appetite magazine
Christmas stollen
 
 
Author:
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
  1. Put 300g of the flour in a mixing bowl.
  2. Add salt, yeast/milk mix, beaten egg and soft butter.
  3. Mix well with a spatula.
  4. Sprinkle 25g flour on a board (it needs so much because it’s sticky), and pile mixture on top.
  5. Turn over in the flour and knead lightly to form a ball.
  6. 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).
  7. Turn risen dough onto a board floured with the remaining 25g flour.
  8. Sprinkle the fruit, almonds, lemon zest and sugar on top and knead.
  9. Form into a smooth ball and shape into an oblong 15cm x 20cm with a floured rolling pin.
  10. Using your hands, roll the marzipan into a sausage shape about 14cm long.
  11. Place widthways in the middle of the dough, finishing short of the ends.
  12. Fold the marzipan over to make a parcel and turn over so the seam is underneath.
  13. Place diagonally on a baking sheet, allowing plenty of room to expand.
  14. 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).
  15. Preheat oven to 180C/Gas 4.
  16. Remove bag and bake for 40 mins on the middle shelf.
  17. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 mins then move to a wire rack.
  18. Dust heavily with icing sugar now and again to serve.
  19. Note: If you want to freeze this, do so as soon as it cools. Defrost, warm up and dust again to serve.
  20. Note: Use any dried fruits - just keep the proportion of fruit to flour the same.
Recipe by appetite magazine at https://www.appetitemag.co.uk/christmas-stollen/