Sourdough Stollen
Description
The recipe won't take much time. You can add to the dough a mix of ground spices you prefer: lemon zest, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, coriander, and anise. Christmas baked goods are traditionally made 3–4 weeks before the holiday. Stollens should be stored in a dry, cool place in the refrigerator or on the balcony. Serve cooled or slightly warm.
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
Prepare the ingredients for making stollen. Honey can be replaced with sugar. Adjust the sweetness to your taste, but keep in mind that the stollen is topped with a fairly thick layer of powdered sugar.
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Step 2
For the preferment, prepare the starter, water, and flour. Use starter at 50% hydration. If you use starter at 100% hydration, reduce the flour by 12 grams (73 grams) and increase the water (50 ml). Keep the amount of starter the same.
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Step 3
Mix the starter into the water.
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Step 4
Add the wheat flour and stir until all the moisture is fully absorbed by the flour.
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Step 5
Cover the container with the sponge with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator on the lower shelf for 10–12 hours. When the starter has reached peak activity, you can proceed to making the stollen dough.
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Step 6
Also prepare the dried fruit and nuts in advance. Use your favorite varieties. Rinse the dried fruit well, pat dry, and soak in cognac or orange juice.
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Step 7
For the dough, mix the sponge into room-temperature milk.
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Step 8
Add the honey and egg yolk to the liquid ingredients of the dough. Mix.
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Step 9
Sift the flour and add it to the dough in portions.
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Step 10
Knead the dough for 7–10 minutes using the stretch-and-fold method. At first the dough is sticky; as you knead, it will become more elastic, glossy, and uniform.
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Step 11
Work soft butter into the well-kneaded dough in several additions.
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Step 12
Place the ready stollen dough in a container.
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Step 13
Drain the dried fruit on a sieve or spread on paper towels to remove excess moisture. Transfer to the dough and fold into the dough using the folding method.
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Step 14
Cover the bowl of dough with plastic wrap and leave it to proof at room temperature for 5–7 hours. During the first hour, do 2 stretch-and-folds by folding the dough envelope-style every 30 minutes.
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Step 15
Divide the risen dough into two portions and shape into oval flatbreads on parchment paper lightly dusted with flour. Mark the dough by mentally dividing each flatbread into thirds. Fold the free edge of the dough over, covering two-thirds of the surface and leaving one-third uncovered.
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Step 16
Transfer the items to the baking sheet together with the parchment paper. Cover the stollens with plastic wrap and leave to proof for another 1–1.5 hours.
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Step 17
Bake the stollen in an oven preheated to 170°C for 50 minutes. Check for doneness with a wooden skewer.
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Step 18
While the baked goods are still hot, brush them with butter and sprinkle with a thick layer of powdered sugar.
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Step 19
It is believed that the stollen’s oval shape and its surface, white from powdered sugar, symbolize the swaddled newborn Christ child.
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Step 20
Make Christmas stollen as a gift for your loved ones for the holidays.
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Step 21
Happy holidays! Peace and goodness to all!