Poppy Seed Stollen

This is a traditional bake in the pre Christmas time and it originates from Silesia, today Poland.
My Mom made it when I was a child, she came from Silesia. I keep up the tradition and try to bake one every year.

The most famous one is the Stollen from Dresden in Saxony. But it has different ingredients and needs to rest a long time before it can be eaten. The poppy seed Stollen needs to be eaten in the next 10 days after baking. No problem at all!

recipe for the dough:
300 g plain flour
125 ml warm milk
18 g fresh yeast
40 g sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg yolk
50 g butter
zest of a lemon

filling:
100 g dried raisins
40 g dried cranberries
100 ml rum
250 g ground poppy seeds  + 100 ml milk + 100 g sugar cooked and cooled down
or shop bought poppy seed bake mix
1 egg white
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp vanilla sugar
a few drops orange blossom water
50 g dry roasted almond flakes

Prepare the dough and let it rest 2 hours in a warm place.
Preheat the oven 180 C.
On a floured surface roll it out a 30x45 cm piece.
Put the poppy seed mix on top first and leave a free 2 cm wide edge around.

Drain the berries and scatter them over, then add the almonds.
Sprinkle with cinnamon and vanilla sugar and add a few drops of orange blossom water.
Use the egg white and wet the edge around.
Roll from the wide side so you have 45 cm , tuck under the ends.
I have a special metal baking dish for Stollen and I butter and flour it and place the piece inside.

I bake with the special Stollen hood on a baking sheet covered with baking paper for 20 minutes, then take the hood off and bake for an other 20 minutes.

Either just put icing sugar on top or make a little glaze. I used red mulled wine mixed with icing sugar and brushed it over the Stollen.