Fruit and Almond Stollen with Marzipan Centre
A spiced German fruit bread wrapped around a ribbon of marzipan, finished with a thick dusting of icing sugar.
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Method
- 1
Soak the fruit. At least 2 hours before you need it, or overnight if you have time, soak the raisins and candied peel in the orange juice. This plumps the dried fruit so it stays soft and juicy once baked, rather than drying out further in the oven. Drain well before using.
- 2
Make and rise the dough. Mix the flour, yeast, sugar, salt, spices and lemon zest, then add the milk, egg, vanilla and melted butter and knead for 6-8 minutes to a soft, smooth dough. Knead in the drained fruit and toasted almonds on low speed, just until spread through evenly. Cover and leave to rise for 1½-2 hours, until the dough has grown by about half its size.
- 3
Make the marzipan. Knead the ground almonds, icing sugar and water together into a firm paste, then roll it into two 22cm logs. A firm paste holds its shape as a clean ribbon through the dough rather than melting into the crumb during baking.
- 4
Shape with the marzipan centre. Halve the risen dough and pat each piece into a 25 x 18cm oval. Lay a marzipan log just off centre on each, fold the dough over and press the seam firmly to form the classic ridged shape stollen is known for. Set the loaves on the trays, cover and prove for 45-60 minutes until puffy.
- 5
Bake until golden. At 180°C (160°C fan), bake for 35-45 minutes, tucking back in any fruit that pokes out and starts to catch. The loaves are ready when golden brown and the centre reads 88-93°C, confirming the dense, fruit-studded dough is cooked all the way through.
- 6
Finish with sugar. While the loaves are still hot, brush them twice with melted butter, then sift over a thick, even layer of icing sugar so it sets into a light crust. Once the stollen has cooled completely, dust again just before serving for that classic snowy finish.
Storage
Wrapped well, stollen keeps for up to 2 weeks at a cool room temperature and its flavour improves after a few days. For longer storage, freeze for up to 2 months and thaw fully before dusting with more icing sugar. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
Equipment
- small bowl
- stand mixer with dough hook
- cling film
- rolling pin
- 2 baking trays lined with baking paper
- pastry brush
- sieve
- instant-read thermometer
- wire rack
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 312 kcal |
| Protein | 5.7 g |
| Carbohydrate | 43.4 g |
| of which sugars | 21.3 g |
| of which free sugars | 15.4 g |
| Fat | 13.7 g |
| of which saturates | 5.8 g |
| Fibre | 2.3 g |
| Salt | 0.33 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
1.8 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
