German Stollen Recipe: Stollen for Christmas

You’ll find Stollen on most German tables during the Christmas Season. People enjoy it at an Advent Coffee, or as a special part of the Christmas Breakfast. The flavorful bread, studded with fruit, is made with enriched dough. Because it’s sweet, but not too sweet, you can enjoy it just as it comes. The most famous Stollen comes from Dresden, where it’s practically an art form. This German Stollen recipe comes from my Tante, who, after a bit of poking, finally shared her recipe with me.

German Stollen for Christmas!

Like with most baking recipes, the best ingredients provide the best results. Paradise Candied Fruit Company sent me a box of their candied fruit products to test, and the Candied Citron and Candied Orange Peel are fabulous in this Stollen. No bitterness at all, and no crazy colors,  just delicious citrus flavor.

Soaking the Raisins and Currants (or Cranberries) before using is essential for flavor and to protect the Stollen.

The rich loaves can’t be rushed; they need time to rise, time to bake. And then they need to be packed away to ripen for the best flavor, so bake them well before you want to eat them.

Why doesn’t Stollen Get Stale?

The protective sugar coating on the Stollen, combined with the large amounts of fat in the enriched dough AND the alcohol-soaked fruit, all work together to prevent microbial growth. And they keep the bread moist. When the Stollen has cooled and is completely coated in powdered sugar, you can store it away in a bread box or other container. I usually use a plastic container to keep it safe. Put it away in the pantry until you are ready to slice and eat.

You can freeze Stollen. Wrap it in foil, and then in plastic wrap or a large baggie. Seal it tightly. WRITE THE DATE AND CONTENTS on the package. It’s just easier than trying to remember. The Stollen will keep in the freezer for three months. Leave it wrapped while it thaws. Don’t stick it in the microwave.

Once you’ve sliced it, it’s time to eat! Finish it within two weeks of slicing. Remember to wrap it back up!

German Stollen for Christmas

Dresdner Stollen, a Traditional German holiday bread, is made from an enriched dough LOADED with fruit.

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Prep Time 4 hours hrs

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 14 days d

Course German Christmas Traditions

Cuisine German

Servings 2 Loaves

Equipment

• 1 Heavy Duty Stand Mixer
• Parchment Paper
• Large Baking Sheet

Ingredients

  

• 600 gram Raisins
• 200 gram Currants or dried Cranberries You can chop the cranberries if they are too big, I generally don't bother
• 3 shot glasses Rum
• ¼` liter Milk 1 cup
• 1 Tablespoon Sugar
• 40 gram Active Dried Yeast approx. 4 1/2 Tablespoon
• 1 Kilo All Purpose Flour approx. 8 cups
• 1 Tablespoon Salt
• 100 gram Almond Flour approx. 1 cup
• 150 gramm Sugar ¾ cup
• zest 2 Lemons
• 1 ½ teaspoons Cardamom
• 100 gram Candied Citron Paradise Fruit Company
• 100 gram Candied Orange Peel Paradise Fruit Company
• 500 gram Butter- softened 2 1/4 cup

Stollen Cover

• 175 gram Butter Melted
• 250 gram Sugar
• 5 Tablespoons Vanilla Sugar
• Powdered Sugar at least 5 cups

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Instructions

 

• 24 hours before baking, place the raisins and currants or cranberries in a plastic ziplock bag. Add rum, seal, and let the fruit absorb the rum. Turn the bag occasionally to distribute the rum.
• Warm milk slightly to lukewarm. Add sugar and dried yeast. Stir, and then set aside in a warm place to let yeast activate for 10 minutes. It will look brown and foamy on top when ready.
• Put 2/3 of the flour into the bowl of a stand mixer (700 gram) fitted with a paddle. Make a well in the center. Around the edge of the well add the salt, almond flour, sugar, lemon zest, and cardamom.

  Add the softened butter, a few tablespoons at a time, mix to combined.

  Add the milk/yeast mixture into the center, and mix together until combined.

  Add the rum soaked fruit, citron, and orange peel, mix until combined.

  Add the rest of the flour and mix until combined.
• Change the paddle for a kneading hook, and knead the dough for 10 minutes.

  Alternatively, knead it by hand for 10 minutes.
• Place the dough in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise for an hour in a warm place. (I place the bowl into the oven) It will rise, but it won't be dramatic.
• Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper
• Dump the dough onto a kneading surface. Knead it a few times, then cut the dough in half.
• Shape one half into a long oval. Fold about 1/3 of the long side over the middle. You don't want it to be folded in half.

  Place on parchment covered baking sheet.

  Repeat with the other half of the dough.
• Place the baking sheet with both loaves in a warm place to rise for 1 hour. (Again, I place them in my unheated oven. Remove before heating the oven for baking!)

  The rise will not be dramatic.
• Preheat the oven to 350℉
• Bake the loaves for 55 minutes.

Cover the Stollen

• While the loaves are baking: Melt the 175 grams of butter.
• Combine sugar and vanilla sugar in a bowl
• Set a cooling rack next to the sugar and butter
• Cover a separate baking sheet with 2 cups powdered sugar
• When the Stollen is baked, let cool for 5 minutes on a cooling rack. Then carefully brush the Stollen on all sides and sprinkle with the sugar/vanilla sugar mixture.

  You can use a towel to hold the Stollen if it's still hot. I start by flipping one onto my hand, then I brush the bottom with butter and sprinkle with sugar. Set it back onto the cooling rack and then and brush butter over the top and sides of the Stollen, sprinkle with sugar/vanilla sugar.

  Be generous with the melted butter and sugar. They form a crust that keeps the Stollen from going bad.

  Then repeat with the second one.

  Let the Stollen cool.

  Then move it onto the powdered sugar. I set the bottom side onto a bed of powdered sugar, and then top with a thick layer of powdered sugar.

  Then be generous with the powdered sugar.

  Store in a cool dry place. Stollen tastes better after it "ripens" for a few weeks. But if you are impatient, you can always eat one after a day or two, and save the other.

  I like to store mine in plastic wrap or an airtight storage box. Once it has been cut into you need to wrap it tightly so it doesn't dry out.

Notes

While I gave both metric and standard measurements, you get more consistent results when you weigh your ingredients. 
Use high quality ingredients for best flavor. I used Citron and Orange peel from Paradise fruits. Delicious! 
Soak the raisins and currents or cranberries in rum for at least 24 hours for best flavor.

Bake Dresdner Stollen a few weeks before you plan to enjoy it, and allow them to "ripen." The sugar coating will protect them.

Keyword Stollen

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Making the German Stollen

The first rise takes an hour. 

Cut the dough in half and shape it into two ovals. 
Fold the side of the oval over the middle. 

Place on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper.

While they are baking, prepare the station.

Melt butter, combine the granulated sugar and vanilla sugar. 
Have a cooling rack ready.
Put some powdered sugar on a separate baking sheet.

When it’s cool enough to handle without burning yourself (maybe use a towel)
Brush the bottom of the Stollen with melted butter, then generously sprinkle with the granulated sugar mix.
Set on the cooling rack until cooled.

Place the cooled Stollen onto the powdered sugar covered baking sheet, and GENEROUSLY cover with more powdered sugar.

Then set aside. 
I usually cover the Stollen on the baking sheet with plastic wrap, and put it away for a day before I wrap it up for storage.

Slice and serve!