Stollen surprise baguette

It's up to you.

17 detailed steps from preparation to service.

1. Rehydrate raisins and prepare fruit

   Pour the 150 g of raisins into a bowl and cover them with warm water for 20 minutes. Cut the 80 g of candied citrus peels into small 5 mm dice. Prepare 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and keep the 150 g of marzipan apart: it will form a whole heart and will not be mixed with the paste.

2. Prepare the two quantities of butter

   Cut the 140 g of soft butter for the dough into small dice. Weigh the 30 g of finishing butter in another container and keep them for the oven outlet; they are not added to the kneading. Measure the 150 ml of milk and warm it up to 30 ° C, checking that it is not hot.

3. Break the egg and prepare the yeast

   Break the egg into a small bowl, remove any pieces of shell and beat it quickly with a fork. Read the package leaflet for 7 g of dry yeast: if it requires rehydration, use part of the milk measured and follow the time indicated. Prepare 400 g of flour, 80 g of sugar and 4 g of salt separately.

4. Form the starting paste

   Put the flour and sugar in the vat of the robot with the hook, or in a large bowl. Add the beaten egg, the milk and the yeast prepared according to its instructions, then the salt on the side before mixing. Work at a small speed or with a spoon until you get a coarse paste; scrape the bottom to incorporate all the flour.

5. Knead and add the soft butter

   Knead the dough about 8 minutes before adding the butter. Incorporate the 140 g of butter into three portions, until each is absorbed before the next, then knead again about 8 minutes with the robot. By hand, fold and push the dough with the palm, allowing more time; it must become supple and relatively smooth, without massive addition of flour.

6. Drain and incorporate fruit

   Drain the raisins and dry their surface with absorbent paper or a clean cloth. Add them to the dough with the 80 g of candied peel and the teaspoon of cinnamon. Mix at low speed or fold the dough by hand until evenly distributed; do not pour the soaking water into the bowl.

7. Let rise the dough rich in fruit

   Gather the dough into a ball and cover the bowl to keep the surface supple. Let rise for 1 h 30 to 2 hours in a temperate room, away from a draft. This dough rich in butter and fruit can rise less quickly than a light brioche: wait until it swells sharply, rather than relying only on time.

8. Prepare the heart in marzipan

   Roll the 150 g of marzipan on a clean plane to obtain a 26 cm pudding, regular diameter. Round its ends without stretching them into spikes. Prepare a baking tray covered with baking paper and a second sheet on the worktop: it will avoid adding raw flour for shaping.

9. Spread and enclose the almond heart

   Press gently on the raised dough and spread it on the roll in a rectangle of 30 x 18 cm. Place the 26 cm long almond boudin in the center and fold the two large sides to enclose it. Pinch the solder and close the ends; turn the bread to place the solder underneath, then slightly refine its ends without discovering the heart.

10. Leave for the second rise

    Transfers the stollen onto the plate by supporting it with both hands or using the paper. Cover it slightly and let it rise for 45 minutes; it should soften and swell again. Preheat the oven to 170 °C in conventional oven setting (no fan) towards the end of rest, with an oven rack in the bottom third of the oven.

11. Cut the little baguette

    Remove the cover. With a small sharp knife, draw three diagonal cuts on top, only 2 to 3 mm deep. The gesture must cut the surface without reaching the marzipan or deflating the bread strongly; space the three notches along the length to evoke a small baguette.

12. Cook to the heart

    Bake for 40 to 45 minutes. If the surface colors too fast, place a sheet of baking paper on top at the end of cooking, without touching the heating elements. Check with a skewer in an area of dough next to the almond heart: it should come out without glued raw paste; the underside should be well golden.

13. Brush with the finishing butter

    Gently melt the reserved 30 g of butter in a small saucepan or bowl in a bain-marie. Take the stollen out of the oven and place it on an oven rack over a sheet of paper. With a brush, spread the 30 g of butter on top and still warm sides, in two passes; do not add any new amount of butter.

14. Cooling before sugar and packaging

    Let the stollen cool completely on the grill, at least 1 hour, more if its center is still warm. The paper underneath picks up the butter drops. Do not pack it hot, as the steam would soften the surface; for a sharper cut and developed aromas, ideally plan to serve it the next day.

15. Slightly powder like a baguette

    Take 10 g of the 40 g of icing sugar and put them in a small strainer. Powder the cold stollen very slightly so that the brown crust and the nicks remain visible; the sugar replaces the visual effect of a veil of flour, without adding raw flour. Keep the remaining 30g of sugar in a small, clean box for service.

16. Let rest and cut a first slice

    Pack the stollen fully cooled and keep it in a cool room until the next day if possible. For the presentation, place it on a board and cut a slice of 1 to 2 cm with a bread knife, sawing gently so as not to crush the heart. The cup should reveal the fruits and almond pudding in the center.

17. Allow to be taken and served

    Presents the small whole baguette with its slice cut, then divide it into thin parts. Offer the 30 g of icing sugar reserved in a cup to powder the slices according to the taste of each; it is not necessary to hide all the crust. The trompe-l'oeil rests on the shape and the notches, without adding any unplanned decoration.