Paul Hollywoods Stollen Food

STOLLEN

Steps:

• Prepare Fruit: Combine the mixed fruit, raisins, and rum. Cover and set aside. Shake or stir the mixture every so often to coat the fruit with the rum.
• Prepare Sponge: In a large bowl, sprinkle the yeast in the water to soften. Heat the milk to 110 degrees F and add it to the yeast along with the honey and 1 cup flour. Cover the sponge with plastic wrap and let rise until light and full of bubbles, about 30 minutes.
• By Hand: Add the fruit mixture, honey, egg, butter, zest, salt, mace, almonds, and 2 cups of the flour to the sponge. Beat vigorously for 2 minutes. Gradually add the remaining flour 1/4 cup at a time until the dough begins to pull away from the side of the bowl. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. Knead, adding flour a little at a time, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
• By Mixer: In the mixer bowl, add the fruit mixture, honey, egg, butter, zest, salt, mace, almonds, and 2 cups of the flour to the sponge. Using the paddle, beat the mixture on medium low speed for 2 minutes. Gradually add the remaining flour 1/4 cup at a time until the dough begins to pull away from the side of the bowl. Change to the dough hook. Continue to add flour 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough just begins to clean the bowl. Knead 4 to 5 minutes on medium-low.
• First rise: Put the dough in an oiled bowl and turn to coat the entire ball of dough with oil. Cover with a tightly woven towel and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Shape and Fill: Turn the dough out onto a lightly oiled work surface. For 1 large loaf, roll the dough into a 9 by 13-inch oval. For 2 loaves, divided the dough in half and roll each half into a 7 by 9-inch oval. Brush the melted butter over the top of the oval(s). Combine the cinnamon and granulated sugar and sprinkle over one lengthwise half of the oval(s). Fold the dough in half lengthwise and carefully lift the bread(s) onto a parchment-lined or well-greased baking sheet. Press lightly on the folded side to help the loaf keep its shape during rising and baking.
• Second rise: Cover with a tightly woven towel and let rise for 45 minutes.
• Preheat oven: About 10 minutes before baking, preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Bake and cool: Bake for 25 minutes until the internal temperature of the bread reaches 190 degrees F. Immediately remove from the baking sheet and place on a rack to cool.
• To serve: Sprinkle heavily with confectioners' sugar just before serving.
• Variation: Between 2 pieces of waxed paper or plastic wrap, roll 3 ounces almond paste or marzipan into the lengthwise shape of half the oval. Omit the butter and cinnamon-sugar filling. Place the marzipan on half of the oval and fold the dough in half. Let rise and bake as directed.
• Notes: One cup coarsely chopped mixed dried fruits may be substituted for the candied fruit. Cover the dried fruit with boiling water and let sit at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours. Drain and use as you would candied fruit. You can also make your own candied fruit and peel. This bread freezes nicely for up to 6 months. If freezing it, do not sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. To serve, first thaw the bread, then bake on a baking sheet in a preheated 375 degree F oven for 7 to 10 minutes. Just before serving, sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.

PAUL HOLLYWOOD'S STOLLEN

Steps:

• Put the flour and sugar in a large bowl. Add the yeast on one side of the bowl and the salt on the other. Add the softened butter and 200ml of the milk and stir together. Add the remaining milk and knead well on a generously floured surface for 6-7 minutes, until smooth and pliable.
• Mix together the nutmeg, cloves, vanilla and almond extracts, almonds, dried fruit and mixed peel in a bowl. Add the dough on top and knead from the outside into the centre. When everything has been fully incorporated, return to the bowl, cover with clingfilm and leave to rise for 1-1½ hours in a warm place, until doubled in size.
• Flatten the dough and roll out on a lightly floured surface to a rectangle about 45cm x 35cm. Brush with the melted butter. Roll out the marzipan to about 25cm x 15cm and place on top of the dough. Roll the dough up to enclose the marzipan and transfer to a lined baking sheet. Cover and leave to rise for 45 minutes-1 hour, until risen and doubled in size.
• Pre-heat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/375°F/Gas 5 and bake for 1 hour. Remove from the oven, brush with melted butter, and dust with icing sugar. Serve cold.

PAUL HOLLYWOOD'S STOLLEN RECIPE

Steps:

• Melt the butter over a gentle heat and set aside to cool.
• Warm the milk and add the yeast. Stir until the yeast has dissolved.
• In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, nutmeg, ground cloves, vanilla and almond extract. Stir in the melted butter and the milk and yeast mixture and knead well, until smooth and pliable.
• Mix in the almonds, dried fruit and chopped peel. When everything has been fully incorporated, return to the bowl, cover with cling film and leave to rise for 1-2 hours in a warm place, until doubled in bulk.
• Knead the dough again and roll out to a rectangle on a floured surface.
• Roll out the marzipan to a slightly smaller rectangle and place on top of the dough. Roll up to enclose the marzipan and transfer to a lined baking sheet. Leave to rise again for another hour.
• Preheat the oven to 190C,gas 5 and bake for 1 hour. Remove from the oven, brush with melted butter, and dust with icing sugar. Serve warm or cold.

SLIGHTLY ALTERED PAUL HOLLYWOODS CHRISTMAS STOLLEN

Steps:

• Place all your dried fruit, candied peel and chopped almonds in a bowl and pour over the alcohol or orange juice and give everything a good stir and place to one side.
• Place the flours and sugar into a large bowl. Add the yeast on one side of the bowl and the salt on the other. Add in the softened butter and the milk and stir together.
• Knead the dough until it is smooth and stretchy. This should take 6-7 minutes if you are using a stand mixer and about 10 minutes if doing it by hand. It was at this stage that I needed to add extra flour not in the original recipe. If you too find you need to add extra flour add it in at 1 tablespoon at a time.
• Mix the spices into the soaking fruit, along with the almond and vanilla extracts.
• Carefully knead the fruit into the dough by hand until it is evenly dispersed throughout the dough.
• Lightly grease a large bowl with a touch of oil and cover the bowl with cling film (plastic wrap) and leave to rise for 1-2 hours in a warm place, or until doubled in size.
• Split the dough into 2 and flatten each piece of dough and roll out on a lightly floured work surface into a rectangle.
• Split the marzipan into 2 and roll it out in a sausage shape, the length of the dough. Roll the dough up to enclose the marzipan and transfer to a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Cover and leave to rise for about an hour, or until risen and doubled in size.
• Preheat your oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5. Once hot and your loafs have risen bake in the lower third of your oven for 35-40 minutes. If you feel it needs a little more time but is golden enough then cover with tin foil and bake for a further 5-10 minutes.
• Once baked through remove your stollen's to a wire rack. While still warm brush your stollen's with the melted butter and dust with the icing sugar. Leave to fully cool down.
• These stollen's freeze really well, just make sure to wrap up really well and eat within 2 months. Kept in an airtight tin this stollen is best consumed within 5 days.