Peaches, pudding and crumb – this middle west cake contains everything

In German, Kuchen only means cake. In Dakotas, it means a more specific meaning – a coffee cake with sweet yeast dough, some stuffing (usually fruit) and pudding. It is brought to the region by German -speaking houses, this is a strong and adaptable enjoyment.

“The fillings were anything that was available on the farm,” he says Rick Gion Prairie Public Broadcasting in Fargo, North Dakota, who ate Kuchen throughout the state. “I saw blueberries, chocolate chips and curd versions. Even bacon and onions. Everyone makes a little different.”

Why make Dakota Kuchen

This is not disturbing: most of the ingredients are ventricular and refrigerator clips, and obtaining properly does not require special skills to run, crimp or freeze. Plus, it keeps you well in the freezer, so you are always ready for guests, holidays or any occasions that require something homemade. This is the reason why many older recipes make four, six or eight cakes. (It only makes two.)

What makes the great Dakota-style kuchen

After eating through the Kuchen Dakotas and making dozens of variations at home, I made a list of what the best examples are:

• The base layer is gentle and relatively thin (quarter -half inches), but strong enough to support the filling without being wet. I usually eat my kuchen with a fork and a knife but I should Be able to eat like pizza as some.
• The filling, whether fruit, cottage cheese or something else, is in balance with the rest of the layers. “It's not a fruit cake,” says Gion.
• When the pudding is set, it slice, but still creamy and soft. Must be rich and sweet but as the whole of Kuchen, not too you are rich too sweet.

A enriched pasta, made it easier

Unlike most American cakes, Kuchen starts with a dough with a yeast with yeast, not dough to the roots of the old world. The baking tradition, part of which, is preferred by German-Russian immigrants to the Dakotas, the soft, enriched dough that can stand up to the juicy fruits and the fine pudding without falling apart.

Was inspired by a recipe Elsie Huether Dickinson, North Dakota, in the spiral bond Northern plains ethnic cookbookThe dough contains potatoes that make it extra soft and spongy by adding the starch, which traps moisture and limits gluten development. Originally I used mashed potatoes as Elsie, but for the sake of comfort I switched to the shelf stable potato flake.

The dough quickly comes together in a rack mixer. After the first rise, distribute and cool for one day. This cold second rise taste of the taste, strengthens gluten for a more elastic base layer and facilitates sticky dough. Plus, that means you can bake this kuchen whenever just matches you. Make the dough and pudding in the evening and bake it in the oven at any time the next day, straight from the refrigerator.

Orchard

You can use almost any fresh fruits for the filling, if necessary, and evenly arrange the top of the cake. (If you want to try your curds, bacon or onions, I hope you do it, but it goes beyond the prescription limits.) If it's good in a pie, it's probably good for kuchen – though you need some fruits preparatory work.

In the summer, I like to use fresh stone fruits, such as peaches, apricots and plums, and I wrote this recipe for these uploaders. Outside the season, you can keep the stone fruit theme with plums, a traditional filling that you can keep in the chamber. (I make a plum puree with cinnamon, vanilla and lemon juice.) Either you can use frozen or canned peaches. When used frozen, read them in a filter bowl before using them. In both cases, the excess liquid should be removed with a paper towel or a clean kitchen towel before arranging the base.

The fool -safe pudding and the crunchy upload

Finally, the pudding: the rich but not heavy, clean taste and to keep my body the base between milk and cream. Illactom with real vanilla, not an extract, a more complete, more nuanced vanilla aroma, which is my typical approach to puddings, ice creams and other desserts in which vanilla plays. I cooked the pudding in advance and stabilize it with a teaspoon of corn starch to get practically foolish results. Sandy flour and butter crumbling on top adds a layer of cinnamon-sugar crunch.

When and how to serve Dakota Kuchen

As for how and when to eat this kuchen, well, your opportunities are as wide as the plain. “I had a dessert like breakfast and afternoon snacks,” says Gion. “It was cold, at room temperature, and I warmed up with a spoonful of vanilla ice cream. Everything is good.”

Cooking method
(Keep on the screen awake)

For the dough:

• 255 g universal flour (9 ounce; 2 cup)

• 25 g (about 1/2 cup) potato

• 32 g (2 1/2 tablespoon) crystal sugar

• 1.5 g (1/2 teaspoon) Diamond crystal kosher salt; For table salt use half and the same weight

• 3.75 g (1.25 teaspoon) instant yeast

• 180 g (3/4 cup) full milk

• 35 g (2.5 tablespoon) buttermelted and cooled

• 1 whole egg (50 g)

To the pudding:

• 240 g (about 1 cup) heavy cream

• 240 g (about 1 cup) milk

• 1 Vanilla beandivided and scraped or 1 tablespoon vanilla beans paste

• 60 g (1/4 cup) crystal sugar

• 1 teaspoon cornflower

• 1/8 teaspoon Diamond crystal kosher salt; For table salt, use half a quantity

• 2 whole egg

For crumbling:

• 45 g (6 tablespoon) universal flour

• 25 g (2 tablespoon) crystal sugar

• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

• 28 g (2 tablespoon) softened butter

To compile:

• 1 pound (453 g) fresh peach Or other stone fruits, peeling, reduced to half and sliced ​​1/2 inch into thick wedges

1. For the dough: Install the rack mixer with a paddle. In the rack mixing bowl, add flour, potato flakes, sugar, salt and yeast and mix at low speed until it combines well, approx. For 1 minute.

2. Slow, constant flow, mixer, adding milk, melted butter and eggs. Increase the speed at medium speed and stir until the dough is smooth and it starts to drain from the side of the bowl for 3 minutes. Turn off the mixer. Remove the paddle, scrap the excess dough back into the bowl and switch to fix the dough hook. Scrap it off the side of the bowl and stir at medium to high speed until the dough is smooth and elastic for 5 minutes.

3. Scratch the dough in a well -greasy bowl (it will continue to be sticky!). Cover the bowl tightly with plastic packaging and let it rise at warm room temperature (68-74 ° F) until bloating and roughly doubles, about 1 1/2 and 2 hours.

4. Divide the dough and gently design two roughly 275 grams of balls. Place the dough balls in well -greased pint sized deli tanks or a large greasy bowl. Lightly grease the top of the dough ball, cover with a tight lid or plastic pack and place in the refrigerator. Cool for at least 4 hours and up to 24.

5. To the pudding: It is heavy in a medium pan to bring the cream and milk for a bare steaming (about 180 ° F) for 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat, mix the vanilla beans and seeds, cover and leave to steep for 1 hour. Remove the vanilla beans.

6. In a small bowl, mix the sugar, corn starch and salt. Stir in the entire egg and stir until well combined and light in color. Slowly pour the egg mixture into the milk mixture, whisk constantly.

7. Cook the pudding over medium heat, often whisk until 180 ° F and thicken for 4-8 minutes. Remove from heat, let it cool to room temperature, then insert it in a sealed container and use thoroughly in a refrigerator, at least 4 hours and preferably overnight.

8. For crumbling: In a bowl, mix the flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Add softened butter and rub into dry ingredients with finger mountain, fork or dough cutter. Mix until it resembles a fine bread crumbs or wet sand without a piece of visible butter. Store in airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature or up to 1 month in the refrigerator.

9. Assemble and bake: Half an hour before the dough, pudding and crumb, set up the baking rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 ° F (175 ° C). Thoroughly grease two 9 -inch cakes.

10. Place one of the dough spaces on a slightly floured worksheet. Sprinkle with flour and bounce and roll out into a 10 1/2 inch circle. Move the dough to the 1 prepared cake. The dough should cover the bottom of the pan and ranges from 1/2 to 3/4 inches on the pan to create a pool for fruit and pudding. Carefully press the edges in place if necessary. Repeat the other dough ball and other cakes.

11. Order half of the fruit over the single -shaped kuchen. Pour half of the pudding (1 cup) to each kuchen. Gently divide the pudding into a steady layer using a spatula or the back of a spoon.

12. Move both to the kuchen oven, baking dough and start adjusting the pudding for 25-30 minutes. Carefully pull out the baking rack and divide all the crumbs (about 1/4 cup per cake) into each kuchen and continue baking until the bark is golden brown and the pudding is usually set for another 15 minutes. The center has to hit a bit, but it is not as waves as a liquid. (He continues to set up with the cooling of Kuchen.)

13. Remove the pans from the oven and let the cakes cool completely in the pan for at least 1 hour. Enjoy at room temperature, cooled or gently heated.

Special equipment

Rack mixer with shovel, medium pan two 9 -inch round cake frying pan

Make-Head and Storage

Crumbling can be stored in an airtight container for 3 days at room temperature or up to 1 month in the refrigerator.

The pudding can be up to 4 days in advance and can be cooled in airtight container.

The dough can be produced up to 24 hours forward and cooled in airtight container.

The fried kuchen can be stored for up to 3 days or covered in a refrigerator. Kuchen can also be frozen. Wrap tightly with plastic packaging and aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Read in the refrigerator overnight before serving.