Dresdner Stollen Recipe

Directions:

1. Fruit Mix:
2. Mix all together and leave to marinate 24 hours in a covered bowl,
3. Turn from time to time, to ensure even distribution.
4. Stollen Dough:
5. Put the flour into a large bowl, make an indentation in the middle
6. And prepare a sponge with the yeast, milk and some of the
7. Flour.
8. While this is rising melt the butter and lard and leave to
9. Cool to lukewarm.
10. Put the lemon zest, salt, sugar and vanilla sugar around the sponge
11. And then add the butter/lard mix and work everything into a smooth
12. But firm dough (I added a little more milk to make the dough more
13. Workable) by hand, but be careful not to add too much or else the
14. Result will rise to much.
15. Leave to rise covered for at least one hour (there's not a huge
16. Amount of rise in this dough).
17. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and roll out
18. To a thickness of about 1-2cm.
19. Sprinkle approx a quarter of the fruit over, press into the dough with your hands, then fold over and roll out again.
20. Repeat this rolling, sprinkling and folding until all fruit is incorporated.
21. This will take time and patience, but persevere, it's worth it!
22. The whole process has to be done gently as the raisins may split and then the dough will turn grey - do not be tempted to leave this process to your food processor or kitchen aid.
23. Leave to rise again in a covered bowl for at least an hour.
24. Turn the dough out and divide into two equal portions.
25. Roll each into a rectangle of 25 x 45 cm.
26. If you want to add marzipan to your Stollen roll that out to the same size about 1mm thin (between two sheets of film), then lay on top of the rolled pastry.
27. Now fold the last 10cm of one of the short ends over and roll up the opposite end towards it, which will give you the traditional Stollen shape.
28. Press together well where the folded and rolled parts meet.
29. Cut two sheets of baking parchment to the size of your baking
30. Tray.
31. In the centre of each piece of paper put a Stollen and put the
32. Two side by side on your baking tray; fold over the extra paper so
33. That it is as high as your Stollen.
34. Leave to rest for min 20 minutes.
35. Preheat your oven to 250 Centigrade
36. Put the baking tray on the middle shelf of your oven and place 1 cup
37. Of hot water on the floor of your oven (to create steam !) and close
38. The door quickly.
39. Turn down the heat to 175 centigrade and bake for
40. Approx 60 minutes or tests clean ( use toothpick test).
41. 5 minutes before the end of the baking time melt 200g butter.
42. Once the Stollen are out of the oven, brush generously with the melted butter.
43. You'll have to go over about 3 times each until all the butter is used up.
44. Then dust all over with the icing sugar and leave to cool.
45. When completely cool wrap well and airtight and stor in a cool place for approx 4 weeks before eating.
46. Keeps for 2 - 3 months.
47. Before cutting dust with some more icing sugar for a nicer look.
48. Notes:- The dried fruit will normally absorb all the alcohol.
49. If you want to avoid alcohol you could substitute orange, lemon or cranberry juice.
50. - The last batch started without a sponge and with cold milk and
51. Left to ferment over night - workes fine and saves time.
52. - The end result is a fairly dense (not light and fluffy) cake, which
53. Tastes delicious, but those worried about calories should eat it in
54. Moderation!
55. I always have to cut each Stollen in half before wrapping it, and sometimes I just have to cut a thin slice for quality inspection.
56. Tastes delicious fresh, but even better after a few weeks!
57. Note: I tried making the dough in the kitchen aid and the result was not as good as by hand.