Bread Machine (199 page)
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
1
/
2
teaspoon almond extract Grated zest of 1 lemon
2
3
/
4
cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup almond flour
1
/
3
cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons SAF yeast or 2
1
/
2
teaspoons bread machine yeast
1
/
2
cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 16 pieces
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, for brushing
2 tablespoons sugar mixed with
1
/
2
teaspoon ground nutmeg, for sprinkling
3
/
4
cup sifted confectioners’ sugar, for dredging
For the fruit:
3
/
4
cup dried tart cherries
1
/
2
cup minced dried apricots
1
/
4
cup dried currants
1
/
4
cup golden raisins
3 tablespoons amber rum
3 tablespoons boiling water
2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
To prepare the fruit, place the dried fruit in a small bowl and cover with the rum and boiling water. Set aside over night to cool and plump.
Drain the plumped dried fruit (catch any extra liquid in a measuring cup), pat dry with paper towels, and toss with the 2 tablespoons of flour. Add enough milk to the fruit juice to make
3
/
4
cup.
To make the dough, place all the dough ingredients except the butter in the pan according to the order in the manufacturer’s instructions. Program for the Dough cycle; press Start. Set a kitchen timer for 7 minutes. The dough ball will be soft.
When the timer rings (you will be in Knead 2), open the lid and, while the machine the lid and, while the machine is running, add a piece or two of the butter at a time, allowing it to be incorporated before adding more pieces. It will take a full minute or two to add all the butter. Close the lid.
A few minutes after the butter has been added (still during kneading), open the lid and sprinkle in the fruit a little at a time. Close the lid and let the machine complete the Dough cycle. When the machine beeps at the end of the cycle, press Stop and unplug the machine. Set a timer for 1 hour and let the dough continue to rise in the warm environment of the machine.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Without working the dough further, divide it into 2 equal portions. Using your hands, pat each portion into a 12-by-7-by-
3
/
4
inch thick, long oval. Use only enough flour on the work surface table to keep the dough from sticking. Brush the surface of each oval with melted butter and sprinkle each with half of the nutmeg sugar. Make a crease down the center of the oval and, without stretching, fold from the long edge over to within
3
/
4
inch of the opposite side (it will be slightly off center), forming a long, narrow loaf. Taper the ends by pinching and rounding the points slightly. Press the top edge lightly to seal. Repeat to form the second stollen. Transfer the stollens to the baking sheet and place about 4 inches apart. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let rise again at room temperature until puffy, 30 to 45 minutes.
Twenty minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Brush the tops of the stollen with melted butter. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until lightly browned. If the tops are browning too quickly, cover loosely with a tent of aluminum foil. Take care not to overbake. Remove from the baking sheet and place on a wire rack. Place the confectioners’ sugar on a large flat plate. Dredge the warm loaf on all sides in the powdered sugar and let it cool completely. Stollen is best if left to age for a few days before serving.
VARIATION
Stolle de Nöel mit Marzipan
1 cup (one 8-ounce can) almond paste
Prepare the stollen as directed. In Step 5, after brushing with butter and sprinkling with nutmeg sugar, crumble the almond paste and sprinkle half down the center of each loaf. Fold over as directed, completely covering the almond paste. Rise and bake as directed.
Holiday Breads for Entertaining
Aside from serving holiday breads toasted in the morning for breakfast or with tea in the afternoon, you can incorporate them beautifully into elegant, yet personal, family meals and entertaining. This is where your freezer will come in handy—the breads can be baked up to a month ahead, frozen, and then decorated and glazed just before serving.
Here are some ideas for how to serve holiday breads: Place Easter loaves on a buffet table covered with a vibrantly colored tablecloth, and surround the loaves with potted spring flowers (daffodils, crocus, narcissus) and decorated eggs. Use lemon leaves to garnish. Decorate a Christmas buffet table with pine boughs, twinkling white lights, bowls of glossy red apples, a basket of nuts for cracking, and giant bayberry-scented candles. Breads can be displayed whole (with a gold ribbon tied around) or sliced and arranged on silver trays with candied flowers and marzipan fruits.
