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Apricot Almond Streuselkuchen
recipe
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Chicago
Apricot Almond Streuselkuchen
Martin Sorge
Martin Sorge
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$1.00
Apricots shine here, their tartness sings and their not-too-juicy quality keeps the kuchen from getting too soggy. Yes, yeast plays a role. But it's easy and almost foolproof. Unlike a loaf of bread, you don't have to worry about it under- or over-proofing. Plus, you don’t want to knead it very much so that it stays tender. Think of it as a less-sweet coffeecake. Adding some cornmeal to the streusel guarantees a nice crunch.
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You Need

1 9" square cake
3:00

  • Dough

    • 240 g (2 cups) all purpose flour
    • 1 teaspoon instant yeast
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • Zest of 1/2 of a lemon, finely grated
    • 100 g milk, room temperature
    • 30 g honey
    • 60 g butter, melted and cooled slightly
    • 1 large egg, room temperature
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • Streusel

    • 80 g sugar
    • 60 g all-purpose flour
    • 60 g corn flour or medium-grind cornmeal (NOT polenta or cornstarch)
    • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
    • 80 g butter, cold
    • 80 g raw almonds, sliced, slivered, or roughly chopped

  • Fruit

    • 400 g fresh apricots
    • 2 tablespoons sugar

    • How To

      Prepare the Dough

      1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, weigh out the flour, then add the yeast, salt and lemon zest. Whisk briefly to combine.
      2. Make a well in the center of the flour, then weigh in the milk, honey, and melted butter. Add the egg and vanilla extract.
      3. Fit the mixer with a dough hook attachment and knead on low speed for 1 minute, then increase to medium-low speed and knead for 5 minutes. The dough will still be pretty sticky. Avoid over-developing gluten.
      4. Scrape down the bowl and beater. Cover the bowl and let it sit at room temperature for an hour. If you want to make the recipe later, refrigerate the dough for up to 24 hours. If baking right away, let the dough rise for another 30 minutes at room temperature.

      Shape the Dough

      1. Cut a piece of parchment into a 9-inch by 12-inch rectangle. Set the dough in the middle of the parchment, then roll or press it into an even 9-inch square, leaving 1 1/2 inch strips of parchment on either side as handles.
      2. When ready to assemble, grease the sides and bottom of a 9-inch square cake pan with butter or cooking spray. Use a removable bottom pan if you have one.
      3. Using the parchment as a sling, transfer the dough into the prepared pan. Press the dough to ensure it reaches the edges.
      4. Cover the pan and let it sit for 30 minutes if the dough was at room temperature or 45 minutes if it was cold.

      Make the Streusel

      1. In a medium mixing bowl, weigh the sugar, flour, corn flour, and salt then whisk to combine.
      2. Cube the butter and add it to the bowl. Pinch and rub the butter into the dry mixture until no chunks of butter are visible and the streusel can form clumps.
      3. Add in the sliced/slivered/chopped almonds and toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

      Assemble and Bake the Kuchen

      1. Heat your oven to 350°F with a rack in the top third. Halve and pit the apricots, then cut into 3 slices per half.
      2. Lay the apricots on top of the dough in neat rows, skin-side down. Tuck them in snugly and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of sugar.
      3. Top the apricots with the streusel, ensuring it covers the edges for a crunchy finish.
      4. Bake the kuchen for 40-45 minutes, until the streusel turns golden brown in spots and almonds are toasty. Let it cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.