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1
Butter 3 kugelhopf molds (each 1 1/2 quarts and 8 inches in diameter); set aside.
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2
Butter a large bowl; set aside.
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3
Heat the milk and butter in a saucepan over medium-low, stirring, until the butter is melted.
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4
Sprinkle the yeast and a pinch of sugar over the warm water in a small bowl.
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5
Let stand until foamy, 7 to 10 minutes.
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6
Whisk together 4 eggs and the egg yolks, 1 cup sugar, and the salt in a large bowl until thick, about 3 minutes.
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7
Add the vanilla, liqueur, zests, yeast mixture, and milk mixture; whisk 1 minute more.
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8
With a wooden spoon, gradually stir in up to 10 cups flour, 1 cup at a time, until a sticky dough forms.
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9
Stir in the dried fruits and almonds.
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10
Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface; knead, dusting with flour if it seems sticky, until smooth and soft, about 10 minutes.
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11
Transfer to the buttered bowl.
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12
Loosely cover with buttered plastic wrap; let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.
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13
Punch down the dough.
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14
Loosely cover with buttered wrap; let rise until doubled in bulk, 1 1/2 to 2 hours more.
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15
Punch down the dough; turn it out onto a lightly floured surface.
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16
Knead 1 minute.
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17
Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces.
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18
With lightly floured hands, roll each piece into an 18-inch-long rope.
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19
Fit each rope into a buttered mold; press the end of the rope into the dough to seal.
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20
Loosely cover with buttered wrap.
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21
Let rise until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.
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22
Preheat the oven to 350F.
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23
Whisk together the remaining egg and the cream in a small bowl.
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24
Brush the dough with the egg wash. Bake until golden, about 35 minutes.
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25
Let cool slightly in molds on a wire rack, about 10 minutes.
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26
Unmold onto the rack, and let cool completely, larger sides down.
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27
Yeast is a kind of fungus that, when activated, produces carbon dioxidethe gas that causes breads to rise.
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28
Yeast feeds off of sugar and water and stays alive even when frozen; nonetheless, it loses some of its efficacy over time.
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29
Three varieties are available to bakers: cake, instant dry, and active dry, all of which can be used in any recipe that requires yeast.
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30
Cake yeast is fresh and perishes quickly; instant dry yeast and active dry yeast are in powder form and have a longer shelf life.
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31
All three types can be checked for efficacy with a simple test called proofing.
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32
In a glass measuring cup, stir 1 teaspoon sugar into 1/2 cup warm water (105F to 110F); if the water is too hot, it will kill the yeast.
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33
Sprinkle the mixture with 1 teaspoon yeast.
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34
Instant dry yeast should react immediately; if it is active, it should foam and become creamy.
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35
Active dry and cake yeasts should react the same way within 10 minutes.
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36
If the yeast does not respond this way, do not use it.
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37
If it is active, remember to factor in the amount of tested yeast and water into the amounts called for in the recipe.
