Not your Grandmother’s Stollen

The traditional flavours of stollen in fluffy bun form – perfect for Christmas brunches.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup (50 grams) raisins
• 1/3 cup (50 grams) candied peel
• 1/3 cup (50 grams) currants
• 2 tablespoons dark rum, I like Kraken Spiced Rum
• 1 cup (150 grams) strong bread flour
• 1 cup + 1 tablespoon (150 grams) all purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 1/2 cup (120 mls) warm full fat milk
• 1 teaspoon active dried yeast
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 tablespoons (60 grams) unsalted butter, melted

To finish

• 100 grams marzipan
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
• Icing sugar, for dusting

– If using metric cups, reduce volume measures by 1 tablespoon for every cup of dry or liquid ingredients – 

Equipment:

• Bowls and spoons, or a standing mixer with a dough hook
• Baking sheets lined with baking paper

Directions:

If you remember the night before, measure the dried fruits, sprinkle over the rum and leave it all to soak. If you don’t remember just do it as far ahead as you can. If you are short on time for this microwave the bowl of fruit and rum for 30 seconds. The warm fruit will absorb the rum faster.

In a bowl mix together the flours, salt, sugar and lemon zest.

In a heatproof jug warm the milk and sprinkle over the yeast. When it’s all foamy use a fork to whisk in the egg.

Add the milk mixture, vanilla and melted butter to the dry ingredients and mix to a shaggy dough. Cover and leave the dough to rest for 10 minutes.

Tip the dough out and knead until smooth. The dough will be a bit sticky but persist and it will come together.

Flatten the dough out and tip the soaked fruit on top.

Fold the dough together to encase the fruit and knead until it comes together. It will be sticky and broken and look terrible for a while. Raisins will keep falling out. Keep at it. Add a tablespoon of flour to help but no more.

It will come back to a soft dough and will be very heavy with fruit.

Pop it into a clean bowl, cover and leave in a warm spot until doubled in size. It will take longer than a plain dough because there is a lot of stuff in the dough that will slow down the yeast.

When the dough is risen tip it out onto the bench and divide into 12 even pieces.

Divide the marzipan into 12 pieces and roll each onto a ball.

Take each piece of dough and flatten into a small disc. Put the ball of marzipan in the middle and pinch the dough around to form a ball that has the marzipan inside.

Place the balls into a regular muffin pan. Cover loosely and leave to double in size again.

Heat the oven to 180C (350F). Gently brush the top  of the buns with beaten egg and sprinkle granulated sugar on top.

Use a small sharp knife to cut a star in the top of each bun. If you have a lame for scoring bread use that. The stars will open a little in the oven and inside the cuts will be lighter in colour than the bits with egg and sugar.

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until well risen and golden brown.

Turn the buns out onto a wire rack to cool completely.  When the buns are cold dust them with icing sugar.

Cook’s Notes:

• This recipe is a little lighter and easier to handle than a completely traditional stollen dough but still has all the great flavours. I hope no ones german grandmother is offended!
• You can make your own marzipan or use store-bought – I recommend making your own as it’s much cheaper and you can make a large batch to do your Christmas cakes as well.
• To make this dough up as a traditional stollen loaf, roll the marzipan into a sausage about 20 cm long and wrap the dough around it. Tuck the ends under, prove on a baking sheet until doubled in size and then bake for 25 minutes at 180C. Leave to cool completely before dusting with icing sugar and slicing.

 – These buns are best within a day of baking. To make ahead, freeze the buns and refresh in a warm oven after thawing before dusting with icing sugar – 

Adapted from Classic German Baking by Luisa Weiss.

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