Christmas Stollen Bread (German Stollen)

Prep TIme: 1.5 hours
Bake Time 35 mins
Makes 2 large loaves
Serves 16 

German Stollen has been around for hundreds of years, it’s one of the most prized and famous holiday breads.  Anyone who knows anything about baking will tell you this is one of the most labor intensive breads to prepare...which is why I was so excited to create a detoxed version.  This recipe yields 2 large loaves of Stollen, keep 1 for yourself and gift the other to your foodie friends, German friends or pretty much anyone in your life who enjoys a unique pastry:)  Remember, yeast won’t give the Flour Swaps rise, I add the yeast for flavor but we don’t need to let the dough sit and rise which saves time.  Baking soda and powder have been added to give this bread lift.  I candied the citrus peels, then used my food processor to whip up fresh marzipan which adds to the labor, but SO worth the effort.   This soft, buttery, lightly sweetened, holiday spiced bread is bursting with flavor and will steal the Christmas breakfast show.  Cheers!

 

  

Put the almond meal and Powdered Sugar Swap in a food processor, pulse to combine.  Add almond extract and 2 Tbsp water and turn the processor on high.  Let it run for a couple minutes and add a little more water as needed until a thick ball of marzipan forms in the food processor.  Remove and reserve 1 cup of marzipan for the Stollen. Store unused marzipan tightly wrapped in plastic in the fridge.  Consider making marzipan truffles by creating little balls of marzipan and dipping each one in chocolate.  A delightful and easy holiday candy!  

 

 

Directions:

Stir dark rum, raisins, candied citrus peels and chopped almonds in a bowl and let them sit for at least 30 minutes so the rum absorbs.  Stir occasionally to ensure all fruits and nuts are well coated and infused with rum.  

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  

Mix dry bread ingredients well, then add wet ingredients and stir until ingredients are well combined and smooth, thick dough is achieved.  Allow the dough to rest for about 5 minutes, then add the rum soaked fruit and nuts.  Fold in the fruit and nuts.  Dough made with Grain-Free Flour will need to be kneaded by hand to disperse the fruit and nuts throughout the dough.  Whole-Grain Flour dough can be stirred and folded in a more traditional way.  Split the dough in half to create 2 loaves of bread.  Press out the dough into 2 large rectangles on well-oiled parchment paper.  Place the 12” tube of marzipan in the center of each rectangle, then fold the dough inward to completely cover the marzipan.  Use greased hands to seal the bread around the marzipan.  Bake each loaf on a cookie sheet for 30-40 minutes.  Cover loosely with foil after about 20 minutes of baking to prevent the bread from browning too fast.  I baked my Whole-Grain loaf for about 35 minutes and Grain-Free loaf for about 40 minutes…both came out perfect.  Remove when done and cool on a rack.  Dust each loaf generously with Powdered Sugar Swap while still warm. Then dust again when completely cooled.  Slice and store covered in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or freeze for long term storage.  Remember to always allow your Detox Desserts to sit in the fridge overnight before indulging for best flavor, texture and health benefits.