Don’t let the candied fruit and raisins scare you, this is no average Dresdener Stollen. The cardamom and almond paste filling set this tender and moist Christmas time bread apart form those breads most won’t touch. Mine was gone in less than one day.
The recipe and detailed instructions are at the end of this post. For this recipe we need glacéed red cherries, candied orange peel, pecans, golden raisins, dark raisins, dark rum, yeast, whole milk, salt, honey, granulated sugar, eggs, ground cardamom, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ground allspice, bread flour, unsalted butter, dry blanched almonds, powdered sugar, water, eggs, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar. Looks like we have it all. Ready, set, bake…
Note, the images are of the recipe doubled.
The fruit and nut mixture preparation is not pictured, it should be done at least 24 hours in advance. Cut the cherries, candied orange peel, and pecans into raisin-sized pieces. Combine with the golden raisins and dark raisins. Marinate in the rum for 24 hours, stirring 4 or five times during the marinating time. If you do not cook with alcohol orange juice or cranberry juice can be substituted, either way, be sure to marinate them in some liquid or they will be too dry.
To start the dough, dissolve the yeast in the warm milk (milk should be between 105°F and 115°F, if you get any hotter it will kill the yeast). In your mixing bowl using the dough hook combine the yeast, salt, honey, granulated sugar, eggs, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice. If you still have some lumps of spices try breaking them up with a whisk. Mix until combined. Mix in half the flour on low speed.
Add then the butter, followed by the remaining flour. Once the four is combined, mix on medium high for eight minutes. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume (about 90 minutes). It was a cold day in San Diego when I made this, so I warmed the oven up to 200°F and turned it off, about 20 minutes after it served as a good proofing box. Be careful when using the oven to proof not to get it too warm or it will kill the yeast. I have an oven thermometer I keep in the oven to check the temperature when the oven is off. You want the temperature to be around 90°F.
To make the vanilla sugar topping combine the sugar and vanilla extract in a small bowl and mix with a fork until well combined. Add the powdered sugar and using a fork mix until combined; reserve. You can also buy vanilla sugar at most grocery stores, however, it’s much cheaper to make it.
Flatten the dough into a rectangle and press spread the fruit and nut mixture evenly over the surface. Enclose the fruit and nuts by folding the dough in half. Let rise, covered with plastic, until doubled in volume (about 90 minutes).
Now for the almond filling. Placing the almonds in a high-speed food processor and process to a powder. Place the water and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil and remove from heat. This creates a simple syrup, which you can buy in the store for about 100 times its raw ingredients price if so inclined.
Add the powdered sugar to the almonds in the food processor. Pulse until combined. With the machine running, gradually add the sugar water until a thick paste forms. Add about 1/4 an eggs white to the almond paste and combine until the mixture is about the consistency of buttercream but not too thin. You may need very little egg white depending on how recently your almonds have been blanched.
You can buy Almond paste in the grocery store as well, it’s not cheap, add the egg white to the store bought to thin it out.
Punch down the dough using your hand until flat and in the original rectangle shape. Form the dough into an oval loaf with tapered ends, keep the fruit and nut mixture inside (it will burn if not covered by the dough). Using the rolling pin flatten the loaf, keeping the same general shape. Press the rolling pin lengthwise in the center of the loaf to make a small indentation.
Pipe the almond filling using a No. 9 tip into the indentation. Fold the dough almost in half lengthwise, leave the bottom part about 1/2 inch wider than the top. With the fold on the inside bend the loaf into slightly curved shape. Place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Rise for about 45 minutes to an hour, until loaves are 1 1/2 times their original size.
Stack an additional sheet pan under the loaf, so the bottom does not burn, bake at 375°F for about 1 hour or until baked through. Brush the loaves with melted butter right out of the oven. As soon as they are cool enough to tough, sprinkle with the sugar mixture and press down to ensure it is sticking. Allow to cool completely before serving.
This should keep well, covered, for up to a week.
Recipe: Dresdner Stollen
Adapted from: Dresdner Stollen, The Advanced Professional Pastry Chef
Print Recipe
Yield: 1 Loaf, about 10 servings
Ingredients
Fruit and Nut Mixture
- 2/3 ounces (18 g) glacéed red cherries
- 1 1/3 ounces (38 g) candied orange peel
- 1 1/3 ounces (38 g) pecans
- 1 1/3 ounces (38 g) golden raisins
- 1 1/3 ounces (38 g) dark raisins
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon (20 ml) dark rum
Dough
- 1/4 ounce (7 g) active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) warm whole milk (105 to 115F/40 to 46C)
- 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) salt
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) honey
- 1/2 ounce (13 g) granulated sugar
- 1 eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon (1 g) ground cardamom
- 1/3 teaspoon (1/2 g) ground cinnamon
- Pinch of ground cloves
- Pinch of ground allspice
- 7 1/3 ounces (208 g) bread flour
- 3 1/3 ounces (95 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
Almond Filling
- 1 ounce (29 g) dry blanched almonds
- 1 ounce (29 g) powdered sugar
- 1/2 ounce (14 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) water
- 1/4 to 1 egg white
Vanilla Sugar
- 2/3 teaspoon (3 ml) vanilla extract
- 2 2/3 ounces (75 g) granulated sugar
- 1 1/3 ounces powdered sugar
- Unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Fruit and nut mixture: Cut the cherries, candied orange peel, and pecans into raisin-sized pieces. Combine with the golden raisins and dark raisins. Marinate in the rum for 24 hours, stirring 4 or five times during the marinating time.
- Dough: Dissolve the yeast in the warm milk (milk should be between 105°F and 115°F/40°C to 46°C). In your mixing bowl using the dough hook combine the yeast, salt, honey, granulated sugar, eggs, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice. Mix until combined. Mix in half the flour, then the butter, followed by the remaining flour. Once the flour is combined, mix on medium high for eight minutes. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume (about 90 minutes).
- Flatten the dough into a rectangle and press spread the fruit and nut mixture evenly over the surface. Enclose the fruit and nuts by folding the dough in half. Let rise, covered with plastic, until doubled in volume (about 90 minutes).
- Make the almond filling. While the dough is rising placing the almonds in a high-speed food processor and process to a powder. Place the water and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil and remove from heat.
- Add the powdered sugar to the almonds in the food processor. Pulse until combined. With the machine running, gradually add the sugar water until a thick paste forms. Add about 1/4 an eggs white to the almond paste and combine until the mixture is about the consistency of buttercream but not too thin.
- To make the vanilla sugar topping combine the sugar and vanilla extract in a small bowl and mix with a fork until combined. Add the powdered sugar and using a fork mix until combined; reserve.
- Punch down the dough using your hand until flat and in the original rectangle shape. Form the dough into an oval loaf, keep the fruit and nut mixture inside (it will burn if not covered by the dough). Using the rolling pin flatten the loaf, keeping the same general shape. Press the rolling pin lengthwise in the center of the loaf to make a small indentation. Pipe the almond filling using a No. 9 (18-mm) tip into the indentation. Fold the dough almost in half lengthwise, leave the bottom part about 1/2 inch (1.2 cm) wider than the top. With the fold on the inside bend the loaf into slightly curved shape. Place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Rise for about 45 minutes to an hour, until loaves are 1 1/2 times their original size.
- Stack an additional sheet pan under the loaf, so the bottom does not burn, bake at 375°F (190°C) for about 1 hour or until baked through. Brush the loaves with melted butter right out of the oven. As soon as they are cool enough to tough, sprinkle with the sugar mixture and press down to ensure it is sticking. Allow to cool completely before serving.
2 Comments
Hi Jeff, just discovered your blog and am loving the recipes and pictures. I appreciate all the details and the printable recipe format. That Blotcake is definitely on my to-make list. Keep it coming!
Leanora
busyhandsandasweettooth.wordpress.com
Thanks Leanora! Glad you like the blog. You’re website is very nice as well, thanks for the comment!