Christmas Stollen Recipe

Ingredients

• 7 oz (200g) rasins (or mixed dried fruit)
• 1/3 cup (80ml) rum (or orange juice)
• 3 cups (375g) flour (all-purpose / plain)
• 1/4 cup (50g) sugar
• 3 tsp rapid rise yeast
• 1 cup (100g) ground almonds (or almond flour)
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup (120ml) milk
• 3/4 cup (150g) butter (softened, unsalted)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 orange (zest only)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup (200g) candied citrus peel (orange and lemon)
• 8 oz (230g) marzipan (divided in half (optional))
• 1/3 cup (75g) butter (unsalted, melted)
• sugar (powdered / icing sugar, as needed)

Instructions

1. 1

   --- Prepare the dough ---

2. 2

   Place the dried fruit in a bowl and add the rum. Cover the bowl with a plate and leave the fruit to soak overnight.

3. 3

   The following day measure the flour, yeast, sugar, almond flour and spices into a bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook). Stir to combine the dry ingredients.

4. 4

   Heat the milk and butter in a saucepan or the microwave until the milk is barely warm and butter starts to melt. Stir in the eggs, vanilla and orange zest.

5. 5

   Add the liquid ingredients into the bowl with the flour and beat on low speed with an electric hand mixer fitted with dough hooks or a stand mixer. Increase the speed and mix until the dough starts to come away from the edges of the bowl, about five minutes.

6. 6

   Leave the dough to rest for 10 minutes then beat in the soaked dry fruit and citrus peel. You can also mix the fruit in by hand if you like.

7. 7

   Cover the bowl and place someplace warm to rise for 90 minutes or until it has risen visibly. The dough will not quite double in size like bread dough does, it remains a bit dense.

8. 8

   --- Shape the stollen ---

9. 9

   Lightly dust your worktop with flour and turn the dough onto it. Cut into two pieces and roll each into a little ball.

10. 10

    Roll or press each ball into an oval shape. Roll the marzipan into a log the length of the oval.

11. 11

    Make a dent on the left hand side of the oval (off-center) with a rolling pin and place the marzipan in the little trough. Make a dent on the right hand side and fold over to encase the marzipan.Tuck the ends under. Use your hands to press on the Stollen to shape it so that it has a little “hump” right off center. Shape the second loaf.

12. 12

    Cover the stollen loosely with plastic wrap and allow it to rise for an hour. Pick any dried fruit that sit on top of the loaves off as they might burn.

13. 13

    --- Bake ---

14. 14

    Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) towards the end of the second rise and bake for 30-35 minutes. Brush the warm stollen with melted butter and dust liberally with powdered sugar to cover. Leave to cool completely.

15. 15

    If you can, wrap the loaves tightly with plastic wrap and foil and leave them to mature for up to two weeks before sharing (see recipe notes).