The thirty-sixth Bread Baker's Apprentice challenge (from the book by the same name authored by Peter Reinhart) is Stollen, and is found on pages 252-256. I made a half portion of this bread, 1 crescent shaped loaf.
The ingredients: whole milk, all-purpose flour, instant yeast, golden raisins, candied fruit mix (I used dried cherries with the golden raisins), brandy, lemon extract, sugar, salt, grated orange zest, grated lemon zest, cinnamon, unsalted butter, slivered almonds, and powdered sugar.
This is a one-day bread: one hour to make the sponge, and another three hours for the assembly, rising times, forming, and baking. I managed to talk Margaret into baking it with me as it is always more enjoyable to be baking along with someone else...and it was.
The dough came together easily, I kneaded it by hand, and it came together in about 5 minutes of steady kneading. My kitchen was cool so the rising time for the first rise was a little longer than stated, but for the second rise, I parked it by the fire in the fireplace and it was right on the time stated.
I baked the bread for 40 minutes as it was a smaller loaf and finished by then, cooled it just slightly and (although it said to wait to slice it), we sliced it and ate a piece warm and then I made the rest into French Toast, which was really good (although maybe not politically correct).
I would definitely make this one again, I had no idea Stollen was so easy to make, and the process so enjoyable! This is a wonderful recipe. You can visit the main group and marvel the breads. I'm getting there...Slow and Steady. Our next challenge: Swedish Rye (Limpa) found on pages 257-258.
