A Mighty Christmas Stollen Ring!

The Sunday before Christmas is probably not the most ideal time to complete this recipe especially, if like me, you're still running around trying to multi-task!  Stollen originated from the City of Dresden in the 1300's. Read more on the history of Stollen by following this link.

Ingredients:

1. 85g raisins
2. 50g dried cranberries, plus extra to decorate
3. 100g mixed peel
4. 4 tbsp dark rum
5. 50g glace cherries or pistachios if you like nuts
6. 550g strong white bread flour
7. 2 x 7g sachets yeast
8. 50g golden caster sugar
9. Pinch nutmeg
10. Zest 1 lemon
11. 85g butter, cut into pieces
12. 250ml milk
13. 1 egg, beaten, plus extra beaten egg to glaze
14. 50g pistachios, peeled and chopped for decoration
15. 250g marzipan (bought)
16. 100g icing sugar

Method:

Mix the raisins, cranberries and mixed peel in a bowl, pour over the rum and leave to soak while making the dough.

Pour the flour into a large bowl and mix in a 1/2 tsp salt, yeast, sugar, nutmeg and lemon zest. Rub the butter in until the mix is like fine crumbs. Warm the milk to hand-hot, then mix into the egg. Pour the milk mix into the flour mix, then stir with a round-bladed knife to make a soft dough, adding a touch more milk if required.

This recipe can be completed in a food mixer with a dough hook for approximately 5 minutes, alternatively knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 10 minutes. Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover with cling film and leave until the dough has risen to double the size. This will take between 45 minutes and an hour.

 

Remove the dough from the bowl, knead lightly and roll out to a rectangle of about 37cm x 17cm. Stir the chopped cherries or pistachios into the soaked fruits, drain off any excess liquid from this mix. Take a 1/3 of the fruit and spread down the centre of the rectangle, fold the edges into the center overlapping slightly. Seal each end by pressing with the rolling pin. Turn the dough, roll again and repeat twice more using the remaining fruit.

Roll out to a final rectangle that is 55cm x 16cm. Roll the marzipan in to a sausage shape, so it's slightly shorter than the length of the dough. Place it down the centre. Roll the dough over the marzipan, then turn the dough over so the join is underneath. Lift onto a pre-greased baking sheet forming into a ring around a buttered 12cm cake tin (or empty large food tin) sealing both ends together with egg wash.

Place the marzipan roll down the centre of the dough

Egg wash the dough before cooking

Cover loosely with cling-film and allow to rise until doubled in size.  Then brush with beaten egg and bake for 30 to 35 minutes on 190C/Fan 170C/gas 5 until golden. Cool on the baking sheet briefly transferring to a cooling rack.

I used a Kaiser Bakeware Springform with 2 bases purchased about 25 years ago! However, a baking sheet and an empty clean food tin will do the job a lot better as I discovered.

Timings: Prep 40 minutes + 1 hour 15 mins to 1 hour 45 mins for rising.

Cooking time: 30 minutes if using the baking tray method

Suitable for Vegetarians and can be frozen without icing.