Weihnachtsstollen

This traditional German recipe is a sweet, yeast fruit cake that is made during the Christmas time. This recipe was given to me by a German chef that I employed in my kitchen about 4 years ago.

Recipe for a medium sized tin:

• 7 g active dried yeast (1 package)
• 180 ml warm water
• 100 g granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 egg yolk
• 120 g soft butter
• 350 g strong flour
• 115 g chopped blanched almonds
• 60 g candied lemon peel, cut into small pieces
• 70 g candied orange peel, cut into small pieces
• 75 g raisins
• 15 ml lemon juice

Rehydrate the yeast in some warm water with a teaspoon of sugar and a teaspoon of flour. Leave for 10 minutes. Put the flour, the eggs and egg yolk, sugar, butter into the bowl of an electric dough maker. Mix these ingredients well on medium speed for 10 minutes. Add the yeast and allow the dough to work for another 10 minutes. Finally, add the peels, lemon juice, raisins and almonds to the dough.
Place the dough in clean bowl and allow to raise, in a cool place, for 12 hours.
Then, punch the dough down, place it back in the dough maker and work the dough with the bread hook for 10 minutes.
Roll down the dough to 1/2 inch thickness and roll it on itself.
Place on an oven tray and allow to raise for 2 hours.
Bake in a preheated oven at 190 degrees Celsius (375F) for 30 to 35 minutes.
When it is just out of the oven, sprinkle with some icing sugar.

Vegetarian, lactose free, suitable for pregnant women.