Step 1

Stir together the raisins, dried currants, chopped peel, sliced almonds, and orange juice until well mixed.  Leave to soak while you make the bread dough.

Step 2

Pour the flour into a large bowl, adding the yeast and salt on opposite sides of the bowl.  Stir in each one with your finger.  Mix in the sugar.

Step 3

Dump in the warmed milk, orange zest, vanilla, and egg, and bring the mix together with your hand.  The dough may be dry at this stage, but don't add any additional liquid to it.

Step 4

Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it prove at room temperature for 40 minutes.

Step 5

Put the butter in a saucepan set over low heat until melted.

Step 6

Gradually add the melted butter to the dough, squeezing and crushing the dough with your hand to incorporate.  Once all of the butter is added, knead until all the butter is evenly distributed.

Step 7

Cover the dough with plastic wrap again and let it prove for 1 hour.

Step 8

Place the dough in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Add the soaked fruit mixture and mix on medium-low speed until evenly mixed.  If you don't have a stand mixer, you can do this step by hand.

Step 9

Let the dough rest for 30 minutes covered with plastic wrap.

Step 10

Turn out the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface.  Punch it down all over to knock out any large air pockets.

Step 11

Roll out the dough into an oval about 12 inches long and 8 inches wide.  Place the bread dough on an 11x17-inch cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Step 12

On a surface lightly dusted with icing sugar, roll out the marzipan to an oval slightly smaller than the bread dough.  Lay it on top of the bread.

Step 13

Fold over the long side of the oval so the dough is folded in half lengthwise.  The marzipan should be covered by the dough.

Step 14

Cover the stollen with a piece of plastic wrap and let it prove until the dough springs back when gently pressed, about 30 minutes.

Step 15

Towards the end of the final prove, preheat your oven to 400 F.

Step 16

Cook the stollen in the middle of the oven for about 15 minutes at 400 F.  Without opening the oven door, lower the temperature to 375 F and bake the loaf until it's golden brown and has an internal temperature of about 190 F, about 40 minutes.  Once the bread is nicely browned, cover it with aluminum foil.

Step 17

Let the stollen cool for 10 minutes on the tray, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool.

Step 18

While the loaf is still hot, brush on a generous coating of melted butter and sift a thick coating of icing sugar on top.  This coating looks pretty and seals the loaf, preventing it from drying out too quickly.

Step 19

Let the German Christmas loaf cool completely, then slice and serve with soft butter.