Christmas Stollen!! Gluten Free- Dairy Free and No Knead

Christmas, a time to celebrate with the warm fragrant stollen bread I make each year for my family.  I wrap it lovingly and give a loaf to my children.  But wait, Jenny Wren and Miss Molly just called from two different locations and said, " No more wheat-I have to go gluten free."  What's an Organic Gamma to do?   Why that Gamma will just try and make a great Gluten Free Stollen this year. 

Bread Flour Mix

• 2 Cups Brown Rice Flour

• 1 Cup Millet Flour 

• 1 Cup Arrowroot Powder (Corn Starch made be used in place as Arrowroot is pricey)

• 1 Cup Potato Starch (not potato flour)

• 1/4 Cup Sweet Rice Flour
  
  
  
   Makes about 5 cups of flour.

Here in paradise I could not find a good source of flours to use in my mix and when I opened each bag of flour, I made sure it did not have a strong odor, an indication that it is rancid or old.  I can order a wider variety of flours online but I wanted to get started with what I could find in Big Pine Key.

Stollen Ingredients 
1 package yeast
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup water (110 degrees)
1 cup mixed dried fruit (I used raisins, dates, and pineapple)
1/2 cup water for soaking fruit
2 beaten eggs
1/2 cup coconut butter softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3-4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Glaze and Topping Ingredients
2 cups confectionery sugar
2 Tablespoons warm apple juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup toasted almond slices
1/2 cup candied fruit

Directions

Prepare fruit and let soak in 1/2 cup warm water for 45 minutes.

Use yeast, honey, and 1/2 cup warm water-

--to make sponge.  Let sit covered for 30 minutes.

Melt coconut butter.

 Beat eggs and mix with cooled coconut butter and vanilla.

Mix flour with spices and salt.

Add fruit and egg mixture to flour mixture and stir just until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl.

Cover with a damp towel and let rest over night.

The next day turn out dough onto a lightly floured service, cover with damp towel,

 and let rest 10 minutes.

Shape into three large logs and three smaller ones (here is where gluten helps to make shiny and uniform braids).

The braids are not very pretty but they are holding together. 

 Place bread on baking sheet, cover,  and wait 45 minutes.

  Bake bread in preheated 375 degree oven for 30 minutes

 (internal temperature 190 degrees).

Remove bread from baking sheet and cool on rack.

Glaze and decorate with toasted almonds and candied fruit.