Yeast Loaf with Marzipan and Nuts

Ingredients

• 400 g flour
• 20 g fresh yeast (½ 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 tray)
• 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 detached from the bowl edges. Cover and let rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes.

2. 2.

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

3. 3.

   Knead the dough on a floured surface and roll into a rectangle approximately 35 × 40 cm. Spread the filling evenly, leaving a border free of filling. Beat the egg yolk, brush the borders, and 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 intertwine into a braid.

4. 4.

   Place the braid 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, warm apricot jam in a pot and strain through a sieve. Whisk powdered sugar with lemon juice into a glaze.

6. 6.

   Remove the finished loaf, brush hot with apricot jam, drizzle glaze over it, let cool, then slice for serving.