Savoury Kugelhoph - We Knead to Bake # 7

Month no. 7 and that means its time for bread #7. For the month of July Aparna decided tht we all should make a savory bread, as many had asked for it. Well, thats how the 'Kugelhoph' was decided.
I have learnt a lot from being a part of the 'We Knead to Bake' group and enjoy baking these yummy breads.
Aparna who pens at My Diverse Kithen  comes up with these new breads and there is a lot of leaning for someone like me.

Kugelhopf (also spelt as Kugelhupf, Gugelhupf, Gougelhof, Kugelhoph, Kugloff Kuelopf, Kouklouf, Köjlhopf, Koejelhopf, Koïlopf, Köjhupf!) is a yeasted sweet cake well known in the Alsace region of France, as well as in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria, and variations of this are also found in some countries of Eastern Europe

The note below is what I picked from wikipedia

A Gugelhupf, Guglhupf or Gugelhopf is a southern German, Austrian, Swiss and Alsatian term for a marble cake or Bundt cake. Supposedly the part "Gugel-" is a variation of the Middle High German word gugel (hood), and the part "-hupf" is a variation of "Hefe" (yeast). Folk etymology says that the "-hupf" part comes from the German word hüpfen (to jump), as the yeast dough literally "jumps out of" the cake pan.
In Hungary the spelling is kuglóf, in Croatia and Serbia the spelling is kuglof, in France kouglof and in Romania it's called guguluf. In the Czech Republic and Slovakia, it is called bábovka, and in Poland babka. In the Republic of Macedonia the cake is known as куглоф (transliterated, kuglof). In Upper Austria it has a different name: "Wacker" or "Wacka". In Slovenia, the standard word is šarkelj. In Western Slovenia, it is also known as kuglof, and in Central and Eastern Slovenia, kugluh.
A two-colored Czech version called "Bábovka". The dark brown portions of the crumb contain cocoa.
Gugelhupf is a big cake and has a distinctive ring shape or the shape of a torus. It is usually eaten with coffee, at coffee breaks.
Gugelhupf consists of a soft yeast dough which contains raisins, almonds and Kirschwasser cherry brandy. Some also contain candied fruits and nuts. Some regional varieties (Czech, Hungarian and Slovenian) are also filled, often with a layer of sweetened ground poppy seeds.
It is baked in a special circular pan with a central tube, originally made of enamelled pottery. Similar pans are used for making Bundt cakes, a cake baking pan shape in the US derived from the Gugelhupf.
The Gugelhupf was the sweet chosen to represent Austria in the Café Europe initiative of the Austrian presidency of the European Union, on Europe Day 2006.

Well, this bread/cake is a sweet version - but, Aparna decided that we make the lesser known savory kugelhoph. The savory Kugelhoph traditionally has diced ham or bacon added. But, we tried and kept it vegetarian.

I followed the recipe that Aparna has on her blog, except for the addition of tomatoes - the link for the same is here

Ingredients

3 to 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp instant yeast
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
75gm butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup milk
2 eggs, beaten lightly
1 tsp oil
1/3 cup chopped green bell peppers
1 cup onions, finely chopped
1/2 cup diced cheddar cheese (preferably sharp)
1/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 1/2 tsp coarsely crushed black pepper
1 tsp dried thyme

Method

This can be done by hand but it will be a bit sticky to handle, so use of food processor or stand mixer is recommended. Put 3 cups of flour, yeast, and salt in the bowl of the processor. Pulse a couple of times to mix. The add the butter, a little at a time, and process till incorporated.
Add the warm milk and process till mixed. Now add the eggs and process till mixed. You will now have a soft and sticky dough. Knead some more, adding more flour, a little at a time and just enough till the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Do not be tempted to add more flour than absolutely necessary.
Your dough will be very soft, elastic and just short of sticky. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, cover and let it rise until double in volume. This can take from 1 1/2 hours to 2 1/2 hours!
In the meanwhile, heat 1/2 a tsp oil in a pan. Add the chopped green bell pepper, the tomato and a pinch of salt and stir-fry till the raw smell disappears but the vegetables are still crisp/ crunchy. Remove and keep aside. To the same pan, add the remaining 1/2 tsp oil and sauté the onions with a pinch of salt till they turn golden brown. Remove and add to the bell peppers and keep aside.
Grease an 8” kugelhopf mould or bundt pan well especially around the centre (or whatever pan/ tin you plan to use). Place some of the chopped walnuts in the bottom of the mould. If you’re using a loaf tin or brioche moulds, then don’t do this. Instead press in the walnuts on top of the dough after the second rise, just before baking.
Once the dough has risen, deflate it. Then work the cheese, stir-fried onions, bell pepper and tomato, the remaining walnuts, black pepper and thyme into the dough. The best way to do this is to flatten the dough out and spread all this over the surface, fold the dough over and then knead it. This will ensure a more uniform incorporation of the “filling”. The dough will be a bit sticky, so use a scraper to help you with the kneading. Do not add more flour!
Roll the dough into a longish log, long enough to fit into the mould comfortably. Lift the “log” of dough and place it in the mould in a circular fashion and pinch the two ends together to close the “circle” of dough. Cover and let the dough rise for about an hour or so, until it reaches the edge/ rim of the mould.
Bake the Kugelhopf at 200C (400F) Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees for about 35 to 40 minutes until the top is golden brown and sounds hollow when it is tapped.
Unmould the Kugelhopf and let it cool on a rack. Slice and serve. This Kugelhopf should serve about 10 people and is also good for breakfast, as a snack or served with a simple soup.