Instructions
If your candied orange and lemon peels are quite big, chop them into smaller pieces with a knife.
In a small bowl, combine raisins, candied orange peel, candied lemon peel, ground almonds, and the rum. Stir until everything is well mixed. Cover the bowl with cling film or place the mixture into a container with a lid and let it sit for one hour. You can also let it sit for longer or overnight if you want more intense flavors.
Once the mixture has been sitting for around 45 minutes, continue with the next step. In a small pot or microwave-safe container, heat the milk until it reaches a temperature of 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Then add the dry yeast and one tablespoon of sugar. Whisk until the yeast and the sugar have dissolved. It’s important that your milk is only warm and not hot as this might harm the yeast bacteria.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, egg, butter, sugar, lemon zest, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom. Mix everything together with the spiral dough hooks of your electric mixer.
Slowly add the milk with the dissolved yeast into the bowl and keep mixing for around 5 minutes until the dough forms a ball that no longer sticks to the side of the bowl.
Now add your rum-soaked fruit/nut mix and mix for another few minutes until the fruit is evenly distributed. Instead of your mixer, you can also use your hands if preferred. If your dough gets overly sticky again, add a little more flour.
Set your mixer aside and form the dough into a nice ball using your hands. Rub a little bit of flour onto the outside of the dough ball and put it back into the bowl. Cover the bowl with a dishtowel. Now place the bowl in a warm spot without draft for 1.5 hours to let the dough rise.
Once the time is up and the dough has increased in size, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Sprinkle some flour onto your countertop and briefly knead the dough with your hand. Then use a rolling pin to roll out the dough slightly into a bread shape. Now place your rolling pin in the middle of the Stollen so it is aligned with the long sides of the Stollen and slightly press down to create a valley with the rolling pin. Then fold one side of the Stollen up towards the middle of the loaf and press it down lightly.
Place the dough onto the baking sheet with parchment paper and cover it with a dishtowel. Let it sit in a warm spot for another 45 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake the Stollen on the middle rack for around 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Start watching your Stollen at around 30 minutes and cover it with aluminum foil for the rest of the baking time if the top gets too brown.
When the Stollen is done, remove it from the oven. Melt the butter and brush it generously onto the Stollen with a brush. Right after, coat the whole Stollen in powdered sugar. Then let the Christmas bread cool.
While you can eat the Stollen right away, it tastes best after it has had time to sit and “ripen” for a while. For that, tightly wrap the bread in aluminum foil and store it in a cool, dry place (e.g. your garage, basement, or colder bedroom) for a few days up to three weeks (depending on personal preference) before consuming. Enjoy!
Notes
Continue Reading in next page
ADVERTISEMENT
