Christmas Stollen Recipe

Prepare the Fruit Mixture

1. Gather the ingredients.

2. Mix together all the ingredients for the fruit mixture in a large bowl.

3. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand in a cool place for up to 5 days, but at least overnight.

4. Just before making the stollen, take 1 tablespoon of the weighed flour and mix into the reserved fruit to absorb any excess moisture.

Make the Dough

1. Gather the ingredients.

2. Using a whisk, beat together the butter, salt, allspice, sugar, and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl until soft.

3. Add the egg, little by little, until fully absorbed.

4. Add the remaining flour and yeast to the creamed mixture and mix until it comes together. Let stand for 10 minutes.

5. Transfer the dough to a lightly-floured surface and knead for 8 minutes.

6. Add the reserved fruit mixture to the dough and knead gently until it is mixed in evenly.

7. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in size, about 1 hour.

8. Shape the marzipan into a short log and set aside.

9. De-gas the dough after 1 hour of proofing to release the air and when ready, transfer to work surface. 

10. Dust the dough with some flour so that the rolling pin doesn't stick to the surface. Roll out the dough to a rough square.

11. Place the marzipan log in the middle. Fold the dough around the marzipan to enclose it completely.

12. Roll the stollen so that the seam is facing the bottom. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with non-stick parchment. 

13. Cover with a cloth and set aside to proof for another 30 minutes.

14. Preheat oven to 200 C/Gas 6 and place a roasting pan in the bottom of oven.

15. Fill a cup with water and set aside.

16. When dough is ready, put the baking sheet into oven and add the cup of water to the roasting pan. Close door and lower temperature to 180 C/Gas4. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes. The stollen should sound hollow when tapped.

17. Melt the butter from the first glaze and brush the hot baked stollen when removed from the oven. Brush 2 to 3 times so the butter is allowed to seep into the dough.

18. Sprinkle the caster sugar over the butter-brushed stollen and allow to cool.

Make the Second Glaze

1. Gather the ingredients.

2. Put all the ingredients into a small saucepan and bring to the boil for 1 to 2 minutes.

3. Transfer the cooled stollen to a sheet of parchment paper that's dusted with icing sugar. Brush the hot glaze all over the stollen.

4. Using a sieve, dust with confectioner's sugar; the top, sides, and bottom will pick up the sugar from the parchment paper. 

5. Wait 5 minutes for glaze to absorb after the first dusting, then give it a final coating of confectioner's sugar.

6. Serve and enjoy!