German Stollen
6# flour
1 1/2# butter and lard (half of each)
10 eggs
1 can evap. milk
1 tsp. each: mace, cinnamon, nutmeg
3 cups sugar
6 cakes fresh yeast, plus 1/2 cup
2# raisins
1# currants
3/4# blanched almonds
1/2# citron
1/4# candied lemon peel
1/4# candied orange peel
14 cardamom seeds, mashed
Grind almonds, citron,
orange and lemon peel together. Set aside. Sift 6 # flour. Dissolve yeast
in lukewarm water, about 1 1/2 cups, in which 2 tbsp. sugar has been added.
When yeast is dissolved, make a hole in middle of flour. Set to raise in
warm place. Let rise 1/2 to 1 hour.
Cream butter and
sugar. Beat eggs and add to butter . In another pan, warm evaporated milk
to lukewarm. Put spices around edge of flour then add 1 heaping tbsp. salt
to hole. Add egg, butter, and sugar mixture around edge of flour. Cover
hole with flour. Add fruit mixture with 1 handful of flour added to fruit.
Then add warm milk and mix with hands to consistency of bread dough. Work
until mixture doesn't stick to hands. If too stiff, add lukewarm water.
If too thin, add flour. Let set all night. Keep warm with blankets. Work
into loaves. Let rise double size. Grease on top with butter. Shape into
crescent shape. Bake for 1 hour in a moderate oven, 200-250 degrees.
Submitted by Fred Smoot