Christmas Stollen for #BreadBakers

Our theme for this month's Bread Bakers was Overnight Breakfast Bread.  Holly, from A Baker's House is hosting this month.  Holly gave us leeway as far as whether we wished to make a yeast bread or a quick bread but wanted a bread that you prepared the day before and could bake in the morning.  Great idea during this busy Holiday season.

I have a couple of Christmas Cookbooks that I pack away with my Christmas decorations each year. One is from Better Homes and Gardens that I posted my recipe for Fairy Drops from earlier today. The other is from Pillsbury and is called Family Christmas Cookbook.  Each year I go through these cookbooks like I had just gotten them and make some of our old favorites and try some new recipes. As I was leafing through I saw a couple of recipes that I hadn't made before and was trying to decide which I wanted to make when I noticed that the Stollen required overnight refrigeration.  My decision was made easily.

After refrigeration overnight, I had a 6 lb. ball of dough ready to be separated, braided and baked.

I cut the dough into three 2 lb pieces.

Then I cut two of the thirds into thirds and rolled them into ropes.

I braided these two and put the third section in the refrigerator for another day.

Then I covered these with a damp towel and let them rise for a couple of hours before baking.

They turned out beautifully.

And they tasted even better than they looked.

I am not big on icing and was going to leave them plain.

Then I decided to include them on a dessert buffet for Frank's work party so I frosted one of them.

The only adaptation I made to the recipe was to use fruit cake mixture that I had left from my Fruitcake Muffins instead of the golden raisins.

Braided Holiday Stollen

adapted from Pillsbury

5 1/2 - 6 1/2 c. flour

1 c. sugar

1 t. salt

4 1/2 t. active dry yeast

1 c. water

1 c. milk

1 c. butter

2 eggs

1 1/2 c. fruitcake mix

1 1/2 c. slivered almonds

In large bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, combine 2 c. flour, sugar, salt and yeast.  In a small saucepan, heat water, milk and butter until warm (105-115*).  Add warm liquid and eggs to flour mixture and blend a low speed until moistened.  Beat 2 minutes at medium speed.  Stir in fruit mixture, almonds and the remaining flour, a cup full at a time until dough pulls away from the side of the bowl.  Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.

When ready to bake, remove from refrigerator to a lightly floured surface.  Divide into 3 equal pieces. Divide each third into thirds. Roll each piece into a rope 16" long.  Place 3 ropes onto a baking sheet lined with parchment and braid loosely from center to each end.  Pinch the ends together and tuck them under to seal.  Cover with a warm, damp towel and allow to rise until doubled in size, 1 1/2 - 2 hrs.  

Bake in a preheated 350* oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove immediately to a cooling rack.  Print Recipe

 Here is what the group is sharing today, enjoy!

• Braided Holiday Stollen from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Bran Muffins from Cali's Cuisine
• Christmas Morning Muffins from Food Lust People Love
• Christmas Morning Sticky Buns from Sara’s Tasty Buds
• English Muffins from Ruchik Ranhap
• Fruity Butter Bread from Magnolia Days
• Gingerbread Breakfast Loaf from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Herbert’s Traditional Overnight Bread Loaf from G’Gina’s Kitchenette
• Old Fashioned Doughnuts from Cooking Club
• Onion Bagels from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Overnight Apple Fritters Monkey Bread from I Camp in My Kitchen
• Overnight Belgian-Style Yeast Waffles from A Baker’s House
• Overnight Brioche Cinnamon Rolls from Hostess at Heart
• Overnight Pecan Sticky Bread from Cook’s Hideout
• Stollen Muffins from Baking in Pyjamas

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on this home page. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. If you are a food blogger and would like to join us, just send Stacy an email with your blog URL to foodlustpeoplelove@gmail.com.