AMIS'S CHRISTMAS STOLLEN

facebook share image   twitter share image   pinterest share image   E-Mail share image



Amis's Christmas Stollen image

Pronounced shtoh-luhn, stollen is a wonderful traditional Christmas bread from Germany. The traditional shape is that of a large, folded oval. Every year my grandmother would make this for Christmas and we would have it for a light breakfast on Christmas morning to tide us over until the feasting started. In my family it's just not Christmas without the smell of stollen baking throughout the house. And I love making this and presenting it as gifts as well. My grandmother originally got this from the 1963 Better Homes and Gardens Bread Cook Book. Last year she passed the tradition down to me (in other words, if I didn't make it it's not getting done :D) and I added some spices as well as some dates and figs. This can be a bit involved since the total time for rising is 2 hours 40 minutes but it's definitely worth it. Note: this does call for almonds. Zaar World Tour 05

Provided by Amis227

Categories     Breads

Time 1h15m

Yield 3 loaves, 24 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 22

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (equivalents noted at the bottom)
1/4 cup water
1 cup milk, scalded
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar (vanilla sugar can be easily subbed)
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cardamom
3 teaspoons allspice
3 teaspoons ground cloves
1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
4 -4 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 slightly beaten egg
2 cups chopped dates
1/4 cup currants
1 cup chopped mixed candied fruit
1 cup candied cherry
1/4 cup chopped blanched almond
2 cups chopped figs
1 cup seedless raisin
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
4 tablespoons hot water
1 teaspoon butter

Steps:

  • Stollen:.
  • Combine the yeast with warm water (110 F). Note: If you're using compressed yeast, the water needs to be at 85°F.
  • Combine the milk, butter, sugar, salt and cardamom; cool to lukewarm.
  • Stir in 2 c of flour; beat well. Add the softened yeast and egg; beat well.
  • Stir in the fruits, peels and nuts.
  • Add enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough.
  • Turn out on a slightly floured surface. Knead for about 8-10 minutes, or until smooth and elastic.
  • Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the entire surface of the the dough.
  • Cover and let rise in a warm place for about 1 1/2 hours, or until double.
  • Punch down; turn out on a lightly floured surface.
  • Divide into 3 equal parts.
  • Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
  • Roll each of the 3 sections into a 10 x 16 inch rectangle.
  • Without stretching, fold the long side over to within 1 inch of the opposite side; seal the edge (you can pinch it together, or brush with a bit of beaten egg or warm milk if you wish).
  • Place on a greased baking sheet.
  • Cover and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until almost double again.
  • Preheat the oven to 375 and bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until golden brown.
  • Let cool slightly and place onto large pieces of wax paper, plastic wrap, platters, etc, each loaf on it's own separate surface.
  • You don't want to get the glaze everywhere.
  • Glaze:.
  • Note: You can easily half the glaze. My family doubled it because of our huge sweet tooth. (It's really pretty too. It has a daisy on it. :D).
  • Combine the sugar, water and the butter. Brush or pour over the stollen.
  • It will be runny at first so you may have to spoon any that gooped onto your platter or counter back up onto the loaf.
  • You can leave it as it is or decorate it however you wish.
  • I always make pretty flowers out of bits of fruit and cherries or sliced almonds. Such as a flower made with slices of almonds for the petals, bits of candied cherries for the center and citron or green candied cherries for the leaves and stems. Very pretty.
  • Let the loaves sit until the glaze has set (it will still be slightly squishy to the touch) and then wrap in plastic wrap to keep them fresh until it's time to serve them.
  • That's another reason we add so much glaze since it helps keep the bread moist.
  • Place the loaves in a cool dark place or they even freeze well.
  • I put the serving size at 24, which would be 8 generous slices per loaf but you will probably get more out of it.
  • Note: Yeast equivalents are One package = 2 1/4 teaspoons = 1/4 ounce = 1 compressed cake.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 252.1, Fat 5.8, SaturatedFat 3, Cholesterol 20.8, Sodium 136.4, Carbohydrate 48.5, Fiber 2.5, Sugar 28.1, Protein 3.9

There are no comments yet!

Are you curently on diet or you just want to control your food's nutritions, ingredients? We will help you find recipes by cooking method, nutrition, ingredients...
Check it out »

    #time-to-make     #course     #main-ingredient     #cuisine     #preparation     #occasion     #for-large-groups     #breads     #german     #european     #dinner-party     #holiday-event     #kid-friendly     #dietary     #gifts     #christmas     #pasta-rice-and-grains     #brunch     #number-of-servings     #4-hours-or-less