You will need: Fireclay stones
Working hours: 35 minutes
Baking: ca. 30-35 minutes

Preheating: approx. 30 minutes
Top heat: approx. 250-280°C
Fireclay brick: approx. 160-180°C

In the BOBBY:
Preheating: approx. 10-15 minutes
Top heat: approx. 220-250°C
Fireclay brick: approx. 140-160°C

Ingredients (for 4 loaves)

The evening before:

For the starter dough:

• 300 g wheat flour type 550
• 300 ml water (27°C)
• 3 g yeast (room temperature)

On baking day:

For the main dough:

• Zest of 1 untreated lemon and 1 untreated orange
• 3 medium-sized apples
• a little lemon juice
• 300 ml milk (room temperature)
• 5 g yeast (room temperature)
• Pre-dough
• 650 g wheat flour type 550
• 100 g ground almonds (without skin)
• 25 g soft butter 
• 10 g salt
• 130 g honey
• 3-4 tsp speculaas spice
• 100 g almond slivers

In addition:

• 1 egg yolk + 1 tbsp cream
• 100 g almond slivers
• Flour for the work surface

The evening before:
For the starter dough:

Place the flour, water and yeast in a large bowl and mix well with a whisk. Cover and leave to stand at room temperature for 12-18 hours.

On baking day:
For the main dough:

Wash the lemon and orange in hot water and finely grate the zest.

Wash and peel the apples and remove the core. Cut into cubes and sprinkle with a little lemon juice.

Pour the milk into the mixing bowl of the food processor and dissolve the yeast in it.

Add the starter dough, flour, almonds, butter, salt, honey, speculoos spice and lemon and orange zest and knead into a smooth dough. Add the almond slivers and diced apple and knead in briefly. (This is best done with your hands).

Cover the dough and leave to rise at room temperature for 2.5-3 hours.

Then place on the floured work surface. Roughly stretch the dough into a rectangle, divide into 4 equal strips and shape into an oblong.
Whisk the egg yolk and cream in a small bowl. Brush the bread with the mixture and sprinkle with almond slivers.

Then turn 2-3 times around its own axis to form a "root loaf".

Cover and leave to rise for a further 30-40 minutes at room temperature.

During this time, heat the Merklinger to approx. 250-280 °C (BOBBY approx. 220-250 °C).

Pick up the root loaves with the floured pusher, place them in the
Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown and crispy.
 
Remove the loaves and leave to cool on a wire rack.

Tip:
"Klausi" is the perfect companion during the Christmas season. It goes well with cozy Advent afternoons as well as a successful Christmas menu with game or beef and winter salads.