German Christmas Stollen

[Olga Drozd]

German Christmas Stollen

This classic German Christmas bread is packed with liquor-soaked dried fruits, which add flavor and helps preserve freshness.  It is shaped to resemble the blankets of the swaddled Baby Jesus and is dusted with a generous layer of confectioners' sugar that is sifted over it to symbolize snow. This bread is not very sweet.  A log of marzipan in the the stollen comes as a surprise when the the stollen is sliced. You can leave the marzipan log out if you wish. You can bake stollen and store it, wrapped securely, at room temperature in advance of Christmas which gives it plenty of time to age. FRUIT: 1 cup raisins (black or golden or a combination) 1/4 cup mixed peel (1/4 inch dice) or citron 1/4 cup citron (1/4 inch dice) 1/2 cup candied cherries, chopped 1/2 cup dark rum or brandy SPONGE: 1 1/2 cups whole milk 2 cups unbleached all purpose flour 2 packages rapid-rise yeast (1 1/2 Tablespoons) 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar 1 large egg, at room temperature DOUGH: 1 cup unsalted butter, very soft - divided 1/3 cup granulated sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or (seeds scraped out of a split vanilla bean) 3/4 teaspoon pure almond extract 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup blanched whole almonds, chopped into medium-sized pieces (lightly toasted if you wish) 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour (divided) 12 ounces marzipan (optional) 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted -- for brushing baked stollen Confectioners' sugar for dusting

The night before or even 2 or 3 days ahead, combine the raisins, dried fruit, and liquor in a 2-pint jar with screw cap lid or a resealable plastic bag.  Turn the container several times to distribute the liquor evenly.  Set aside at room temperature to soak.

To make the sponge, scald the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat--you will see steam rising from the surface and small bubbles forming around the edges.  Remove the pan from the heat and let the milk cool to between 120º F. and 130º F.

Put 2 cups flour into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a heavy duty mixer.  Whisk in the yeast, sugar and ground ginger.  Add the milk and whisk briskly to make a smooth batter.  Add the egg and whisk to combine well.  Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let the sponge rise until it more than doubles in volume and then collapses on itself, about 2 hours.

To make the dough with a stand mixer, attach the flat beater and beat the butter into the sponge in 2-Tablespoon installments on medium speed, beating until incorporated after each addition. (This will take a while).  Add the sugar, cardamom, nutmeg, vanilla seeds or vanilla extract, almond extract, and salt and beat on low to medium low speed until the dough masses on the blade, about 5 minutes.  Scrape the bowl and beater, and stir in the liquor soaked dried fruits with any unabsorbed liquor.  Add the almonds.  Switch to the dough hook.  Beating on low speed gradually add 2 cups of the flour and knead for 3 to 5 minutes. NOTE: To make the dough by hand, read the note at the bottom of the page.

Sprinkle 1/2 cup flour on your work surface and scrape the dough onto it.  Knead the dough until all the flour has been incorporated.  The dough should feel fairly firm and be only a bit tacky. If it is too sticky, knead in up to 1/4 cup more flour.  (Don't add too much flour-- this is a soft and oily dough -- this is not a bread dough). Push any fruit that falls from the dough during kneading back into the dough.

Wash and dry the bowl and lightly coat it with oil.  Shape the dough into a ball and place it in the bowl, turning to coat all surfaces.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until almost doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Turn the dough out onto an unfloured work surface and divide it in half with a pastry scraper or sharp knife.  Shape each piece into a ball, cover with a kitchen towel, and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes.

Divide the marzipan into 2 pieces (if using). Roll each under your palms into a cylinder about 10 inches long--confectioners' sugar sprinkled under the marzipan helps in the rolling.

To shape the stollen: Pat or roll each piece of dough into an oval measuring 11 inches and about 8 or 9 inches wide at the widest point. NOTE: (I placed plastic wrap over the dough and patted into the size and with the side of my hand made an indentation in the middle of the dough).  If the dough sticks at any point, dust it very lightly with flour. Make a shallow depression down the center of each oval with the handle of a wooden spoon.  Place a roll of marzipan in each depression.  Lift one side of dough over the marzipan, covering it completely.  The edge of the top flap of dough should just reach the other edge of dough.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly spray it with vegetable spray.  Put the stollen crosswise on the prepared sheet, placing them about 3 inches from each end of the sheet and leaving about 4 inches of space between them.  Cover stollen loosely with plastic wrap.  Let rise just until they have increased in volume by about half, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Adjust an oven rack second level from the bottom and preheat the oven to 350º F.

When the stollen are ready, remove the plastic wrap and place the pan in the oven.  Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until the stollen are nicely browned.  An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part should register 195º F. or until a cake tester comes out clean  Remove the pan from the oven and immediately brush each stollen with melted butter.  Put the confectioners' sugar in a fine meshed sieve and sift a generous layers all over the top of the stollen.  Repeat in a few minutes if you see the sugar melting in spots. NOTE: (I used organic confectioners' sugar which does not contain cornstarch and it is a drier sugar that does not melt as regular confectioners' sugar).  Place the stollen with the pan on wire cooling racks. Cool the stollen after you have sifted the confectioners' sugar over them -- don't remove them from the pan until they are completely cold, they are very tender at this point.  To serve, cut into 1/2 inch thick slices with a sharp serrated knife.  Makes 2 large breads.

To store: You can leave the stollen, uncovered overnight, which will help them dry a bit.  Then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.  For longer storage, put the wrapped stollen in heavy duty resealable plastic bags and freeze for up to 2 months.  Thaw completely in the wrapping, then unwrap, place on a baking sheet, and refresh in a preheated 325º F. oven for 10 minutes.  Cool before slicing.  Dust with more confectioners' sugar if necessary.

NOTE: To make the dough by hand, beat the butter into the sponge with a wooden spoon in 2-Tablespoon installments, beating until incorporated after each addition.  Beat in the sugar, cardamom, nutmeg, vanilla seeds or vanilla extract, almond extract, and salt.  Continue beating for 3 to 5 minutes to make a thick ropy, elastic batter.  Add the fruit, along with any unabsorbed liquor, and beat in well.  Beat in the almonds.  Gradually add 2 cups of the flour, stirring to make a stiff but wet dough. Continue the recipe as above.