Christmas Stollen Wreath with Cranberries, Pistachios, candied orange. Vegan

A simple Christmas Stollen.. veganized! Stollen is a bread-like fruitcake made with yeast, water and flour, and usually with zest added to the dough. Candied orange peel and candied citrus peel (Zitronat), raisins and almonds, and different spices such as cardamom and cinnamon are added. Other ingredients, such as milk, sugar, butter, salt, rum, eggs, vanilla,other dried fruits and nuts and marzipan may also be added to the Stollen dough. Except for the fruit added, the dough is quite low in sugar. The finished cake is usually sprinkled with icing sugar.

Here is my simple recipe for a regular loaf or 6 inch diameter wreath. The bread can be shaped into a loaf or a wreath. I added 1/4 cup each pistachios, almond slivers, cranberries, and rum soaked raisins and 1 Tablespoon chopped candied ginger. You can add some dark chocolate, candied orange, lemon, papaya, or other candied or dried fruits like apricots, some marzipan and other fun things. You can soak all of the dried fruit in rum or brandy, or use them as is unsoaked for an alcohol free version. Have an amazing holiday season!!

Pictured above is a slice across the center. To make a double sized stollen, use 1.5 times the dried nuts and fruits and double everything else. Adjust flour and water while kneading to get a soft dough. make 2 loaves or a bigger wreath circle with a larger hole in the center.

Serve this warm with coffee, or for breakfast or any time of the day! A perfect holiday snack! Some other holiday recipes..

Pistachio thumbprint cookies with Cranberry filling.

Coconut Almond Rum Balls

Cranberry Blueberry Upside down cake

Tiramisu Pancakes!

and more under the holiday tag!

Ingredients:

• 3/4+ cup bread flour
• 3/4 white whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup almond or coconut milk (I used So delicious vanilla)
• 3 Tablespoons coconut oil or organic canola oil
• about 1 cup total of dried, candied or brandied fruits( I added 1/4 cup each pistachios, almond slivers, cranberries, and rum soaked raisins and 1 Tablespoon chopped candied ginger. You can add some dark chocolate, dried apricots, currants, candied orange, lemon, papaya, or other candied or dried fruits, some marzipan and other fun things) 
• 2 Tablespoons water
• 2 teaspoons active yeast
• 3 Tablespoons raw sugar (I use sugar in the raw, and that is sweeter than regular white sugar)
• 1/8 teaspoon cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice ( or spices of choice like ginger bread blend)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla(skip if using vanilla flavored coconut milk)
• zest of 1/2 a lemon or some orange
• powdered vegan sugar for topping(optional)

Directions:

1. Warm 2 Tablespoons water and add yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar to it, Let sit for 10 minutes or until frothy.
2. Add to this yeast mix, 3/4 cup bread flour, warm coconut milk, oil and rest of the sugar and combine well.
3. In another bowl, take the whole wheat flour and add in the rest of the ingredients, and mix well.
4. Add this flour mix to the bread flour batter and knead for 4-5 minutes. Add bread flour or water to get a soft, not too sticky dough. The dough will be ready when some of the raisins feel like they will fall out. Initially the dough is sticky so the raisins stay inside. (If many dried fruits/nuts fall out, that means the ratio of dried fruits to flour is too high, add more flour and water to help distribute them and form a soft dough ball)
5. Let dough sit in a greased and covered container for 2 hours or until doubled. Spritz top with water and spritz oil before covering.
6. Take it out and punch and knead for a minute, use a little bread flour to help reduce stickiness. shape into somewhat of a rectangle of 1/2 inch thickness.
7. Roll this like a jelly roll. (you can also sprinkle some marzipan, chocolate chips or cinnamon sugar before rolling)
8. If baking a bread loaf, place this roll seam side down in a greased bread pan. If making a wreath, pull the sides of the roll to form a circle and use a little water to stick them to each other by pinching. Use a serrated knife or shears, make cuts at regular intervals.
9. Spritz top with water and then oil, cover and let rise for 50 minutes or until doubled.
10. Bake the loaf or wreath in a preheated 360 degrees F for 25-30 minutes until golden and a tap sounds hollow.
11. Cool on rack for 15 minutes. Sprinkle top with sugar. I like mine without. Slice and serve at room temperature. It tastes yummier the next day! Warm in the oven a little if serving later. Store in a cool place wrapped in foil for a few days.

This stollen is heading to Slightly indulgent Tuesdays, Hearth and soul blog hop, and Vardhini's Bake Fest event hosted by Sangeetha at Spicy Treats, and Radhika's lets cook 10, ans Susans Yeastspotting