My 102 year old Grandmother died recently and left a vast legacy of love, warmth and delicious recipes behind. I loved her German coffeecakes the best but this recipe for Plum Kuchen is my all-time favorite. It is yeasty and substantial yet moist and light - all at the same time. And oh-so-PLUMMY ! Mine is not quite as magical as hers but it reminds me of her and her wondrous baking skills all the same. This is a truly unique recipe worthy of the extra time it takes.
German Plum StreuselKuchen
2 1/4 teaspoons or 1 (1/4-ounce) package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (105–110°F)
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
1 cup sugar , divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plain whole-milk yogurt -at room temperature
1 large egg, warmed in shell in warm water five minutes
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons and softened, divided
3/4 pound firm-ripe Italian prune plums (about 4 small), halved and pitted
Streusel topping : 1/2 cup flour , 1/2 cup sugar , 1 stick of butter
Stir together yeast and warm water in mixer bowl and let stand until foamy, about five minutes. (If mixture doesn’t foam, start over with new yeast.)
Add two cups flour, 2/3 cup sugar, salt, yogurt, egg, zest, and vanilla to yeast mixture and mix at medium-low speed 1 minute. Beat in one stick of the butter, one tablespoon at a time, until incorporated. Beat at medium speed until dough is smooth and shiny, about five minutes. (Dough will be very sticky.) Scrape down side of bowl and sprinkle dough with remaining two tablespoons flour. Cover bowl loosely with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.Beat down dough and set aside.
Spread remaining two tablespoons butter in bottom of an 8- or 9-inch pie pan and sprinkle with remaining 1/3 cup sugar.Press dough into pie pan evenly. Cut each plum half or into five or six slices and arrange in one layer in concentric circles in dough ( or however you like ). Loosely cover with buttered plastic wrap, then kitchen towel. Let rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until almost doubled, about 1 1/2 hours. Can be refrigerated before baked , if desired.
Make streusels with 1/2 cup flour , 1/2 cup sugar, 1 stick of butter ( cold) broken into pea-sized bits . ( this is easier to do with bare hands - incorporating all until it is crumbly - if it gets too mushy add to fridge for a few minutes .)
Add streusel topping before baking - spread evenly on top of plums.
Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle. Bake until kuchen is golden-brown and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool for a good 30 minutes in pan.
Best eaten the same day but i love it even a few days old & cold straight from the fridge- it changes texture but this is not always a bad thing !
