German Stollen Bread

== Description ==
German Stollen Bread from Recipes Wiki—original source of recipe, licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License
* Makes 2 rings, about 18 pieces each.
== Ingredients ==
=== Bread ===
* 1½ cup butter, divided use
* 1 cup milk
* ½ cup water
* 5¼ cups all purpose flour
* ¾ cup sugar, divided use
* 1 tsp salt
* 2 pkg dry active yeast
* 2 eggs, lightly beaten
* ½ tsp grated lemon rind
* ½ tsp grated orange rind
* ½ cup raisins
* ⅔ cup chopped candied fruit
* ½ cup chopped pecans
* 1 tbsp cinnamon
=== Icing ===
* 1 cup powdered sugar
* 3 tbsp water or milk
* ¼ tsp vanilla
* red and green candied cherry halves
== Directions ==
# In a 1-quart glass bowl, melt 1 cup of butter.
# Add milk and water.
# In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, ¼ cup of sugar, salt, and yeast.
# On low speed, stir in warm milk mixture, then eggs; mix well.
# Add rinds, raisins, fruit, and nuts; mix well.
# Cover dough tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours or overnight to rise.
# Divide dough in half.
# For each half, place on a floured surface and roll into an 18 x 12-inch rectangle; spread with ¼ cup of softened butter.
# Mix ½ cup of sugar with the cinnamon; sprinkle mixture over butter.
# Beginning with the long edge, roll up dough into a long cylinder, pinching edge to seal.
# If ends of dough are smaller than the remainder of the roll, trim off about 1 in.
# From each end.
# Place roll on a 12- to 14-inch round pizza pan greased or lined with baking parchment.
# Shape roll into a ring to resemble a large doughnut.
# Brush ends with water and pinch together to seal.
# Using clean kitchen shears or a sharp knife, make cuts in dough about every inch around ring, cutting ⅔ of the way through roll at each cut.
# Gently turn each piece of dough onto its side, slightly overlapping the previous piece.
# Let rise in a warm place, uncovered, for one hour.
# Preheat oven to 350°F.
# Bake each ring 25 – 30 minutes until light golden brown.
# Remove from oven, loosen ring from pan, and slide ring onto cooling rack.
# Combine icing ingredients, except cherry halves, and drizzle or brush icing over ring.
# Decorate with candied cherry halves.
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Category:Christmas Breads
Category:German Desserts
Category:Candied fruit Recipes
Category:Raisin Recipes
Category:Pecan Recipes
Category:Glace cherry Recipes
Category:Egg Recipes
Category:Lemon peel Recipes
Category:Orange peel Recipes
Category:Milk and cream Recipes