Stollen
Ingredients
- 250 g flour
- 7 g yeast
- 50 g sugar
- 100 ml warm milk
- 1 egg yolk
- 100 g soft butter
- 150 g raisins, 50 g candied peel, 50 g chopped almonds, soaked in rum or orange juice
- cinnamon, cardamom, citrus zest
- 150-200 g marzipan, shaped into a log
- melted butter and plenty of powdered sugar, to finish
Stollen began as a plain fasting bread and evolved into a rich, buttery holiday loaf studded with raisins, candied peel and almonds, soaked beforehand in rum or juice. A log of marzipan is folded into the center of the dough before baking, and once baked the loaf is generously brushed with melted butter and buried in powdered sugar for a 'snowy' finish. Many bakers make it well ahead of Christmas and let it age to deepen the flavor.
Method
Soak the raisins, candied peel and almonds in rum or orange juice for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
Combine flour, yeast, warm milk, sugar, egg yolk, butter, spices and citrus zest, and knead into a soft, slightly sticky dough, about 8-10 minutes.
Fold in the soaked dried fruit until evenly distributed.
Proof in a warm spot until doubled, 1-2 hours.
Shape the dough into an oval, lay the marzipan log along the center, and fold the dough over lengthwise, pressing the top seam to seal.
Proof again briefly, then bake at around 180°C (350°F) for 30-35 minutes until deep golden.
While still warm, brush generously all over with melted butter and dust heavily with powdered sugar.
Wrap and let rest for several days to a couple of weeks before slicing, for the best flavor.
Ingredients
- 500 g strong white bread flour
- 100 g caster sugar
- 10 g fast-action dried yeast
- 10 g salt
- 150 g unsalted butter, softened
- 250 ml whole milk
- Pinch each of ground nutmeg and ground cloves
- ½ tsp vanilla extract and 2 drops almond extract
- 55 g blanched almonds, finely chopped
- 200 g raisins, 100 g currants and 125 g mixed candied peel
- 225 g marzipan
- 50 g butter, melted (half for rolling, half to finish)
- 2 tbsp icing sugar, to finish
Paul Hollywood treats stollen as a bread first: a strong-flour dough enriched with softened butter and milk is kneaded until smooth before the spices, extracts, almonds and a heavy load of dried fruit and peel are worked in from the outside inward. After a long rise the dough is rolled into a rectangle, brushed with butter and rolled around a slab of marzipan so every slice shows a seam of almond paste. It bakes for a full hour, then is brushed with more butter and thickly dusted with icing sugar.
Method
Put the flour and sugar in a large bowl with the yeast on one side and the salt on the other. Add the softened butter and 200 ml of the milk and mix, then add the remaining milk and knead for 6-7 minutes until smooth and elastic.
Mix the spices, extracts, chopped almonds, dried fruit and peel together on the work surface, set the dough on top and knead from the outside into the centre until everything is evenly distributed.
Cover the bowl with cling film and leave to rise for 1-1½ hours, until doubled in size.
Flatten the dough and roll it into a 45 x 35 cm rectangle. Brush with melted butter. Roll the marzipan into a 25 x 15 cm rectangle, lay it on the dough and roll the dough up around it.
Transfer to a lined baking sheet, cover and leave to rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Heat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan / 375°F).
Bake for 1 hour until deep golden. Brush the hot stollen with the remaining melted butter and dust generously with icing sugar. Serve cold, in slices.
