The following post is brought to us by Guest Blogger Joan Ttooulias a Professional Home Economist (PHEc) in Ontario. Thanks Joan for sharing your story and recipe with us.
Christmas Stollen
yield: two loaves
Fruit mixture:
2 cups golden raisins (500 mL)
2 cups Thompson raisins (500 mL)
2 cups dried cranberries (500mL)
½ cup chopped citrus peel, optional (125 mL)
1 Tbsp grated orange rind (15 mL)
1 Tbsp lemon grated rind (15 mL)
¼ cup dark rum (60 mL)
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon (15 mL)
1 Tbsp mixed spice (15 mL)
Dough mixture:
3 Tbsp quick rising yeast (45 mL)
1¼ cups granulated sugar (300 mL)
2 cups homogenized warm milk (500 mL)
10 cups bread flour, divided (2.5L)
1½ cups canola oil (375 mL)
5 eggs, beaten (5)
1 Tbsp sea salt (15 mL)
1 cup slivered or sliced almonds, toasted (250 mL)
1 lb almond paste, divided (500g)
1 cup canola margarine, divided (250 mL)
1/4 cup coarse sugar crystals, optional (60 mL)
Directions:
1. Wash dried fruit thoroughly, drain and dry on paper towel. Mix with grated rinds, rum and spices. Cover and leave in cool place or refrigerator for 24 to 48 hours to plump fruit.
2. In large bowl mix dried yeast with ¼ cup [60 mL] of the sugar, add warm milk and stir until yeast is dissolved. Leave mixture until it ‘bubbles’. Stir in 3 cups [750 mL] flour; leave mixture to ‘sponge’; about 10 minutes. Meanwhile beat together oil, remaining sugar, eggs and salt. Stir into sponge mixture with 6 cups [1.5L] of the remaining flour. Sprinkle some of the last cup of flour on work surface and knead dough for about 10 minutes to form soft, smooth and elastic dough; sprinkle remaining flour on work surface if dough becomes sticky. Place dough in large bowl, brush dough with a little oil and cover. Leave at room temperature until dough is doubled in bulk; about 2 hours.
3. Fold in dried fruit mixture and slivered almonds; knead dough gently until fruit mixture and nuts are evenly distributed throughout dough. Divide dough in half; roll each half into an oval shape. Divide almond paste into two equal amounts; form into two ‘log’ shapes which are almost the length of the stollen dough. Place almond paste ‘log’ in centre of each stollen dough. Brush dough edges with egg wash and pinch edges together to seal. Carefully turn each loaf over and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
4. Cover loaves with plastic wrap and leave to prove until loaves are doubled in size, about 30 to 45 minutes. Brush each loaf with ¼ cup [60 mL] melted canola margarine. Sprinkle loaves with coarse sugar. Bake in pre-heated 425°F [220°C] oven for 15 minutes; reduce heat to 350°F [180°C] for another 25 to 35 minutes. Test for doneness. Insert skewer into centre of loaf, skewer should come out clean, free from uncooked crumbs.
5. Brush loaves with remaining softened margarine; let cool completely on cooling rack before double wrapping in parchment and foil to store. If serving immediately, dust loaf generously with icing sugar before slicing.
Homemade almond paste:
Measure ½ lb [250 g] each unblanched almonds and granulated sugar into a food processor.
Add 2 tsp [10 mL] almond extract and ½ tsp [3 mL] ground cinnamon; process almond mixture until finely ground.
Add 1 to 2 egg whites and pulse until mixture forms a fairly firm mixture.
Chill until ready to use.
Tips for the perfect Stollen:
Tip #1: Use a digital thermometer to test for doneness when baking stollen. If temperature registers 190°F-195°F [88°C-90°C ]; bread is baked.
Tip #2: If Stollen crust is getting too dark during the bake time; cover loaf with a sheet of foil.
Tip #3: Coarse sugar crystals can be found in food stores selling dried fruit, grains nuts and other foods in bulk in the cake decoration aisle with the other coloured sugar crystals.
Tip #4: If desired can grate a whole nutmeg into the fruit mixture use a fine microplane grater.
Joan’s Holiday Recipe Story
Recently a friend who likes baking but was looking for some guidance with making yeasted recipes, specifically making her favourite Christmas bread a Stollen, asked if I would show her how to make it
Originally the recipe hails from Germany, where there are as many variations as there are towns. There is even an annual Stollen Festival in Dresden, Germany: www.stollenfest.com.
You can go there to taste, learn and inhale glorious wafts of baking stollen as you wander through the historic town.
The recipe I shared with my friend originally came from Dresden, Germany with a few variations that I have added throughout the years that I have been making it for our annual Christmas breakfast when it is savoured along with opening the Christmas gifts…
The dried fruit mixture should be thoroughly washed and dried between paper towels and then left to marinate in rum or spirit of your choice for at least 1 day, preferably two. To this mixture you can add the spices and grated rind cover well and leave to marinate in a cool place or refrigerator.
The recipe makes two loaves which is perfect, one to eat and the other to give away as a fabulous edible holiday gift or if well wrapped in parchment and foil to freeze and use for New Year’s celebrations, or a dreary February when a slice of toasted Stollen will brighten a wintery day.
You might also like my Festive Holiday Kugelhopf recipe that I shared last holiday season.
Eat Well…Joan
Joan Ttooulias is a Professional Home Economists, food stylist, recipe developer and loves to travel.
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