Cherry & Almond Stollen
About the bake
Not just for Christmas, this sweet and colourful German bread with fruit and nuts makes for a delicious snack. Filled with rich flavours, this Cherry and Almond Stollen is suited to confident bakers. We like to enjoy a slice with coffee, after dinner, or to make a few loaves as gifts.
Let stollen steal your heart - and not just at Christmas time! This super sweet and colourful German bread is stuffed full of fruit and nuts, making a delicious snack. Whether you're looking for a challenge, or love the smell homebaked stollen brings to your home, this recipe will have you serving up showstopping stollen in six simple steps. Better go pre-heat the oven!
For the best stollen, make 2-3 weeks in advance as it matures with flavour over time. Store in baking parchment in an airtight container at room temperature.
Method
Step 1
MIX
Bring the milk to the boil, then remove from the heat and add the butter. Leave to cool until it reaches hand temperature. Mix the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a big bowl. Mix the milk and the beaten egg into the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon.Step 2
KNEAD
Tip onto a lightly flour dusted surface and knead for 10 minutes (or use the dough hook attachment on your mixer).Step 3
RISE
Lightly grease the mixing bowl with some oil. Put the dough back in, cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and leave to rise until doubled in size – up to 2 hours depending on how warm your kitchen is.Step 4
SHAPE
Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan, gas mark 4).
Knead the cherries, sultanas and flaked almonds into the dough. Roll the marzipan into a 30cm long sausage. Roll the dough into a 20 x 30cm rectangle on a floured baking sheet and sit the marzipan along the middle. Close the dough like a book around the marzipan, tucking the ends under to keep it sealed inside.
Step 5
PROVE
Cover the dough again with a clean tea towel and leave to prove until nearly doubled in size.Step 6
BAKE
Bake the stollen for 30 minutes until risen and golden. Mix the melted butter and almond extract together, then when the loaf comes out of the oven transfer to a wire rack, and brush all over liberally with the almond butter. Dust thickly in icing sugar and cool completely.
Ingredients
For the dough
- 500gAllinson's Strong white bread flour
- 7gEasy bake yeast
- 275mlMilk
- 50gButter (unsalted) (cold, diced)
- 1Egg(s) (free range) (medium, beaten)
- 75gBillington's Unrefined Golden Caster Sugar
- 1.5 tspSalt
Plus
- 75gGlacé cherries
- 75gSultanas
- 75gAlmonds (flaked) (toasted)
- 200gMarzipan
- 50gButter (unsalted) (melted, plus extra for greasing)
- 1 tspAlmond extract
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