Whole Grain Christmas Stollen
Stollen is a traditional German bread that my grandmother always made during the Christmas season. This whole grain version of a classic holiday bread uses our Sprouted Red Fife Flour and is loaded with dried fruit and spices.
Ingredients
Dough
1 tsp instant yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1 Tbsp cane sugar
1 flax egg (1 Tbsp ground golden flax mixed with 2.5 Tbsp warm water)
2 cups One Degree Organic Sprouted Red Fife Flour
1 Tbsp +1 tsp Vital Wheat Gluten
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground cardamom
Pinch ground nutmeg
Pinch ground cloves
3 Tbsp vegan buttery spread, melted and cooled slightly
3 Tbsp maple syrup
3 Tbsp orange juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 cup finely chopped dried fruit (we used raisins, cranberries, apricots and dates)
Almond Paste
1 cup ground blanched almonds
1/2 cup icing sugar
Water (enough to make a stiff paste)
1/2 tsp almond extract
To Serve
Icing sugar for dusting
Directions
To make the dough: activate the yeast by adding it to the warm water with the sugar. Set aside until foamy, approximately 5 minutes. Mix the flax egg and set aside. In a large bowl, add the flour, salt, spices and vital wheat gluten and mix well. Add liquid ingredients and mix until just combined. Add dried fruits and mix until evenly spread throughout the dough. Cover loosely and let rise in a warm place for 2 hours.
To make the almond paste: mix all ingredients together until just combined.
To assemble: punch dough down and scape onto well-floured counter. Roll into a ¼” thick oval. Form the almond paste into a rope shape and place on dough 1/3 of the way from one end.
Fold 1/3 of the dough over the almond paste and the remaining 1/3 over again so that the dough forms an S shape when seen from the end.
Gently transfer the loaf onto a baking sheet fitted with parchment. Cover loosely and let rise for 90 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and place on middle rack. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.
To serve: cool loaf to room temperature before dusting with icing sugar using a sifter.
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Organic Sprouted Spelt Flour
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