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Stollen

Adapted from the New York Times from a recipe by Melissa Clark and Hans Röckenwagner
I made some changes, including adding some rye flour, for extra flavor. But that makes the loaves slightly heavier, so feel free to use all-purpose flour in its place if you wish. You can certainly swap out any dried fruits you want although I’d keep the tang of the dried cherries or cranberries in there, if you can find them; the little nuggets will brighten up your winter just a bit.
  • 2/3 cup (110g) dark raisins
  • 2/3 cup (110g) golden raisins, (sultanas)
  • 1/2 cup (80g) dried cranberries or cherries
  • 1/3 cup (80ml) dark rum or orange juice
  • 1 cup (160g) slivered or sliced almonds, lightly toasted
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) water
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons (one envelope, 20g) powdered yeast
  • 1/2 cup (125ml) milk (whole or low-fat), at room temperature
  • 3 1/2 cups (490g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup (80g) rye flour, or use similar amount all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup (100g) plus 3 tablespoons (45g) sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground dried ginger
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1 teaspoon freshly-grated nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon or orange zest, preferably unsprayed
  • 3/4 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
  • 1 cup (225g) plus 3/4 cup (170 g) unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1/2 cup (50g) chopped candied ginger
  • 1/2 cup (50g) diced candied citrus peel
  • 1/2 cup (70g) powdered sugar, or more, if necessary
  • Mix both kinds of raisins with the cranberries or cherries with the dark rum or orange juice, then cover. In another bowl, mix the almonds with the water, and cover. Let both sit at least an hour, or overnight.
  • Pour the milk in a medium bowl and sprinkle the yeast over it. Stir briefly, then stir in 1 cup (140 g) of the flour until smooth to make a starter. Cover, and let rest one hour.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the paddle attachment, or by hand, stir together the remaining 2 1/2 cups (350 g) flour, the rye flour, 3 tablespoons (45 g) sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of the dried ginger, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, citrus zest, and vanilla. Pour in the 1 cup (8 ounces, 225 g) of the melted butter, honey, and the egg yolk, and mix on medium speed until the mixture is moistened uniformly.
  • While mixing, add the yeasted starter, one-third at a time, mixing until thoroughly incorporated. Once added, continue to beat for about four minutes until almost smooth: it should resemble cookie dough. Add the dried fruits (and any liquid), candied ginger, citrus peel, and almonds, and beat until they’re well-distributed
  • Turn the dough out onto a lightly-floured surface and knead a few times, then place back in the mixer bowl, cover, and let rest in a warm place for one hour.
  • Remove the dough from the bowl, knead the dough again, then return it to the bowl. Let rest for another hour.
  • Divide the dough into four pieces and shape each one into a oval, and place them evenly-spaced apart on an insulated baking sheet. (The original recipe says to stack two rimmed baking sheets on top of each other, so you can do that if you don’t have one.)
  • Cover the loaves with a clean tea towel and let rest in a warm place for one hour.
  • Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Remove the tea towel and bake the loaves for 45 minutes, or until they’re deep golden brown. (Note: Recipe advises that when they’re done, the internal temperature should read 190F, 88C if using an instant reed thermometer.
  • While they loaves are baking, mix together the remaining 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar and 1 teaspoon dried ginger. When the breads come out of the oven, generously brush the remaining 3/4 cup (6 ounces, 170 g) melted butter over the hot loaves, letting the butter saturate the breads, repeating until all the butter is absorbed. (I was a daredevil and lifted the loaves, to saturate the bottoms. Which you can do if you feel nimble enough so you don’t break the loaves.)
  • Rub the gingered sugar mixture over the top and side of each loaf then let rest on the baking sheet until room temperature.
  • Sift the powdered sugar over, under, and around the breads, rubbing it in with your hands. They wrap the loaves on the baking sheet in a large plastic bag and let them sit for two days. After two days, the loaves are ready to eat, or can be wrapped as gifts. You may wish to sift additional powdered sugar over the top in case they need another dusting.

Notes

Storage: Stollen can be stored for at least a week, if well-wrapped, at room temperature. Or frozen for at least one month.