Yeast Loaf with Marzipan and Nuts

Ingredients

• 400 g flour
• 20 g fresh yeast (1/2 cube)
• 125 ml lukewarm milk
• 60 g liquid butter
• 40 g sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 2 tsp grated lemon zest
• 2 Eggs
• 100 g marzipan paste
• 2 egg whites
• 30 g sugar
• 0.5 tsp cinnamon
• 150 g roasted, grated hazelnuts
• 1 egg yolk (for brushing)
• butter (for the pan)
• 100 g apricot jam
• 100 g powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp lemon juice

Instructions

1. 1.

   Whisk the yeast into the milk until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients for the dough to a mixing bowl, pour in the yeast milk and knead with an electric hand mixer’s dough hooks until elastic and the dough lifts from the bowl edges. Cover and let rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes.

2. 2.

   Blend the marzipan paste with egg whites, sugar, and cinnamon until smooth; fold in the hazelnuts.

3. 3.

   Knead the dough on a floured surface and roll into a rectangle roughly 35 × 40 cm. Spread the filling evenly across the dough, leaving a border around the edges. Beat the egg yolk, brush the borders with it, then roll the dough from one long side. Place seam‑side down on the work surface, cut lengthwise in the middle, lay the halves side by side and braid them into a loaf.

4. 4.

   Place the braided loaf on a greased baking sheet, cover, and let rise again for about 40 minutes in a warm spot. Bake at 220 °C for 10 minutes, lower to 190 °C, and bake another 30 minutes until done.

5. 5.

   Meanwhile, gently warm the apricot jam in a saucepan and strain through a sieve. Whisk powdered sugar with lemon juice to make a glaze.

6. 6.

   Remove the finished loaf from the oven; while still hot, brush it with apricot jam and drizzle the glaze over it. Let cool before slicing into servings.