Dresden Christmas Loaf (Dresdner
Weihnachtsstollen)

Long before the Romans occupied parts of Germany, Germanic peoples prepared special breads rich in dried fruit to mark the winter solstice. Today, nearly every village and family has their own recipe for the bread's descendant, Christmas Stollen. Here is a classic recipe from Dresden. Stollen should be prepared at least a few days before Christmas so its flavor develops. It is also a popular Christmas gift.

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

Dough:

4-1/3 cups flour
1 to 1-1/2 cups milk
2.5 oz. yeast
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons. margarine or butter
3/4 cup sugar or honey
1 tsp. salt
Flavoring:

1/2 cup candied lemon peel
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1 lemon, grated for rind
1/4 cup rum
1-3/4 cups raisin
Topping:

1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup Confectioner's sugar
Directions:
Make a soft, pliable yeast dough from ingredients listed in the first section and let stand in bowl for 10 minutes.

Knead the spices, except the raisins, into the dough. When all other ingredients are equally distributed, add the raisins. Roll into an oval and place on a greased baking sheet. Let rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Still on baking sheet, wrap dough in aluminum foil and store in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight. Remove from refrigerator and take off foil. Sprinkle flour around the loaf to prevent the dough from spreading. Place loaf in a preheated 350-400° oven and bake 50-60 minutes, till pale gold in color. Remove from oven. Brush with melted butter and dust with Confectioner's sugar.

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