Stollen is a traditional winter treat that is usually prepared in Germany at Christmas. It means as much to the Germans as it means to us an Easter cake. The appearance of Dresden Christmas pastries is not as bright and attractive as, for example, Nuremberg gingerbread or English muffins. It's all about its sacred sense. The simple shape and restrained design of the traditional loaf is considered the personification of the newborn Jesus Christ, swaddled in a cloth rag. #New Year
Ingredients: flour, Sugar, Butter (100 gr for dough and 50 gr for pouring), Vanillin, Milk, Salt, Yeast, Light raisins, Dark raisins, Almonds, Hazelnuts, Dried apricots, Candied fruits, Cognac, Powdered sugar, Zest of half lemon
Cooking method:
Let's start with the preparation: pour the raisins and candied fruits with cognac and leave them stirring, it is best to do this even in the evening, let it brew all night.
Fill the almonds with boiling water for 3 minutes, then rinse with cold water and peel, then dry in a pan and chop not very finely.
Heat the milk until warm, add sugar and stir to dissolve the sugar, dilute the yeast and add one glass of flour to mix well. Cover with a towel and leave for 30 minutes.
Then add softened butter, vanillin, salt and lemon zest to the dough.
Add flour and knead the dough. you may need a little more flour, this time it took me 1/2 tbsp more. Knead well. The dough should be soft, but not sticky to your hands.
Cover with a towel and send to a warm place for 1 hour. Then we knead and again let it come up for 40-50 minutes. This is the kind of dough we should get, soft and airy.
Sprinkle the work surface lightly with flour, spread the dough and roll it into a square with your hands, spread the soaked raisins and candied fruits, along with cognac and nuts.
Now we begin to knead our dough well, well, do not be alarmed if at first it is wet and stick to your hands, with every second of kneading you will see how the dough becomes obedient and homogeneous.
With our hands we stretch it into a conditional square and divide it into three parts with the edge of the palm.
Fold along the dividing line and transfer to a baking sheet covered with parchment. We leave it covered with something light for 30 minutes, and this time we preheat the oven to 180 C.
We send to bake until golden brown (about 30 minutes), then cover with foil and bake for another 1 hour.
From the foil we prepare a form where our stollen will ripen, and put the adits there, grease it with melted butter (50 g) and sprinkle it with plenty of powdered sugar.
We wrap the foil tightly, and then wrap it in something warm, I have a towel. We put it in a bag and send it to a cool place, but not to the refrigerator, in the refrigerator you can already reschedule the next day when it cools down and do not look into the package for at least 2 weeks, maximum -4 weeks.
And after finally waiting for Christmas, we take it out, cut it and enjoy... first the aroma, and then the taste.