Eggless Stollen - Daring Bakers December 2010 challenge

This month's Daring bakers challenge was again new to me and i continue to dare to bake new dishes:-).It was not very difficult bake though. I made a few change in the original recipe. I avoided the egg and replaced it with yogurt. Added only the orange zest and instead of rum used orange juice.Loved the flavor:-)

The 2010 December Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Penny of Sweet Sadie’s Baking. She chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ to make Stollen. She adapted a friend’s family recipe and combined it with information from friends, techniques from Peter Reinhart’s book.........and Martha Stewart’s demonstration.

Since i wanted to bake a small Stollen i made 1/3 the quantity given in the original recipe

INGREDIENTS

Luke warm water 20 ml

Active dry yeast 1 1/2 tsp

Milk 1/3 cup

Butter 3 1/4 tbsp

All purpose flour 1 3/4 cup

Salt 1/4 tsp

Sugar 2 tbsp

Cinnamon powder 1/2 tsp

Orange zest one orange

Orange juice 1 tbsp

Mixed peel 1/4 cup

Vanilla 1 tsp

Yogurt 1/4 cup

Raisins 1/3 cup

Almonds 2 tbsp

Glazed cherries 5 to 6

icing sugar to dust
PREPARATION

soak the raisins in the orange juice .

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and let it rise.

In a small saucepan combine the milk and the butter and simmer it on a very low flame till the butter melts

Whisk yogurt and vanilla in another bowl

In a large bowl mix the flour, salt, sugar, cinnamon powder and the orange zest.

Add to this the yeast mixture, milk/butter mixture and the yogurt mixture. Knead into a pliable dough.

Add the fruits and knead for 8 to 10 minutes so as to distribute the fruits evenly.Add the sliced almonds too.

Transfer this dough to a well oiled bowl and cover it with a plastic wrap
Keep it in the fridge over night

Next morning take it out and let the dough rest for 2 hrs till it comes to room temperature.

Transfer this to a floured board and roll it into a rectangle.

Roll from the long side.

Make this into a circle to form a wreath and transfer to a baking sheet.

Make slits on the outer edge of the wreath and let it rise for another hour

Bake this at 190 C till the base sound hollow. (Approximately 40 minutes)

Take out the wreath and brush it with melted butter. Dust with icing sugar