Sourdough Stollen
If you make your own sourdough, you may have leftover starter from the process. I aim for zero waste, so I'm always on the lookout for creative ways to use up my sourdough starter, and this is a festive addition to the list. I had spotted sourdough stollen for sale online, and I had seen a few recipes for it, but nothing quite hit the spot. I like my stollen full of marzipan and fruit, but with no nuts. I also wanted to remain true to my tried-and-tested sourdough baking routine.
I came up with my own recipe and it was an instant hit: strictly speaking, stollen should be left to mature for at least a few days, but I can't say there was much left by day two... Note that this recipe calls for active sourdough starter; the dough is reliant on this for the rise. You can find all my sourdough tips here and a cheese and Marmite variant here. You can try the recipe without the marzipan if that's not your thing.
This makes one very large stollen. Alternatively, make two or three smaller ones - ideal for gifting.
If you make your own sourdough, you may have leftover starter from the process. I aim for zero waste, so I'm always on the lookout for creative ways to use up my sourdough starter, and this is a festive addition to the list. I had spotted sourdough stollen for sale online, and I had seen a few recipes for it, but nothing quite hit the spot. I like my stollen full of marzipan and fruit, but with no nuts. I also wanted to remain true to my tried-and-tested sourdough baking routine.
I came up with my own recipe and it was an instant hit: strictly speaking, stollen should be left to mature for at least a few days, but I can't say there was much left by day two... Note that this recipe calls for active sourdough starter; the dough is reliant on this for the rise. You can find all my sourdough tips here and a cheese and Marmite variant here. You can try the recipe without the marzipan if that's not your thing.
This makes one very large stollen. Alternatively, make two or three smaller ones - ideal for gifting.
Ingredients
For the filling
For the dough
For the topping
Equipment
Method
1. Soak the fruit overnight in the rum. Do not add the cinnamon at this stage.
For the filling
- 90g sultanas
- 40g raisins
- 50g cherries, chopped
- 20g cranberries
- 50g peel
- 4 tbsp rum
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 350g marzipan
For the dough
- 150g active white sourdough starter, fed about 8 hours beforehand
- 500g strong white bread flour (I use Shipton Mill)
- 250ml tepid milk + 25ml tepid milk
- 40g caster sugar
- 100g unsalted butter, melted and cooled to tepid
- 1 egg at room temperature and 1 beaten egg for brushing the dough
- 5g salt
For the topping
- 50g unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tbsp rum
- 3 tbsp icing sugar
Equipment
- 1 baking tray, greased with butter
Method
1. Soak the fruit overnight in the rum. Do not add the cinnamon at this stage.
2. Combine the active starter, flour, 250ml milk, caster sugar, butter, and egg. Mix to form a rough dough. Do not add the salt at this stage. Leave the dough to rest for 3-4 hours, covered with a tea towel.
3. After resting, add the salt and 25ml tepid milk and gently fold them in to form a smooth, round dough. Let the dough rest in the bowl, covered with a tea towel, for 15 minutes and then do the first stretch and fold. Do this three times in total, spaced 30 minutes apart. Between times, keep it covered with the tea towel. After the final stretch and fold, leave it (covered with the tea towel) in a cool place for about 8 hours (I begin the dough around 5pm, complete the stretch and folds over the course of the evening and then tuck it in for the night around 10pm. I don’t put it in the fridge).
4. Tip the dough very gently onto a floured surface and, very gently, press it into a square shape (about an inch thick). Add the cinnamon to the filling and then scatter the filling over the square dough. Fold a third of the dough over into the middle, followed by the other side into the middle (overlapping). Turn the dough 90 degrees and repeat the same folds. Place it gently into a bowl and let it rest for 30 minutes.
5. After 30 minutes, place the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll it gently into a rectangle roughly 25cm x 40cm.
6. Roll the marzipan into a long, round sausage shape. Brush beaten egg over the dough and place the marzipan in the middle. Bring one long side of the dough gently over the marzipan, followed by the other (overlapping; use a little beaten egg to secure the pieces in place). Tuck the ends so the marzipan is enclosed (use the beaten egg again to secure the pieces in place). Grease a baking tray with butter. Place the dough seam-side down on the baking tray. Cover it with a tea towel, leave it at room temperature and let it rise again for about 3 hours.
7. Towards the end of the rise, preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan. Bake the stollen for about 10 minutes at this temperature, and then lower the temperature by 20°C for another 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Check it half way through and put some foil over it/reduce the heat by 10°C if needed. To test if it’s ready, tap the bottom – it should sound hollow.
8. Meanwhile, melt the butter and mix it with the rum.
9. As soon as it’s out of the oven, brush the stollen with the butter-rum mix, and then sprinkle liberally with icing sugar. Leave to cool fully.
10. Wrap the stollen in greaseproof paper and store it away for a few days for the flavours to develop before tucking in.