Stollen

Last year, I made Panettone for X'mas but did not manage to try out any Stollen recipes. So, this year I got to try a Stollen recipe first before Panettone. It's something new to me and I think the texture is something like Panettone. Again, Stollen is also one of the bread that Italian will have during the X'mas but now everywhere having it for this lovely season.

I'm not sure why Stollen had its unique shape, anyway I just followed the recipe. The texture is soft on the day it's baked and taste quite good with some dried apricot, cranberries, raisin and the crunchy pecan had given it extra texture. Not to forget, my favorite ingredients "cinnamon" make this bread taste better. My hubby and I very much prefer Stollen and Panettone instead of Fruit Cake.

The bread wasn't that soft the next day. So, I tuck it back to the oven at 200C losely wrapped with aluminium foil to warm it back, then it's turn soft again and it's nice to serve warm I feel. My first experiment told me that I should make it again to give away as a gift very soon.

Recipe from 65度汤肿面包 (make two loafs)

(A) 270g bread flour / 30g plain flour / 1 tsp cinammon powder / 30g sugar / 3g salt / 6g yeast (B) 135g milk / 30g beaten egg

(C) 90g unsalted butter

(D) 130g dried fruits (apricot, raisin, cranberries) / 50g pecan nuts (toasted and chopped)

1. With a dough hook mixer, mix ingredients (A) and (B) at low speed unitl a crumbly consistency.
2. Gradually add in the unsalted butter until everything combine. Change to a medium low speed continue the kneading process until it become smooth and elastic.
3. Add in ingredients (D) until everything stick with the dough. Take out the dough from the machine, add in any dried fruits or nuts that didn't stick to it. Make the dough into a smooth round shape and let it proof for 40 minutes in a clean bowl cover with cling wrap.
4. Divide the dough into two portions and shape them into smooth round dough. Let it rest for 15 minutes.
5. Roll out the dough to a flat round shape, fold 2/3 of the dough from left to right. Use a rolling pin press all the way down at the other 1/3 of the dough. So here you've got three paddle stollen.
6. Let the doughs sit at the baking tray proof for 40 minutes cover with cling wrap.
7. Bake at 180C for 30 minutes until golden brown. When the bread out from the oven, immediate brush some melted butter on the dough and sprinkle over lots of sugar powder.