Stollen, or Christstollen, is a traditional German sweet bread with a dense texture, an irresistible spiced aroma, and a distinctive dusting of powdered sugar. A truly special treat that evokes the magic of Christmas, its oval, slightly domed shape symbolizes the baby Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes. This dense, slightly dry bread is designed to keep well for several days, and its flavor actually improves with age.
Stollen originated in the city of Dresden in the 14th century. Originally, it was a simpler bread made with flour, water, yeast, and oil, and was eaten during Advent. Over time, butter was added, and it began to evolve into a richer and more elaborate recipe. As ingredients such as candied fruit, spices, and nuts were incorporated , this bread acquired the festive character for which it is known today.
Today, Stollen is a Christmas tradition deeply rooted in German culture. In the city of Dresden, where this delicious sweet bread originated, the Stollenfest is celebrated every year , a festival in its honor where a giant Stollen is baked.
This sweet bread is perfect to enjoy with a cup of tea, a latte, or the traditional German mulled wine for a truly German experience. Its complex, spiced flavors make it an ideal addition to all kinds of holiday gatherings.
Recipe Information
- Preparation time : 20 minutes
- Cooking time : 50 minutes
- Total time : 1 hour and 10 minutes (plus rising and cooling times)
- Servings : 12
- Category : Pastry
- Type of cuisine : German
- Calories per serving (kcal) : 310
Stollen Ingredients
- 80g of raisins
- 80g of candied orange
- 60g of dried blueberries
- 100 ml of rum
- 90 ml of lukewarm milk
- 4 g of dried baker's yeast (or 12 grams of fresh yeast)
- 240 g of wheat flour
- 75g of butter at room temperature
- 40g of white sugar
- 1 medium egg
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla paste
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Half a teaspoon of salt
- Half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 60g of almond sticks
- 30g of melted and cooled butter
- 20 g of icing sugar
How to make Stollen
We'll start by soaking 80 grams of raisins, 80 grams of candied orange peel, and 60 grams of dried cranberries in 100 ml of rum. We'll let them soak while we prepare the recipe, stirring them occasionally with a spoon to ensure they rehydrate completely.
Mix 90 ml of lukewarm milk with 4 grams of dried baker's yeast. Let this mixture rest for 5 minutes until it starts to bubble.
We mix 240 grams of wheat flour with 75 grams of butter at room temperature, 40 grams of white sugar, 1 medium egg, 1 teaspoon of vanilla paste, the zest of 1 lemon, half a teaspoon of salt, half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg, and the milk with the yeast. We knead this mixture for about 20-25 minutes, by hand or with a mixer, until we obtain a shiny, smooth, and elastic dough.
We form the dough into a ball and let it rise at room temperature, covered with plastic wrap or a cotton cloth in a warm place. Depending on the ambient temperature, this process will take between 1 and 2 hours.
Once the dough has fermented, we stretch it out with our hands into a rectangular shape.
If necessary, drain the rum from the rehydrated fruit and place it on top of the dough.
We incorporate the fruit by kneading lightly and then stretch the dough again with our hands. We place 60 grams of slivered almonds in the center of the dough.
We close the dough, with the almonds in the center, forming a loaf. We place the Stollen on a baking sheet and let it rest for 30-45 minutes, until we see that it has risen in volume. We preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF) with the top and bottom elements on and bake it for 45-50 minutes.
Remove the Stollen from the oven and brush it with 30g of melted and cooled butter. Then, let it cool completely on a wire rack.
When the Stollen has cooled completely, brush it again with melted and cooled butter and sprinkle 20 grams of icing sugar over its entire surface.
We serve the Stollen sliced.
Easy-to-prepare summary
- We soaked the dried fruit in the rum
- We mix the milk and yeast and let it rest for 5 minutes
- We mix the flour, butter, white sugar, egg, vanilla paste, lemon zest, salt, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and milk with the yeast and knead for 20-25 minutes
- We make a ball and let it rise until it doubles in volume
- We stretch the dough with our hands
- We place the soaked fruit on top of the dough
- We incorporate the fruit into the dough, roll it out again, and place the almonds in the center.
- We form a loaf with the dough, let it rest until its volume increases again, and bake the Stollen for 45-50 minutes at 180°C.
- We remove the Stollen from the oven and brush it with melted butter.
- We let it cool completely, brush it again with butter, and sprinkle it with icing sugar.
- We serve the Stollen
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