KS Quotient

Fairly Easy: Two-stage mixing. Sophisticated look, yet requires no hand-shaping.

2¼ cups (11.25 ounces) unbleached all-purpose white flour, plus 2/3 cup (3.33 ounces), plus more as needed

¾ teaspoon table salt

1 teaspoon instant, fast-rising, or bread machine yeast

1 cup ice water

3½ tablespoons kirsch (clear cherry brandy), or orange juice if preferred

1¼ cups dried sweetened cherries (avoid dried-out, hard ones), rinsed under hot water and drained well

Flavorless vegetable oil for brushing

6½ tablespoons granulated sugar

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

1 large egg, at room temperature

1 cup (6 ounces) chopped (chocolate mini-morsel size) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate

Transparent Powdered Sugar Glaze for brushing over top, or Glossy Chocolate Drizzle for drizzling over top, or both

First Rise In a large bowl, thoroughly stir together 2¼ cups of the flour, the salt, and yeast. Vigorously stir in the water and kirsch (or orange juice), scraping down the bowl sides and mixing until the dough is thoroughly mixed. If necessary to facilitate mixing, stir in enough more water to yield a firm, but not hard-to-stir, dough. Evenly fold in the cherries. Brush or spray the top lightly with vegetable oil. Tightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap. If desired, for best flavor or for convenience, refrigerate the dough for 3 to 8 hours. Then let the dough rise at cool room temperature for 12 to 18 hours.

Second Rise Stir together the sugar and butter, then stir in the egg until smooth. Vigorously stir the mixture and the chocolate into the dough until evenly distributed. (If preferred, use a dough hook and heavy-duty stand mixer on low.) Add in 2/3 cup of the flour, then, if necessary, enough more to yield a very firm dough, scraping down the sides carefully. Turn out the dough out into a well-oiled or nonstick spray—coated Bundt pan, angel food pan, or other 10- to 12-cup tube pan. Smooth and even out the -surface with a well-oiled rubber spatula. Cover the bowl with nonstick spray—coated plastic wrap.

Let Rise Using Any of These Methods For a 2- to 3-hour regular rise, let stand at warm room temperature; for a 1½- to 2½-hour accelerated rise, let stand in a turned-off microwave along with 1 cup of boiling-hot water; or for an extended rise, refrigerate for 4 to 48 hours, then set out at room temperature. If the dough nears the plastic wrap, remove it and continue the rise until the dough has increased about a quarter over its deflated size. (Don't worry if the dough doesn't expand much during the rise; it will rise a lot in the oven.)

Baking Preliminaries 15 minutes before baking time, place a rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat to 375°F.

Baking Bake on the lower rack for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is nicely browned. Cover the top with foil and continue baking for 20 to 25 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the thickest part comes out with only a few particles at the bottom end (or an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 205° to 207°F). Then bake for another 5 to 10 minutes to ensure the interior is baked through. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the center tube and sides to loosen the loaf, then invert it onto the rack. Add the transparent glaze while the coffeecake is still warm and the chocolate drizzle when cooled.

Serving and Storing

Slices best when cool, but is good slightly warm or at room temperature. Cool completely before storing airtight in plastic or foil. Keeps at room temperature for 2 days, and may be frozen, airtight, for up to 2 months.

Tip

Any 10- to 12-cup ovenproof pan with a center tube will do, so long as the surface is not too reflective. Most metal surfaces work fine, but those that are as shiny as aluminum foil will prevent the bread from browning well.