Mary Berry's stollen
Studded with dried fruit and filled with marzipan, stollen is a German Christmas bread packed with festive flavour. I choose not to add currants as they tend to burn too easily.
Ingredients
- 225g/8oz strong white flour
- 7g sachet fast-action dried yeast
- 75²µ/2½´Ç³ú butter, softened
- ½ tsp grated nutmeg
- 2 free-range eggs
- 100ml/3½fl oz milk
- ½ tsp vegetable or sunflower oil, for greasing
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú caster sugar
- 1 lemon, zest only
- 175g/6oz mixed dried fruit of your choice (I use raisins and sultanas)
- 175g/6oz marzipan
- icing sugar, for dusting
Method
Measure the flour, yeast, butter and nutmeg into a mixing bowl. Beat one of the eggs in a jug, add the milk and stir together. Pour this into the dry ingredients and mix by hand (or in a freestanding mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment) until the dough has come together.
Knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 10 minutes (or in a mixer for 5 minutes on a low speed) until the dough is soft, smooth and shiny.
Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with cling film and leave to rise in a warm place for a minimum of 2 hours, or until it has roughly doubled in size.
Knock back the dough and flatten it slightly. Add the sugar, lemon zest and fruit to the centre, then pull the sides up and over the filling. Knead until everything is evenly distributed throughout the dough.
Roll the dough out on a sheet of non-stick baking paper to make a rectangle measuring 30x17cm/12x6½in, with one of the long edges closest to you.
Roll the marzipan into a sausage shape measuring 30cm/12in and lay it on the long edge of the dough that's closest to you. Roll up the dough like a Swiss roll, with the marzipan in the middle.
Pinch the ends of the dough together to seal them around the marzipan, then mould into a long, thin loaf.
Slide the stollen, still on the paper, onto a baking sheet. Cover with cling film (or put in a large poly bag with the ends tied) to create a warm atmosphere. Leave to prove in a warm place for about 30–45 minutes or until it has doubled in size again.
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
Beat the remaining egg and brush it over the loaf. Bake for 20–25 minutes until it turns a light golden-brown and sounds hollow when tapped underneath. Check on the stollen after the first 15 minutes of baking, as you may need to cover with kitchen foil if the top is getting too brown.
Leave to cool then dust heavily with icing sugar.
Recipe Tips
This will keep for up to a week in an airtight container in the fridge and freezes well.
Prove in a warm place – an airing cupboard is ideal, or if you have an Aga, sit the baking sheet on a tea towel and put on the top of the simmering oven lid or in a 4 oven Aga on the side warming plate.