Babette’s Kitchen – May 4 – 10

VETEBROD KRANZ from Babette’s Kitchen to yours

Babette is so happy to share Gunilla’s recipe for this very Swedish coffee bread.  This version adds marzipan to the filling to make it extra special, which you deserve of course.  More wonderful Swedish recipes can be found in “Fika: The Art of the Swedish Coffee Break” by Anna Brones and Johanna Kindvall’s (Ten Speed Press, April 2015).

Makes one large and very pretty “kranz” or two 10” logs

INGREDIENTS FOR THE DOUGH

7 tbsp. unsalted butter

1 1⁄2 cups whole milk

2 tsp. active dry yeast

4 1⁄2 cups flour, plus more for dusting

1⁄4 cup sugar

1 1⁄2 tsp.  ground cardamom

1⁄4 tsp. kosher salt

INGREDIENTS FOR THE FILLING

1⁄2 cup granulated sugar

8 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

1 tbsp. ground cinnamon (enough to lightly cover the entire dough)

INGREDIENTS FOR THE TOPPING

1 egg, beaten

Pearl Sugar (This is hard to find and can be omitted)

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

Heat milk to @ 115 degrees and combine with melted butter.

Add yeast to milk and butter and let sit until bubbly and foamy – @ 10 minutes.

Combine flour, sugar, salt and ground cardamom.  Whisk lightly to combine.

Stir flour mixture into yeast mixture until a dough forms.

Knead until smooth and elastic – @ 4 minutes.

Cover with cloth and let rise in warm place until double in size – @ 1 hour

 

Roll dough into rectangle @ ¼ inch thick- @ 11” x 17” rectangle

Spread with softened butter

Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon

Dot with marzipan if you want to make it extra special

Starting at long end, roll dough into long log.

Shape your dough cylinder into a wreath or two logs (be adventurous)

Transfer to parchment covered baking sheet

Cover with towel and let rise again until double in size – @ 45 minutes

 

Using scissors, make 1” cuts three-quarters of the way through the dough cylinder

Fan dough slices away from center, alternating left and right.

Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with pearl sugar.

Bake @ 375° until golden brown – @ 22 to 26 minutes