Mary Berry’s Christmas Stollen
Master a festive season favourite with Mary Berry's magical stollen. This classic recipe is packed with dried fruit and marzipan centre and is finished with plenty of icing sugar.
Introduction
This is a traditional German Christmas bread. Prove it in a warm place – an airing cupboard is ideal, or if you have a two-oven Aga, sit the baking sheet on a tea towel and put it on top of the simmering oven lid. I don’t add currants, as I find they tend to burn easily.
Ingredients
| 225g (8oz) | strong white flour |
| 7g packet | fast-action dried yeast |
| 75g (3oz) | very soft butter |
| ½ tsp | grated nutmeg |
| 2 | eggs |
| 100ml (3½fl oz) | milk |
| oil, for greasing | |
| 55g (2oz) | caster sugar |
| zest of 1 lemon | |
| 175g (6oz) | mixed dried fruit of your choice (e.g. raisins, sultanas) |
| 175g (6oz) | marzipan |
| icing sugar, to dust |
Method
Cut a piece of non-stick baking paper to a rectangle that measures about 30×17cm (12×7in).
Measure the flour, yeast, butter and nutmeg into a large mixing bowl.
Crack one of the eggs into a jug and beat well. Add the milk and stir together.
Pour the egg and milk mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix together by hand, or in a free-standing mixer using a dough hook, until the dough has come together.
Tip out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead by hand for 10 minutes, or in the mixer for 5 minutes on a low speed, until the dough is soft, smooth and shiny. A slightly wet dough is best.
Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with cling film. Leave to rise in a warm place for at least 2 hours, or until the dough has doubled in size and is light and puffy.
Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knock back by hand, or in the mixer, then knead in the caster sugar, lemon zest and fruit until it is evenly distributed. Place the dough on the prepared non-stick baking paper and roll out to fit the rectangle.
Roll the marzipan to a long sausage shape the same length as the dough. Lay the marzipan down one long side and roll up like a Swiss roll. Seal the edges by tucking the dough under and mould the roll into a long, thin loaf. Slide the paper and stollen onto a baking sheet, then cover with cling film or a large poly bag. Tie the ends so the bag creates a warm atmosphere. Leave to prove a second time 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.
Remove the bag or cling film and discard. Beat the second egg and use it to glaze the surface of the stollen. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20–25 minutes, until light golden brown and the stollen sounds hollow when tapped underneath (check after 15 minutes, you may need to cover with foil, if the top is getting too brown).
Leave to cool on a wire rack, then dust heavily with icing sugar to serve.
Mary’s Tips: It will keep for up to 1 week in an airtight container in the fridge. Freezes well.
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