Traditional Stollen Bread Method

The best stollen bread recipe I've ever come across was found online, from a bakery, and meant to be made in industrial mixing machines. Over the years, I've adapted it to suit my kitchen and my bare hands because even my stand mixer can't handle the weight of this dense bread. Notes: The candied lemon and orange peel are made separately. The recipe I use calls for the peels of 3 lemons/oranges, 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water. That makes the 1/2 cup required. Use whatever proportions of lemons to oranges you desire. Cover the peels with water in a small pan, heat to boil, drain, add sugar and water, boil until liquid is gone and peels are shiny and translucent. I usually set the fruit to soak in alcohol at least 24 hrs. before I plan to bake but often leave them up to a week due to putting off the baking day. Put the fruits in a quart jar and cover with dark rum or bourbon, both are good. When mixing the sponge with the rest of the ingredients, don't give up. It's messy and pieces go flying but you know you've got it when it holds together, all the bits are evenly distributed and the dough becomes shiny and elastic, just like any other bread, 7-10 minutes. I used to add all the flour to the butter at once (as the original recipe calls for) but it was near impossible to incorporate the sponge and drove me crazy. This is the first time adding half the flour and kneading in the rest and it was so much easier! I've made all the mistakes over the years so you don't have to. 4 1/2 tsp yeast 1 1/2 cup + 2T lukewarm milk 3 1/3 cup flour 2 sticks butter 2/3 cup sugar 2 t salt 3 1/3 cup flour zest of 1 lemon 1/2 t each butter and almond extract 1/2 cup each sliced almonds and chopped pecans 1 1/2 cup raisins, cherries and pineapple, soaked in rum 24 hrs 1/4 cup each candied lemon and orange peels powdered sugar and melted butter for coating Enjoy!