GERMAN CHRISTMAS STOLLEN

ABSTRACT: Making a genuine Weihnachtsstollen is a daunting task because there is so much that can go wrong. Based on an ingredient list I found on the web and which I find works for me, this is a step-by-step instruction on how to make two smaller or one large stollen at home. Plan to spend the entire day. Make sure all ingredients have room temperature before you start. You'll need about 1kg of flour, but exactly how much will be decided during the baking process.

UNIT CONVERSION: The recipe I use is metric (SI), the oven I use and the measuring devices are largely US. Here are some pointers to convert one to the other since I have no idea who's going to use this:

• Celcius = (Fahrenheit-32)*5/9

• 1 cup = 200g of sugar and 100g of flour, in first-order approximation.

• 1 cup = 250ml

1. WAKING UP THE YEAST

This will ensure that the yeast is alive. A small period of fermentation also helps to give the stollen a moister texture. Turn on the oven, and put a large roasting pan with water on the middle shelf. This will provide a water bath which keeps the dough at a constant temperature. Take 1/3l of milk and heat it to 120F. Add two packages of dry yeast and, optionally, a teaspoonful of sugar. With a wire whisk, thoroughly dissolve the yeast. Check on the oven. If it's about 80-90 degrees in there, turn it off, but leave the oven light on. It'll keep the oven warm.

Pour 2 cups of all-purpose flour into a large bowl. Add the milk with the yeast slowly, stirring thoroughly. This will create a thick batter. Stir until there are no more lumps. Now add a little bit more flour to get a soft, moist dough that doesn't stick to the bowl anymore. Make a little ball, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and put the dough into the water bath. It'll sit there for about half an hour. By that time, you should be able to observe vigorous yeast activity!

2. MAKING THE DOUGH

In a really large mixing bowl, use the mixer to cream about 400-500g of butter. Add ½ cup of sugar, 2 eggs, the grated peel of one lemon, one or two teaspoon of vanilla extract, and a generous teaspoon of salt. Mix some more. Time it so you're ready towards the end of the half hour for Step 1, because now you'll remove the yeast sponge from the oven and add it to the butter mixture. Stir, stir, stir to remove all lumps. Start adding flour, ½ cup at a time, until the dough ceases sticking to your hands. When that happens, dust your work surface with flour, and start kneading vigorously (if not violently) in a stretch-and-fold manner for at least ten minutes. Carefully add more flour if the dough becomes too sticky. Occasionally, lift the dough up and bring it down hard on the work surface. This aids in the release of gluten and makes the dough more elastic and more willing to rise.

In the meanwhile, have a helper rinse your large mixing bowl, dry it, grease it with the wrapping paper of the butter, and dust it a little with flour. When you're done kneading, make a nice elastic ball of the dough, drop it into the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Put everything back into the water bath in the oven, which should still be at a balmy 80-90F. Let the dough rise, for about two hours, but allow it to roughly double in volume.

3. PREPARING THE GOODIES

While the dough is rising, mix 350g raisins, 100g citron, 50g candied orange peel, 100g chopped almonds or almond slivers, and other goodies you want in your cake (macademia nuts, candied pineapple, etc.) with a sprinkle (use discretion here) of rum or brandy. How much you use of each ingredient really makes no big difference. There is an upper limit, though, dictated by the fact that the dough will only be able to hold that much! Mix until things stop sticking together. Cover so the alcohol doesn't evaporate.

4. FORMING THE STOLLEN

When the dough has doubled in volume, take it out, punch it down, and roll it out onto your floured work surface. Sprinkle on the goodies that have been soaking up the brandy. Knead gently until everything gets distributed evenly throughout the dough. It is at this point when you'll have to decide whether to make one or two cakes. I usually make one. To do so, take your baking sheet and cover it with parchment paper. The parchment paper is a big help in getting the cake of the baking sheet onto a rack for cooling.

Bring your dough into a slightly oblong form. With some soft strikes with the edge of your hand (“karate”), make an indentation lengthwise down the middle. Now turn the dough around and fold under so the top side is under a little bit of tension. Put on the baking sheet and make a neat loaf. Cover with wax paper and – you guessed it – return it to the warm oven for another hour or so of resting and rising.

5. BAKING

After about 45 minutes, remove the risen loaf from the warm oven and start pre-heating to 400F. Put a rack on the very bottom shelf; on it put a stainless steel pot. Put another rack on the next possible position above. When the oven is heated up completely, pour two cups of water into the hot steel pot, making sure you don't get hit by the steam. This provides for a moist environment in the oven and prevents the cake from drying out. Wait another 5 minutes, then put your stollen (without the covering wax paper) on the middle rack. Reduce heat to 350F.

The stollen will bake for about 1 hour. If you don't like the top and/or bottom crust too dark, work with aluminum foil to protect it temporarily from direct heat. I cannot tell you how to do that because I don't know your oven and I don't know how you like your cake crust! Also, remove the pot with the water after about half an hour, together with its rack – which will be used for cooling the cake.

An hour after the baking began, insert a wooden stick into the stollen to see if it comes out clean. When it does, the stollen is baked through. Usually, I need 1:05h – 1:10h. When it is done, remove it from the oven. Using the parchment paper, move the stollen to the rack. It is very hot and very brittle, so some skill and care are needed here. Imagine moving a patient with a spinal injury from the gurney to the operating table... Holding the cake with a pot holder, you can now remove the parchment paper. Put the cake in a cool place and let it cool to room temperature.

6. DECORATING

When the cake has cooled a little, bring it back to the kitchen. Melt about half a stick of butter and brush the cake with it. Dust generously with confectioner's sugar (the dusty kind).

7. THE WAITING GAME

Fresh bread usually is delicious, this one, however, needs to age. Put the stollen into a paper bag or a shoe carton and return it to its cool place for one week of rest and maturing. During that time, the consistency of the dough will improve and it will take on some additional moisture.

8. ENJOY!!