Aachener Poschweck (German Easter Bread)
This gorgeously burnished sweet bread has been an Easter tradition in Aachen, Germany’s westernmost city, since medieval times. Its name is derived from the local dialect’s word for Easter (Posch), combined with Weck, a regional term for white bread rolls. Poschweck therefore simply means “Easter bread.”
Served after the strict Lenten fast, the enriched celebration bread is studded with expensive ingredients like raisins and almonds, but what’s really special about Poschweck is the addition of whole sugar cubes, which get kneaded into the dough in addition to the dried fruit and nuts.
This sweet addition makes for slightly unwieldy kneading, but when the loaf bakes in the oven, the sugar cubes partially melt, leaving behind sugar-crusted holes in the crumb, like tiny little geodes. Some sugar cubes stay intact, for an occasional pleasurable crunch as you eat.
Traditionally a long loaf, it is often topped with flaked almonds.
Easter Bread with Raisins and Sugar Cubes
from https://www.thekitchn.com/
For the loaf:
3/4 cup (100 g) chopped, blanched almonds
1 1/2 ounces (42 g) fresh yeast, or 2 teaspoons instant yeast
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 cup (240 ml) whole milk, lukewarm
4 cups (500 g) all-purpose flour, scooped and leveled, plus more for kneading
11 tablespoons (150 g) unsalted high-fat, European-style butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 egg yolks
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (140 g) raisins
1 cup (125 g) sugar cubes
For the egg wash:
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 teaspoons whole milk
Place the chopped almonds in a dry skillet and toast over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until pale golden and fragrant, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
Crumble the yeast into a medium bowl and add the sugar. Whisk in the milk until the yeast dissolves. Cover the bowl with a dishcloth and set aside for 15 minutes. If using instant yeast, skip this step and simply add the yeast to the flour and other ingredients in the next step.
Place the flour in a large mixing bowl and make a well in the middle. Cube the butter and place in the well. Add the vanilla extract to the yeast mixture and pour and scrape it all into the well. Before mixing, add the egg yolks and the salt. Using your hands, mix everything together and knead in the bowl until the dough comes together. Then scrape out onto a lightly floured surface and continue to knead, adding flour only if necessary, until the dough is smooth, 3 to 5 minutes more. You want the dough to remain as light and floppy as possible, so resist the urge to add additional flour, unless absolutely necessary, for example if the dough still is sticky after several minutes of kneading. The more you knead, the less sticky the dough should become. At the end of kneading, the dough should no longer be sticky. Form into a ball and set aside on the work surface to relax for a few minutes.
Gently roll out the dough until it is about an inch thick. Place the raisins, toasted almonds, and sugar cubes on the surface of the dough. Gather the dough up and around the fillings and knead them in until well distributed throughout the dough. This will be unwieldy at first, but as you keep going, the dough will start to come together again. Form the dough into a ball and put back into the mixing bowl. Cover with the dishcloth and place in a warm, draft-free spot for 1 hour.
After 1 hour, preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Gently push down the dough to knead through once, and then shape into a 9-inch-/23-centimeter-long loaf that is about 5 inches wide in the middle. Place on the baking sheet.
To make the egg wash: Whisk the egg yolk with the sugar in a small bowl. Whisk in the milk. Brush the loaf evenly all over with the egg wash. Using a very sharp (ideally serrated) knife, slash the top of the loaf three times diagonally. Set aside in a warm, draft-free spot for 15 minutes.
Bake for 45 minutes, or until the Poschweck is a rich, deep golden-brown and sounds hollow when tapped. Place the sheet on a rack and let the loaf cool completely before serving in thick slices. The bread is best eaten the day it is made, but leftovers can be lightly toasted for a very special next-day breakfast.
Makes 1 (11-inch) loaf, Serves 8 to 10
German Easter Bread – Aachener Poschweck
from https://pretzelandme.blog/
Soak Raisins for Added Juiciness For an added burst of flavor and juiciness, soak your raisins in rum or water for at least an hour before incorporating them into the dough. This not only enhances the taste but also prevents them from drying out during the baking process.
Be Patient with the Dough - Aachener Poschweck dough requires time and patience. It’s essential to give it ample time to rise, preferably in a warm and draft-free area. Allowing the dough to rise properly will result in a lighter, fluffier bread.
Pre-Dough
250 g All-Purpose Flour (about 2 cups)
145 g Water lukewarm (0.61 cups)
1/2 tsp. Active Dry Yeast = 1.5 grams
4 g Salt = 2/3 tsp.
Dough
Pre Dough
290 g All-Purpose Flour (2 1/3 - 2 1/2 cups)
200 g Whole Milk (1.5 tablespoons)
1.5 tsp. Active Dry Yeast = 4 grams
30 g Sugar (roughly 2.5 tablespoons)
5 g Salt
150 g Butter soft (1 and 1/3 sticks of butter)
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1 tsp. Fresh Orange Peel grated or dried
125 g Raisins (about 5/8 of a cup)
125 g Almonds chopped, sliced or slivered
125 g Sugar Cubes (about 5/8 of a cup)
1 Egg for egg wash
2 tbsp. Confectioners Sugar optional, for decorating
Mix all ingredients for the pre-dough and proof it for 1 hour at room temperature. Then put the dough into the fridge for 24 hours.
Dissolve the yeast in milk and sugar. Add the yeast mixture to the pre-dough, flour, vanilla extract, orange peel and salt. Knead the dough on low speed for 5 minutes. Increase the speed to medium and knead for another 7 minutes.
Add the butter to the dough and knead for 2 minutes.
Finally add the raisins, almonds and sugar cubes to the dough and knead by hand not to break the sugar cubes.
Let the dough rise for 1 hour at a warm place.
Divide the dough into three pieces and form to oval loaves. Place on a paper lined baking tray. [ I think I would prefer one larger loaf.]
Let the dough proof for another 90 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°F
Brush the dough with egg wash and cut the dough 3 times across.
Bake at 350°F for about 30-35 min.
Let the bread cool down. Dust with Confectioners Sugar (optional)
Servings: 12 people
