Yes, the shape and name are great. I know you can buy the moulds in Paris and of course in Alsace.
I have never heard of these in connection with Strasbourg but I’d love to go there one day and hopefully try one of these too! They look lovely and perfect for Christmas.
Going to Strasbourg for the Christmas market just seems so romantic somehow. Plus I’d really like to try a real Strasbourg kouglof 😀
These mini kugelhopf look utterly adorable and delicious.
Thanks Angie. They are really good, but I’d really like to try one from the region they are made.
These look so cute and the flavours sound delicious. I love the different names for them too, they sound so lovely x
Thanks Cat. They are really good and so much easier to make than you’d think.
When I lived in France and Germany when I was at university I often went to Strasbourg for day trips and to visit the Christmas markets, such a wonderful place to travel to. The kugelhopf (I find I have to use the German word as the local word sounds so odd!) look delicious and with those lovely rum raisins they would be perfect for Christmas morning.
Oh I didn’t know you studies German and French Lucy. How wonderful to be able to take day trips to Strasbourg. One day I will get to visit. I must say kugelhopf was the name I was familiar with before researching this post. I was quite excited though, to find it had a French name too (and many others it seems).