Whole Grain Christmas Stollen

jeff dessert, equipment, Giveaways, HBin5, Red Star Yeast, Sweets, The New Healthy Bread in 5, Whole Grain

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Christmas Stollen is a wonderful German baking tradition this time of year. A sweet loaf that is studded with dried fruit, spiced with cardamom and a special treat of almond paste runs through it. Once it comes out of the oven it is traditional to slather the warm loaf in butter then roll it in sugar, but we skip the extra butter and dust it with a thick layer of confectioners’ sugar to look like the snow outside. This loaf actually holds up very well for a couple of days and that makes it a great gift for the holidays.

About gifts for the bakers on your holiday list, here are our favorite tools for baking bread, they are great for those who love to bake and folks who want to learn how.

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100% whole wheat Christmas Stollen from The New Healthy Bread in Five Minutes

Makes enough for three 1 1/2 pound loaves

6 cups White Whole Wheat Flour

1 tablespoon granulated Red Star Platinum Yeast

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1/2 tablespoon ground cardamom

1/4 cup Vital Wheat Gluten

2 cups lukewarm water

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly (see the book for other alternatives)

1/2 cup honey

4 large eggs

1/4 cup brandy (OJ or black tea can be substituted)

1 1/2 cups finely chopped dried and/or candied fruit (you choose your favorites. I used cherries, raisins, craisins, and  apricots.)

1/2 cup Almond Paste, per loaf

Egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water)

Confectioners’ sugar for the top

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Mixing the dough: Dump the flour, Platinum yeast, salt, cardamom, and vital wheat gluten in a Round Food-Storage Container with Lid and stir them together with a spoon or Danish Dough Whisk. Add the water, butter, honey, eggs, brandy and dried fruit, mix until well incorporated. No kneading! Cover loosely and let stand on the counter for 2 hours. This dough will be sticky, but much easier to handle after it has been refrigerated for several hours. It can be stored in the refrigerator for 5 days or frozen for 2 weeks.

For a version that is a little more decadent, you can use the Brioche Dough (page 189, ABin5) and add the cardamom, the dried fruit fruit and replace 1/4 of the water for the brandy.

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On baking day take a 1 1/2 pound (small cantaloupe-size) piece of dough from the bucket.

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Using plenty of flour roll out the dough into a 1/4-inch-thick oval. Form the 1/2 cup almond paste into a rope and lay it onto the dough about a 1/3 of the way from the end.

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Fold the dough over the almond paste in thirds, so that it forms an S-shape, when you look at it from the end.

Place the loaf on a Sheet Pan with parchment or a Nonstick Silicone Baking Mat and loosely cover with plastic and let it rest for 90 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350F degree, with rack in the middle of the oven.

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Once it has rested use a pastry brush and cover lightly with egg wash, then bake for 35 to 40 minutes.

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Let the loaf cool for about 20 minutes

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and then Sprinkle it with confections’ sugar…

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Until it is completely covered and looks like snow!

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Here’s another idea for a bread baking gift:

Bread Baking Craftsy Class – An in depth video class that will guide you through the mixing, shaping and baking of our Master recipe. We’ll make dozens of breads, including everything from a boule to sticky buns. You’ll see our tips for shaping properly and getting the best results from all your breads, no matter which dough you use. If you buy the class through our site you’ll get $20 off the price of the class. Hope you’ll join us.

The winner of Sarah Kieffer’s book, The Vanilla Bean Baking Book, is Carol.

Happy Holidays!

272 thoughts to “Whole Grain Christmas Stollen”

  2. It would be amazing to win this prize package. I only recently discovered ABin5 – and I have been very pleased with the results every time. Both my family and my husbands are of German descent – a successful – beautiful & edible Stollen would be a great gift to my inlaws. I have tried Stollen in the past – and while it tasted ok – it was always too dense (I mean like a BRICK dense) and almost impossible to eat. We ended up picking the “goodies” out of the loaf and eating those only.
    Thank you for your consideration.
    Happy Holidays

    Reply

  10. I (and my family!) have gotten so much pleasure out of the skills and recipes I learned in your New Artisan Bread in 5 book – I’d be delighted to win the new Healthy Bread in 5 book, as well as the other wonderful prizes. I also appreciate your blog, and your responsiveness to questions here. Thanks so much and happy holidays!

    Reply

  21. I hope I win! I would love any of the presents mentioned. Love all your books and looking forward to owning this one.

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  33. Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day is a much loved volume. Now a lovely Stollen recipe to add to my repertoire. Can’t wait to try it.
    Carol b (cc)

    Reply

  42. I’ve never tried stollen before, but this looks delicious. Especially with the almond paste rolled in the middle. Thanks for the recipe and the generous give-away.

    Reply

  43. I am truly one of the converted since first getting Artisan Bread in 5 minutes a day…I have been making all our bread for 3 years and have converted a few dozen others as well! I would love to be a winner of these bread making supplies!

    Reply

  44. What a timely recipe! sure looks easier for making real shaped and filled stollen than the traditional method!

    Reply

  47. That looks so tasty! I’d love to win the prize. Whether I do or not, I’ll keep baking your breads!
    I’m still so happy to have discovered this way of making breads.

    Reply

  49. Goodness, mom made stollen. She tried to teach me when I was a teen, but that didn’t go well. Now, I wish I had paid attention. Thanks for the memory.

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  50. I’ve never had a stollen. It looks delicious!

    I love the way the bread comes out in a dutch oven so I’m sure those covered bakers are even better!

    Reply

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