Sweet Kuchen Dough

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the milk and 1 cup of the flour and set aside to rise in a warm place.

Cream the butter, add the sugar and the eggs, one at a time, stirring well after each addition. Then add salt, lemon rind, the rest of the flour and yeast mixture, alternately. Mix well and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk.

Cut dough down and form into any desired shapes; let rise again and bake in moderately hot oven (375 degrees F) until browned.

For Kuchen Roll Or Ring (Gugelhopf):

Roll 1/2 recipe of Kuchen Dough 1/2 inch thick on floured board. Brush well with melted butter, sprinkle well with sugar, a little cinnamon, and then add the raisins. Begin at one end and roll into a long cylinder.

Place in a well-greased long pan or round form with tube in center. Let rise until doubled in bulk and bake in a moderate oven, 350 degrees F, until thoroughly done, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

For Nut, Spice Or Poppy Seed:

In Kuchen Roll recipe, instead of the filling of sugar, cinnamon and raisins, use Almond Paste Filling, Nut Paste Filling, Walnut Filling, Gingerbread Filling, or Poppy Seed Filling.

For Swedish Tea Ring:

Use one third of the recipe for Kuchen Dough. When doubled in bulk, cut down and roll into an oblong sheet 1/3 inch thick. Brush with butter. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup each of raisins and blanched, chopped almonds.

Roll like jelly roll, place on a large baking pan, bring ends together and pinch to form ring. With scissors, cut through ring from edge nearly to center, making a cut every 1 1/2 inches, turning each division upward to show raisins and nuts.

Let rise until doubled in bulk. Brush with milk. Sprinkle with nuts, bake 1/2 hour at 350 degrees F, until brown.