Homemade Stollen is a true joy. A light and fluffy fruity bun, spiced with the scent of Christmas with a homemade marzipan core, buttered and dusted with a thick blanket of icing sugar.

If marzipan isn’t your thing I encourage you to try this homemade version, it may not be what you expect; a sweet and chewy almond paste without the overpowering essence flavour we find in modern shop-bought versions.

This recipe is adapted from Bread Every Day, and if you’d like to make it with me in a more relaxed way, in a real-time video course you can, wherever you are in the world. You’ll find this recipe as part of December’s update in the Homebaker’s Club.

Ingredients

For the filling

50g (1.8oz) Sultanas

50g (1.8oz) Dried Apricots, chopped

50g (1.8oz) Dried Cranberries

50g (1.8oz) Candied Orange Peel, chopped

For the dough

1 medium egg (50g(1.8oz)

1 Medium Egg Yolk (20g (0.7oz)

100g (3.5oz) Warm Milk at around 30  ̊C / 86  ̊F

7g (1/4oz) Fast Action Dry Yeast or 15g (0.5oz) Fresh Yeast

250g (8.8oz) Strong White Bread Flour

4g (0.1oz) Salt

40g (1.4oz) Golden Caster Sugar

2tsp Mixed Spice

50g (1.8oz) Soft Butter

For the Marzipan

100g (3.5oz) Ground Almonds

50g (1.8oz) Golden Caster Sugar

50g (1.8oz) Icing Sugar

Pinch of Salt

1 Egg White (30g (1oz)

To finish

50g (1.8oz) Melted Butter

50g (1.8oz) Icing Sugar

Method

Ahead of time: 5 minutes

1.      Place your sultanas, apricots and cranberries into a small bowl. Pour over cold water to nearly cover leaving some fruit peeping out the top. Mix and set aside to soak overnight.

2.      Drain in a sieve and pat dry on kitchen paper. Add the orange peel, set aside.

Making the Dough: 15-20 minutes

3.      In a large bowl whisk together the egg, egg yolk, milk, and yeast until the yeast is dissolved.

4.      Add the flour, salt, sugar, and spice, and mix to combine. Then, dimple in the butter and mix again into a dough.

5.      Turn the dough out onto the table and knead for 10 minutes.

Incorporating the Filling: 5-10 minutes

6.      Shape your dough into a ball and rest under an upturned bowl for 5 minutes.

7.      Lightly dust the table and the dough and use a rolling pin to roll it into a 30cm disk.

8.      Sprinkle over half of your filling and press to stick, fold the top third down and the bottom third over the top. Press the dough with your fingertips to spread it into a rectangle.

9.      Spread the remaining fruit over the top and press to stick. Roll up your dough into a short sausage.

Resting: 90-120 minutes

10.   Cup and turn your dough into a ball, place it back into the bowl, and cover it with another upturned bowl. Leave to rest for 90-120 minutes.

Making the Marzipan: 5-10 minutes

11.   Mix together all the dry ingredients in a large bowl, add the egg white and mix with your scraper into a dough.

12.   Turn it out onto a lightly dusted table and divide it into two. Roll each piece into a sausage around 12-15cm long. Set aside for later.

Dividing and Pre-shaping: 20 minutes

13.   Turn the dough out of the bowl and divide into two. Shape each piece into a ball and rest under and upturned bowl for 15 minutes.

Shaping: 5-10

14.   Dust your surface with flour and use a rolling pin to roll each dough ball into a disk around 15-20cm wide.

15.   Push the rolling pin into the middle making a dent and roll up and down slightly, creating a flattened area in the middle. Place the marzipan in the dent.

16.   Fold the dough over the marzipan and press between the marzipan bump and the edge of the dough to stick.

17.   Place both your stollens on a parchment-lined baking tray.

Resting: 60-90 minutes

18.   Cover your stollens with dusted clingfilm and rest to puff up for 90-120 minutes.

19.   Preheat the oven to 180  ̊C Fan / 400F / Gas Mark 6 with a shelf in the middle and a deep roasting tray beneath. Half fill a kettle with water.

Baking: 25-30 minutes

20.   Boil the kettle.

21.   Place the stollen on the oven shelf, carefully pour the water into the tray beneath and close the oven door. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Finishing: 5 minutes

22.   Transfer your stollen to a wire rack and brush liberally with melted butter. Dust with a thick layer of icing sugar and let cool completely before slicing.