Rhian Craddock, chef-proprietor of The Feathers Inn, Northumberland, shares dishes which have brought his pub multiple awards, including The Good Food Guide’s Local Restaurant of the Year 2019, The Good Pub Guide’s County Dining Pub of the Year 12 times 2007-2019, and The Michelin Guide Inspectors’ Favourite 12 times 2007-2019.
The Feathers, Hedley-on-the Hill, Stocksfield, NE43 7SW, tel 01661 843 607, www.thefeathers.net
Christmas stollen
Author: Rhian Craddock
Ingredients
- 350g strong white flour
- pinch fine salt
- 2 tsp/25g easy bake yeast mixed with 110ml hand-hot milk
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 110g soft butter
- 40g dried cranberries
- 25g golden sultans
- 50g brown sultanas
- 40g no-soak apricots, chopped
- 40g glace cherries, quartered
- 25g almonds, chopped (skin on)
- grated zest of 1 lemon
- 40g caster sugar
- 175g white marzipan
- icing sugar, sifted to dust with
Method
- Put 300g of the flour in a mixing bowl.
- Add salt, yeast/milk mix, beaten egg and soft butter.
- Mix well with a spatula.
- Sprinkle 25g flour on a board (it needs so much because it’s sticky), and pile mixture on top.
- Turn over in the flour and knead lightly to form a ball.
- Put in the bowl, place in a polythene bag closed with a clip and leave at room temperature until doubled in size (up to 2 hours, depending on temperature).
- Turn risen dough onto a board floured with the remaining 25g flour.
- Sprinkle the fruit, almonds, lemon zest and sugar on top and knead.
- Form into a smooth ball and shape into an oblong 15cm x 20cm with a floured rolling pin.
- Using your hands, roll the marzipan into a sausage shape about 14cm long.
- Place widthways in the middle of the dough, finishing short of the ends.
- Fold the marzipan over to make a parcel and turn over so the seam is underneath.
- Place diagonally on a baking sheet, allowing plenty of room to expand.
- Put the whole thing in a lightly oiled polythene bag (you may need 2) and leave to prove in a warm place until doubled in size again (about 1 hour).
- Preheat oven to 180C/Gas 4.
- Remove bag and bake for 40 mins on the middle shelf.
- Cool on the baking sheet for 5 mins then move to a wire rack.
- Dust heavily with icing sugar now and again to serve.
- Note: If you want to freeze this, do so as soon as it cools. Defrost, warm up and dust again to serve.
- Note: Use any dried fruits - just keep the proportion of fruit to flour the same.
