Ramsey's sister Lucy sent this recipe for stöllen all the way from Germany.
   
   Ingredients
     1 kilogram (2.2 lbs) flour total
     2 tablespoons (or 2 envelopes) yeast
     400 ml (1-2/3 cups) milk + 1 tablespoon molasses
     4 eggs
     250 grams (1/2 pound) sugar
     375 grams (3/4 pound; 3 sticks) 
     pinch salt if butter is unsalted
     fruit:
       200 grams of golden or brown raisins (7 oz.)
       200 grams of other candied fruits (7 oz.)
         (Lucy uses candied orange peel and lime peel; I just bought
          a candied fruit mix, not being able to find what she uses.)
       grated zest of one large orange
     nuts:
       250 grams (8 oz.) walnuts or almonds, coarsely chopped
     liquid:
       3/4 cup fruit juice + 1 tablespoon molasses
       1 tablespoon orange blossom water (optional)
   
   Put fruits and nuts in a bowl, add liquid, stir, cover overnight.
   
   Early in the morning, remove butter and eggs from the refrigerator and
   cut the sticks of butter into pieces. Allow to come up to room temperature. The butter will incorporate into the batter much easier if it is soft.
   
   Sponge:
   
     Measure out the milk, add molasses, and warm it in the microwave oven for two minutes, then pour it into a mixer bowl and measure the temperature. It should be between 105°F and 112°F. If too cool, put back into the measuring cup and heat more, then return to bowl and again measure temperature. If too warm, let sit until it cools. Whisk in yeast and let sit for 3-5 minutes. Stir in two cups of the weighed-out flour, then cover with a clean cloth and put in a warm draft-free place for 30 minutes.
   
   Dough:
   
     Break the eggs into a medium-sized bowl. Whisk to lightly beat, then add sugar and whisk in until smooth.

     Add the egg/sugar mixture to the sponge, then put bowl on mixer with the dough hook. Gradually work in the fruit/nut mixture. Then work in the remaining flour. Once the flour is all worked in, knead for 3 minutes. Then add the cut up butter pieces one at a time and mix until fully incorporated before adding the next. Continue until the butter has all been added and the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. If the dough is still wet and shaggy add flour a little at a time until it smooths out. Remove to an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise for an hour.
   
   Loaves:
   
     Set the oven racks at least 4" apart in the middle of the oven.
   
     Divide dough into four parts. Let rise in a warm place for 30-45 minutes. 
   
     Preheat the oven to 350°F.
   
     Put the loaves on two jelly roll pans (with rims), with several inches of separation between them. Put one sheet on lower rack and the other on the upper. Bake for 45-60 minutes, turning and switching racks midway, until quite brown and a knife comes out clean. 
   
     (OPTIONAL) Melt 4 tablespoons of butter, brush over the loaves immediately after being removed from the oven. Remove to a rack, when cool sprinkle powdered sugar on top.
   
   These loaves can be covered with tin foil and will keep for weeks in a cool
   room. Refrigeration is not necessary, just a cool room.
   
   2023 notes: this recipe is now very close to perfect. It is still difficult to incorporate all the butter and it is also easy (and messy!) to separate the dough into 4 loaves.
   I also wonder about adding some spices ..
   It would be good to make the dough less sticky. Maybe I should try slowly adding flour at the end trying to make the dough feel smoother?