Baking Faculty In-Depth: Hungarian Espresso Cake

The origin of Hungarian espresso cake is a real masterpiece known as aranygaluska, which interprets as “golden dumpling.” The recipe might be traced again to the Eighteen Eighties in Hungarian literature. By the mid-Twentieth century, it started popping up as Hungarian and Hungarian Jewish immigrant bakers and residential cooks migrated and launched it to the US. In 1972, a Betty Crocker cookbook shared the recipe, calling it Hungarian Espresso Cake. As its recognition unfold, it grew to become generally confused with monkey bread, the place the dough was dipped solely in butter earlier than being stacked right into a pan and baked. The names quickly grew to become interchangeable, “monkey bread” being extra frequent, however we’re perpetually grateful to the Hungarian immigrants who confirmed us how enchanting and significant this nostalgic festive bread really is.

Be part of us November 13, for Baking Faculty with Williams Sonoma and Brian Hart Hoffman! On this Baking Faculty In-Depth class, Brian will stroll you thru every step of making this browned butter magnificence. Register right here!

For simpler viewing or printing at dwelling, obtain the pdf of this lesson right here!

INGREDIENT BREAKDOWN

Wonderful recipes require great components. Right here’s how our recipe’s components contribute to creating the perfect Hungarian Espresso Cake.

UNSALTED BUTTER: Butter provides a decadence to the enriched dough, and browning the butter provides a refined nuttiness that pairs fantastically with the pecans. The French name browned butter beurre noisette, or “hazelnut butter,” which captures the unmistakable toasty aroma wafting out of your stovetop. Utilizing melted browned butter within the dough means the butter incorporates extra easily and evenly, making certain consistency in taste and texture in each chunk. Browned butter’s deep, complicated taste provides the final word fall aroma to the glaze that graciously adorns the baked Hungarian Espresso Cake.

ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR: All-purpose flour is constructed from a mixture of laborious and delicate wheat and has a high-enough protein content material (10% to 12%) to assist your dough rise and maintain its form after baking.

GRANULATED SUGAR: Sugar acts as meals for the yeast, which converts it to carbon dioxide and alcohol within the fermentation course of. This helps make the dough tender, creating delicate and fluffy morsels and including a little bit of sweetness with out making the espresso cake overly candy. Sugar additionally contributes to moisture retention whereas baking and the completed product’s lovely golden shade.

RED STAR® QUICK-RISE™ INSTANT YEAST: An ordinary in the case of baking with yeast, Pink Star® is a tried-and-true favourite for a cause. Yeast is important to many bread doughs, and this Hungarian Espresso Cake recipe isn’t any exception. For correct fermentation, yeast wants sugar to feed on, heat, and moisture. It acts as a number one leavening agent within the espresso cake, so it’s important that it’s not killed when mixed with the nice and cozy liquid on this recipe. For this recipe, it is very important use immediate yeast. Prompt yeast doesn’t require bulk proofing for the primary rise, which is why we’re utilizing it. The dough solely must relaxation for 10 minutes earlier than you progress to form; for those who use energetic dry as a substitute, you have to full a full first rise till doubled in measurement earlier than transferring on.

WHOLE MILK: We use milk so as to add fats and taste to our dough. Milk comprises pure sugars that start browning when heated between 212°F (100°C) and 350°F (180°C), which contributes to the cake’s lovely bronze shade.

WATER: Moisture (partially within the type of water right here) is required to activate the yeast and hydrate the dough so the gluten can develop and construct elasticity within the dough. Additionally, the water converts to steam, which helps forestall the outside from browning too shortly whereas baking.

EGG: The addition of an egg on this dough not solely provides richness but additionally helps with leavening, because the egg white helps create steam that puffs up your dough as soon as it hits the heat of the oven.

PECANS: With their nice crunch, distinctly candy and buttery taste, and lingering resinous aroma, pecans are a match made in heaven when paired with this Hungarian Espresso Cake’s fluffy dough and nutty browned butter.

CONFECTIONERS’ SUGAR AND VANILLA EXTRACT: A easy but subtle stir-together glaze sweetened with confectioners’ sugar provides a closing observe of fragrant browned butter and vanilla taste whereas making this bake much more beautiful.

KOSHER SALT: As a rule of thumb, the ratio of salt to flour in yeasted desserts is 1.8% to 2% of flour weight. It’s necessary to weigh your salt as a result of completely different salt crystals measure in a different way. Dough with out sufficient salt can simply over-ferment. Salt additionally enhances the espresso cake’s total taste.

Browning the Butter

That is an additional step that takes a couple of minutes, however don’t skip it! Browned butter is price its
weight in liquid gold, because it provides a pleasant depth of taste to the espresso cake and the glaze.

1. Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper.
2. In a medium saucepan, soften butter over medium warmth. Cook dinner till butter turns a medium-brown shade and has a nutty aroma, about 10 minutes. Pour right into a heatproof bowl; in a small microwave-safe bowl, reserve 1 tablespoon (12 grams) browned butter for glaze. Stirring continually and scraping the underside of the saucepan will assist forestall the milk solids from burning earlier than the remainder of the butter has time to brown. Because the butter browns, bubbles kind on the highest floor. When it’s browned, there will probably be a layer of froth on the highest; it’s useful to make use of a spoon to examine to see whether it is executed. Additionally, take your time and don’t rush the method—the toasted milk solids can go from an attractive golden shade to acrid and burnt within the blink of a watch. Be sure you scrape all of the bits clinging to the underside of the pan when transferring to a bowl. That’s the place all the flavour is!

Making ready the Dough

Let’s prep and mix the moist and dry components as we start the dough-making course of

1. Within the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk collectively 1½ cups (188 grams) flour, 2 tablespoons (24 grams) granulated sugar, yeast, and 1½ teaspoons (4.5 grams) salt. One of many many improbable points of Pink Star® yeasts is they are often dry blended, which implies you’ll be able to combine the yeast straight with the dry components or dissolved in liquids earlier than mixing with the dry components. That is known as the rehydration technique.
2. In a medium saucepan, warmth ¼ cup (50 grams) browned butter, ⅓ cup (80 grams) milk, and ⅓ cup (80 grams) water over medium warmth till an instant-read thermometer registers 120°F (49°C) to 130°F (54°C). Add scorching butter combination to flour combination; utilizing the paddle attachment, beat at medium velocity till mixed. Add egg, beating till mixed. With mixer on low velocity, regularly add remaining 1¼ cups (156 grams) flour, beating simply till a shaggy dough kinds. Including the flour in two additions ensures all of the components are evenly included into the dough.

Time to Knead

Permitting the stand mixer to do the kneading is essential to getting the right dough consistency

1. Change to the dough hook attachment. Beat at low velocity till dough is delicate and elastic, 6 to 7 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl and dough hook. Cowl and let stand in a heat, draft-free place (75°F/24°C) for 10 minutes. (Dough will puff barely.) You aren’t utilizing the windowpane check such as you would for historically kneaded doughs. You might be searching for sufficient gluten construction that the dough is easy and elastic sufficient to not tear when gently pinched and pulled.

Taking Form

It’s time to form, roll, and prepare the dough

1. In a medium bowl, stir collectively pecans, remaining ⅓ cup (67 grams) granulated sugar, and remaining ¾ teaspoon (2.25 grams) salt.
2. Prove dough onto a calmly floured floor. (Don’t punch down.) Divide dough into 14 parts (about 45 grams every), and press every portion right into a roughly form. (It doesn’t have to be excellent.) Dip every in remaining browned butter, and roll in pecan combination. Prepare evenly in ready pan. Cowl and let rise in a heat, draft-free place (75°F/24°C) till doubled in measurement, 30 to 40 minutes. Rising instances range relying on the setting, however understand that the quantity the dough has risen—the amount—is extra necessary than how lengthy it takes to rise.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
4. Evenly sprinkle any remaining pecan combination on prime of dough.
5. Bake till golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted in middle registers 190°F (88°C), 25 to half-hour. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Take away from pan, discarding parchment.

Making the Glaze

This vanilla-kissed browned butter glaze is the espresso cake’s closing festive flourish

1. In a small microwave-safe bowl, warmth reserved 1 tablespoon (12 grams) browned butter on excessive in 10-second intervals till melted. Add confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and remaining 1 to 2 tablespoons (15 to 30 grams) milk, whisking till mixed and desired consistency is reached. Spoon glaze right into a pastry bag, and minimize a ⅛-inch opening in tip. Drizzle glaze onto heat rolls. Serve heat or at room temperature.