We have some really lovely Dutch friends, Akkie and Els, from the north of Holland, where Akkie used to be the head of a big technical college. One holiday season, Akkie brought us a large and elaborate braided bread that had been baked by students at his school. It was covered with white icing and studded with candied fruit and sliced almonds, and when cut open, it revealed a tunnel of rich, moist handmade marzipan. “Is this stollen?” we asked in wonder as we stuffed it into our faces. “No, no,” he said. “This, this is Christmas bread.”
Ingredients
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup (1 stick) butter
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 package active dry yeast (2¼ teaspoons)
- 1 egg
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup golden raisins
- ½ cup candied orange peel
- 1 tube (7 ounces) almond paste
- ½ cup confectioners’ sugar, plus additional for dusting (optional)
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 2 tablespoons sliced, toasted almonds (optional)
How to Make It
- Heat the milk and butter in a microwave for 1 minute. Stir and microwave for another 10 to 20 seconds if necessary to melt the butter. Let cool to to 115°F. (If the mixture is any hotter, it may kill your yeast.) Stir in the sugar and yeast and allow it to sit for 10 minutes until foamy.
- Pour the milk and butter into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the egg, mix it in, then gradually beat in the flour and salt. Continue to mix for 5 to 6 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
- When the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl in a soft, smooth mass, add the raisins and candied peel and continue to mix to distribute them throughout. Turn the dough out of the bowl and grease the bowl with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl and flip it to coat all sides lightly with oil. Cover it and let it rest in a warm, draft-free place until it has doubled in size, about 1½ hours.
- Turn the dough out onto a clean, lightly floured work surface. Shape it into an oval 14 inches long. Knead the almond paste on a clean work surface until it’s pliable. Roll it into a log about 12 inches long and lay it along the dough about a third of the way from one of the long sides. Fold the other side over the marzipan, not letting the edges meet up exactly but leaving a 1-inch edge of dough uncovered.
- Lightly grease a baking sheet and delicately transfer the dough onto it. Cover it loosely with plastic wrap and let it rise for 30 minutes while you preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake the bread for 40 to 45 minutes, checking it now and then. If it seems to be browning too fast, cover it loosely with aluminum foil.
- Allow the bread to cool completely. Combine the confectioners’ sugar with the orange juice to make a thick icing. Spread it over the top of the bread and sprinkle it with almonds and additional confectioners’ sugar, if desired.
