Unconventional Kugelhopf with Caramelized Pineapple Sauce

Unconventional Kugelhopf with Caramelized Pineapple Sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast (a bit less than 1 envelope)
2 tablespoons warm water (105?115°F)
1 cup whole milk
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 14 pieces, softened
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 cup ground almond meal
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups raisins
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup crushed pineapple
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon


Stir together yeast and water in a small bowl and let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes.
Heat milk with 6 tablespoons butter and granulated sugar over low heat, stirring, until mixture is warm (105 to 115°F), butter is melted, and sugar is dissolved.

Sift together flour, almond meal and salt into bowl of standing mixer. Make a well in flour and add yeast mixture. Add warm milk in a slow stream, mixing at low speed with paddle attachment. Increase speed to medium and beat in eggs 1 at a time, then beat in raisins, walnuts and zest. Continue to beat until dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. (Dough will be very sticky.)

Butter kugelhopf mold with remaining tablespoon butter. Put crushed pineapple into the bottom, dust with cinnamon then add dough evenly into mold (dough will be very elastic). Cover top of mold with oiled plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let dough rise in a warm place until it almost fills pan, about 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Remove towel from kugelhopf and gently peel off plastic wrap. Bake kugelhopf in middle of oven to bake until golden and a tester inserted in center comes out clean, 35 to 50 minutes. Cool in pan 2 minutes, then invert cake onto a rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.

Serve with caramelized crushed pineapple sauce.

Pineapple sauce:

2 cups crushed pineapple with juice (used canned or fresh, add 1/4 cup orange juice if using fresh)
1 tbsp butter
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon molasses

Add all ingredients to saucepan, cook on medium high, stirring constantly until liquid is reduced to a thick sauce.