Stollen bread

This is a simplified version of the Christmas classic.

Ingredients
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp yeast
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup butter
1.5 cup golden raisins
2.75 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
0.5 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
0.25 tsp salt

8 oz marzipan

melted butter
powdered sugar

Preparation
Bloom the yeast with 1 tbsp sugar in warm water. Add the warm milk, beaten egg, vanilla and melted butter. Mix. Add the sugar and mix. Add in the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and the raisins. Knead together.

Roll out into a 0.5-inch rectangle. Take the marzipan and roll into two cylinders. Fold these into the dough as you roll it up. Seal the ends of the loaf.

Place onto a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Preheat the oven for 2 minutes, then turn off. Cover the bread with foil and allow to rise for 40-50 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Brush the bread with milk and bake in the 350F oven for 10 minutes. Lower the heat to 300F and bake for a further 30-40 minutes, until golden brown.

Cool on a cookie rack. Brush with melted butter and dust with powdered sugar. Serve cooled.