Paul Hollywood’s Stollen

Ingredients

• 500 g strong white flour
• 100 g caster sugar
• 10 g fast action yeast
• 10 g salt
• 150 g unsalted butter, softened
• 250 ml whole milk
• pinch ground nutmeg
• pinch ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 drops almond extract
• 55 g blanched almonds, finely chopped
• 200 g raisins
• 100 g currants
• 125 g mixed peel
• 25 g butter, melted
• 225 g marzipan
• 25 g butter, melted
• 2 tbsp icing sugar

Instructions

1. 1

   Put the flour and sugar in a large bowl. Add the yeast on one side of the bowl and the salt on the other. Add the softened butter and 200ml of the milk and stir together. Add the remaining milk and knead well on a generously floured surface for 6–7 minutes, until smooth and pliable.

2. 2

   Mix together the nutmeg, cloves, vanilla and almond extracts, almonds, dried fruit and mixed peel in a bowl. Add the dough on top and knead from the outside into the centre. When everything has been fully incorporated, return to the bowl, cover with clingfilm and leave to rise for 1–1½ hours in a warm place, until doubled in size.

3. 3

   Flatten the dough and roll out on a lightly floured surface to a rectangle about 45cm x 35cm. Brush with the melted butter. Roll out the marzipan to about 25cm x 15cm and place on top of the dough. Roll the dough up to enclose the marzipan and transfer to a lined baking sheet. Cover and leave to rise for 45 minutes–1 hour, until risen and doubled in size.

4. 4

   Pre-heat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/375°F/Gas 5 and bake for 1 hour. Remove from the oven, brush with melted butter, and dust with icing sugar. Serve cold.