Stollen Babka Wreath Recipes

STOLLEN WREATH

Steps:

• Combine raisins, currants, citrus peel, angelica, and cherries in a bowl. Add the rum, tossing to coat fruits evenly. Soak at least 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
• Pour water into a small bowl; sprinkle with yeast and a pinch of sugar. Let stand 2 to 3 minutes; stir to dissolve yeast completely. Set aside until mixture almost doubles in bulk, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, drain fruit, reserving rum; carefully pat fruit dry with a paper towel. Return fruit to bowl; add almonds. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons flour. Toss; coat evenly. Set aside.
• In a heavy saucepan, combine 1 cup milk, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, and salt. Heat until warm (110 to 115 degrees), stirring until sugar is dissolved. Transfer liquid to bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; add reserved rum, almond extract, and lemon zest. Stir to combine. Stir in yeast mixture and eggs. Gradually add 5 cups flour, 1 cup at a time; beat until combined. Beat in softened butter until well incorporated. Turn dough out onto a surface floured with remaining 1/2 cup flour. Knead dough until all the flour is incorporated and dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Flour hands if dough gets sticky. Knead in one-third of the dried-fruit mixture until incorporated. Brush a large bowl with 1 teaspoon melted butter; drop in dough. Brush top of dough with 2 teaspoons melted butter; drape a kitchen towel over bowl. Set in a warm, draft-free place to rise until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment; set aside. Punch dough down; roll into a rectangle about 16 by 24 inches and 1/4 inch thick. Sprinkle remaining fruit over pastry. Starting with a long side, roll up tightly, forming a long, thin cylinder. Carefully transfer dough to baking sheet; join ends together, pinching with fingers if necessary to make it stick, forming a large circle.
• Using sharp kitchen scissors, make cuts along outside of circle, in 2-inch intervals, cutting two-thirds of the way through the dough. Twist each segment outward, forming a wreath shape with all segments overlapping. Brush dough with remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter.
• Cover pastry with a clean kitchen towel; set aside to rise for 30 minutes. Dough will rise only a little bit. Bake until golden brown and crusty, about 45 minutes, rotating halfway through. Place baking sheet on a wire rack to cool before icing.
• Whisk confectioners' sugar and 2 tablespoons milk to combine. Drizzle over cooled stollen.

STOLLEN BABKA WREATH

Steps:

• Mix the yeast, flour, mixed spice, sugar and 1 tsp salt in a big bowl. Whisk together the milk, melted butter and egg, then tip into the flour mixture and stir until it forms a sticky dough. Tip onto a work surface and knead for about 8 mins until the dough feels soft and stretchy. Clean the bowl, then butter it. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with buttered cling film and set aside for about 1-2 hrs, or until doubled in size, or chill for up to 24 hrs. In a small pan, simmer the cranberries, mixed dried fruit, zests and orange juice until the fruit looks plump. Leave to cool.
• When you're ready to shape the stollen, heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Tip the dough onto a surface lightly dusted with flour. Roll out to a 50 x 30cm rectangle. Grate the marzipan over the surface of the dough (this is easier to do if the marzipan is cold). Scatter the soaked fruit and half the nuts evenly over the top, then press down lightly with your hands so they stick into the dough a bit.
• With a long side facing you, roll up the dough as tightly as you're able to, like a Swiss roll (see step 1 of our step-by-step guide). Pinch the dough together to seal the open edge, then use a large knife to cut the sausage of dough in half along its length, leaving one end intact by about 5cm (see step 2). You should now have two long strips of dough to work with. Move the dough onto a large baking sheet, oiled and lined with parchment. Twist the two pieces together, turning the cut edges outwards to expose the marzipan and fruit filling (see step 3). Once twisted, connect the two ends to make a wreath shape about 26cm in diameter with a 12cm hole in the middle. Tuck one end under the other to hide the uncut piece of dough (see step 4). Cover loosely with oiled cling film and leave the bread to prove for 30-40 mins until risen by roughly a third.
• Uncover the bread and bake for 40-45 mins until the dough is golden all over. You may want to rotate the tray halfway through cooking to get even results. Leave to cool on the tray for 20 mins.
• Meanwhile, mix the icing sugar with enough lemon juice to make a thick but pourable icing. Drizzle over the wreath, then scatter with the rest of the nuts. Will keep in a tin, or well wrapped, for up to three days.

STOLLEN WREATH BREAD WITH MRS. KOSTYRA

Steps:

• In two separate bowls, soak currants in cognac and golden raisins in orange juice; set aside. In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, salt, mace, and nutmeg; set aside. In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup milk and 10 tablespoons butter over medium-low heat until butter is melted. Let stand until lukewarm, about 5 minutes.
• Pour 1/4 cup warm water into a small bowl; sprinkle with yeast, and let stand 2 to 3 minutes. Stir to dissolve yeast completely. Add the dissolved yeast, warm milk mixture, and eggs to the flour mixture. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface, and knead until fairly smooth. Transfer dough to a large bowl.
• Add currants and raisins in their liquid, orange zest, lemon zest, citron, apricots, and almonds, and then work them into the dough with your hands. Transfer dough to work surface, and knead for about 10 minutes. If the dough is sticky, knead in more flour, but be careful not to overwork.
• Butter a large bowl with 1 tablespoon melted butter. Place the dough in the bowl, turning to coat. Cover with a kitchen towel, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Punch dough down, roll into a rectangle about 16 by 24 inches and 1/4 inch thick. Starting with a long side, roll up tightly, forming a long, thin cylinder. Carefully transfer dough to a Silpat- or parchment-lined baking sheet; join ends together, pinching with fingers if necessary to make it stick, forming a large circle.
• Using sharp kitchen scissors, make cuts along outside of circle, in 2-inch intervals, cutting 2/3 of the way through the dough. Twist each segment outward, forming a wreath shape with all the segments overlapping.
• Cover dough with a clean kitchen towel; set aside to rise for 30 minutes. Dough will rise only a little bit. Brush dough with remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter. Bake until golden brown and crusty, about 45 minutes, rotating halfway through. Place baking sheet on a wire rack to cool. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.

OLD FASHIONED STOLLEN

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, heat milk until hot, but not boiling; mix in 1/2 cup sugar, salt, lemon zest, and butter. Remove from heat, and cool slightly. In a small bowl, mix together yeast, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 1/4 cup water; stir into milk. Beat in 2 eggs and egg yolks. Mix in 3 cups flour. Cover, and let rise in a warm place.
• Mix in the raisins and nuts. Gradually mix in enough of the remaining flour to form a soft dough. Place dough in a well-oiled bowl, cover, and set aside to rise.
• Divide dough into 3 balls. Roll each ball out into a thick log, braid, and tuck the ends under. Place on a large cookie sheet, and set aside to rise one more time.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Brush beaten egg over the dough. It gives a shine to it.
• Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes.

SHOW-STOPPING CHOCOLATE BABKA WREATH BY CHEF SHIMI RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Make the dough: Add the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment and mix on low speed. With the mixer running, add the water, vanilla, egg, and vegetable oil. Increase the mixer speed to medium and continue mixing until the dough is smooth and pulls away cleanly from the sides of the bowl, 7-10 minutes. If the dough is too dry, add more water, about 1 tablespoon at a time, if necessary. If it is too wet, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time.
• Transfer the dough to a clean surface and knead by hand until the dough is completely smooth, elastic, and shiny, 2-3 minutes. Shape into a ball. Grease a large bowl with vegetable oil spray, then transfer the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for 45-60 minutes, until doubled in size.
• Make the filling: Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Spread the hazelnuts in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet. Roast for about 8 minutes, until golden brown and fragrant. Let cool for 5 minutes then transfer the hazelnuts to a food processor and process until finely chopped, but still with some texture.
• Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the dark chocolate and cook, whisking frequently, until melted and evenly combined. Whisk in the cocoa powder and powdered sugar until completely smooth. The ganache should be spreadable.
• Make the syrup: Use a paring knife to remove the peel from the orange, then thinly slice the peel.
• Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved, about 3 minutes. Add the cinnamon and star anise and continue cooking for about 1 minute, then add the orange peel and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 20-25 minutes, until the syrup thickens and the orange peel is tender. Remove the pot from the heat and cover to keep warm.
• Assemble the babka: Punch down the dough, then transfer to a clean surface and slice in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one portion of dough into a 21 x 15-inch (53 x 30-cm) rectangle.
• Using a silicone spatula, spread half of the chocolate ganache evenly over the dough, all the way to the edges. Sprinkle half of the ground hazelnuts on top. Starting from a long end, roll the dough up into a tight log. Repeat with the remaining dough, then let the logs rest for 15 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 365°F (185°C). Line 2 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
• Using a serrated knife, slice a log in half lengthwise. Cross one side of the log over the other in an X shape with the cut sides facing up. Starting from the center, braid the two halves together to the bottom and top. You can leave as is, or bring the ends together to form a wreath. Transfer to a prepared pan. Repeat with the remaining babka.
• Make the egg wash: In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and water until smooth.
• Brush the egg wash lightly over the babka wreaths.
• Bake the babkas for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.
• Meanwhile, heat the syrup to low heat until hot.
• Remove the babkas from the oven and slowly ladle the hot syrup on top, letting it soak into the babkas. Garnish with dried rose petals and pistachios, if desired.
• Transfer the babkas to a wire rack and let cool for about 30 minutes.
• To serve, gently slice the babkas with a serrated bread knife.
• Enjoy!