Bread & dough · Original adaptation
Cranberry Almond Stollen Recipe
A gently spiced holiday loaf packed with dried fruit and almonds, wrapped around a simple almond center and finished with butter and powdered sugar.
Inspired by The Great American Baking Show, Season 2, Episode 3
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Cranberry Almond Stollen
- Prep
- 35 min
- Bake
- 38 min
- Total
- 1 hr 13 min
- Makes
- One large loaf, serving 10 to 12
Ingredients
- 100 g dried cranberries
- 75 g golden raisins
- 3 tablespoons orange juice
- 375 g bread flour
- 7 g instant yeast
- 45 g granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- Finely grated zest of 1 orange
- 160 ml whole milk, lukewarm
- 1 large egg
- 85 g unsalted butter, softened
- 75 g sliced almonds, toasted and cooled
- 100 g almond flour
- 50 g powdered sugar, plus more for finishing
- 1 large egg white, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 25 g unsalted butter, melted, for finishing
Method
Combine the cranberries, raisins, and orange juice in a small bowl. Let them stand for 30 minutes, then drain off any liquid that has not been absorbed.
Mix the bread flour, yeast, granulated sugar, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, and orange zest in a large bowl. Add the milk, whole egg, and softened butter, then mix to form a soft dough.
Knead for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Work in the drained fruit and toasted almonds at low speed or by hand, stopping as soon as they are evenly distributed.
Place the dough in a lightly buttered bowl, cover, and leave to rise for 75 to 90 minutes, until visibly expanded by about half.
Mix the almond flour, 50 g powdered sugar, half of the egg white, and the almond extract. Add only enough of the remaining white to form a firm paste, then roll it into a 25 cm log.
Press the dough into a 30 by 22 cm oval. Set the almond log just off center, fold the shorter side over it, then bring the opposite side across while leaving the lower edge visible to form the traditional offset profile. Seal gently.
Transfer the loaf to a lined baking sheet, cover loosely, and proof for 35 to 45 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 190 C, or 170 C fan.
Bake for 35 to 38 minutes, until deeply golden and the center reaches about 93 C. Brush the hot loaf with melted butter and sift over a thick layer of powdered sugar.
Cool completely before slicing. Add a fresh dusting of powdered sugar just before serving.
From the episode
Bread Week
This adaptation starts from the episode's bread brief and reshapes it for ordinary home equipment and a manageable batch.
See every bake from the episode →Sources and recipe note
The sources below document the episode challenge. The quantities and method on this page are independently written by Baking Show Guide; they are not copied from a contestant or broadcaster recipe.
