German Stollen Recipe
Holiday season is here and so is our Authentic Christmas German Stollen recipe. Xmas Stollen bread is a traditional German style sweet bread made with mixed glazed fruits, raisins and marzipan. This iconic dessert is also refereed to German Stollen fruit cake because of it’s rich moist texture and specific shape that is recognized around the world.
Good to know:
German Stollen or German Christmas fruitcake has a profound history dating back to Dresden (Germany) in the 1400’s. Today there are many variations of this specialty decadent Christmas fruit cake. Typically the Stollen is made using candied fruit, raisins, currants, nuts, spices and is filled with an almond paste known as Marzipan.
Back In The Day:
Although most of today’s recipes include butter and milk, History says that back in the 1400’s the Catholic Church forbid the use of butter and milk during the advent and that Dresden Stollen taste very different. What remains the same is it’s distinctive shape and layer of icing sugar which symbolizes Baby Jesus being swaddled.
What Happened To Stollen Bread In The Middle Of The 1600’s:
There was a revolution in the year 1650 AD with how the Dresden Stollen can be made. Bakers from Dresden petitioned to Pope Urban VIII to remove restrictions on the use of butter and milk in the Stollen. The bakers won and the restrictions were removed allowing the bakers to add butter and milk to their recipes.
What is Dresden Stollen?
Dreseden Stollen is the traditional name for this German Christmas Fruit Bread. It is named Dresden Stollen because it is thought that this is were this fruitcake originated from.
Other Names For Stollen:
This ubiquitous German holiday fruitcake bread has many different names depending on which region it’s made at. Other popular names for this Marzipan filled Fruit Bread are Dresden Stollen, Strtzel, Christstollen, Striezel, Weihnachtsstollen, Strutzel, and Stutenbrot.
What Are The Spices Used To make Christmas Stollen Bread?
Christmas Stollen Bread is made using a combination of different spices. The most common spices used are cinnamon, cardamon, nutmeg and mace. Some recipes call for all but in this recipe we will be adding only cinnamon and nutmeg but feel free to play around with different spices to achieve a unique flavor profile for your Stollen. Lets Get Started with the Stollen Recipe.
Stollen Recipe In Grams:
- 420 grams all purpose flour
- 165 grams whole milk
- 5 grams salt
- 6 grams instant yeast
- 113 grams unsalted butter
- 90 grams granulated sugar
- 5 grams cinnamon powder
- 2 grams nutmeg
- 150 grams raisins
- 75 grans dried cranberries
- 225 grams candied fruit
- 75 grams rum or apple Juice for soaking the candied fruit and raisins
- 250 grams Marzipan ( Almond Paste) Filling
- 80 grams sliced almonds
- 45 grams unsalted butter for glazing
- 40 grams icing sugar for topping
- 100 grams granulated sugar for topping
Stollen Recipe In Volume Measurements:
- 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon instant yeast
- 1/2 cup or 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1 1/2 cup candied fruit
- 5 tablespoons or 1/3 cup rum or apple Juice for soaking the candied fruit and raisins
- 1 cup Marzipan ( Almond Paste)
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter for glazing
- 1/4 cup icing sugar for topping
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar for topping
How To Make German Christmas Stollen Bread?
Instruction:
- In a medium size bowl add the raisins, cranberries, candied fruit and rum or apple juice, soak for one hour.
- In a mixing bowl add the flour, salt, milk, 90 grams sugar (6 tablespoon), cinnamon, nutmeg, instant yeast and 113 grams of butter and using a hook attachment mix on slow for 5 minutes (speed setting 4), then 4-5 minutes on high speed (setting 6 on Kitchenaid mixing machine) until dough develops a smooth and homogeneous.
- Add in the mixed fruit and almond and mix on slow until well combined.
- Transfer Stollen dough into a floured or oiled large bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
- Let the dough ferment for 2 hours or until it doubles in size.
- In the mean time you can prepare the almond paste filling ( Marzipan)
- Divide the Marzipan into 3 equal parts and roll into a 6 1/2 inch log shape, cover and put aside.
- Divide the dough into three equal parts and preshape into 5 inch oval, cover with plastic and rest for 15 minutes.
- Using a rolling pin roll out the dough into a 8 inch by 6 inch, place the Marzipan onto the 1/3 of the dough of the long part and fold over, turn the dough 180 degrees and fold over the over part over the first overlapped dough.
- Place onto lined baking pan. Repeat to finish other 2 pieces.
- Cover with plastic and proof for 1 1/2 hours or until it doubles in size.
- When you noticed the Stollen is almost proofed, preheat your oven to 170°C ( 338°F )
- Place the Stollen into oven and bake for 28-30 minutes or until a nice golden brown color is obtained. The internal temperature of the baked Stollen should read 202°F (94 °C ) or above using a thermometer.
- Remove from oven and brush with melted butter and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
- Brush again with melted butter, roll onto granulated sugar and dust with icing sugar.
- You can wrap the Stollen in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for 1 week or freeze up to 3 month for longer shelf life.
German Stollen Recipe
Ingredients
- Stollen Recipe In Grams:
- 420 grams all purpose flour
- 165 grams whole milk
- 5 grams salt
- 6 grams instant yeast
- 113 grams unsalted butter
- 90 grams granulated sugar
- 5 grams cinnamon powder
- 2 grams nutmeg
- 225 grams dried cranberries
- 225 grams raisins
- 75 grams rum or apple Juice for soaking the candied fruit and raisins
- 250 grams Marzipan Almond Paste Filling
- 80 grams sliced almonds
- 45 grams unsalted butter for glazing
- 40 grams icing sugar for topping
- 100 grams granulated sugar for topping
- Stollen Recipe In Volume Measurements:
- 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon instant yeast
- 1/2 cup or 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1 1/2 cup raisins
- 5 tablespoons or 1/3 cup rum or apple Juice for soaking the candied fruit and raisins
- 1 cup Marzipan Almond Paste
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter for glazing
- 1/4 cup icing sugar for topping
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar for topping
Instructions
- In a medium size bowl add the raisins, cranberries, candied fruit and rum or apple juice, soak for one hour.
- In a mixing bowl add the flour, salt, milk, 90 grams sugar (6 tablespoon), cinnamon, nutmeg, instant yeast and 113 grams of butter and using a hook attachment mix on slow for 5 minutes (speed setting 4), then 4-5 minutes on high speed (setting 6 on Kitchenaid mixing machine) until dough develops a smooth and homogeneous.
- Add in the mixed fruit and almond and mix on slow until well combined.
- Transfer Stollen dough into a floured or oiled large bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
- Let the dough ferment for 2 hours or until it doubles in size.
- In the mean time you can prepare the almond paste filling ( Marzipan)
- Divide the Marzipan into 3 equal parts and roll into a 6 1/2 inch log shape, cover and put aside.
- Divide the dough into three equal parts and preshape into 5 inch oval, cover with plastic and rest for 15 minutes.
- Using a rolling pin roll out the dough into a 8 inch by 6 inch, place the Marzipan onto the 1/3 of the dough of the long part and fold over, turn the dough 180 degrees and fold over the over part over the first overlapped dough.
- Place onto lined baking pan. Repeat to finish other 2 pieces.
- Cover with plastic and proof for 1 1/2 hours or until it doubles in size.
- When you noticed the Stollen is almost proofed, preheat your oven to 170°C ( 338°F )
- Place the Stollen into oven and bake for 28-30 minutes or until a nice golden brown color is obtained. The internal temperature of the baked Stollen should read 202°F (94 °C ) or above using a thermometer.
- Remove from oven and brush with melted butter and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
- Brush again with melted butter, roll onto granulated sugar and dust with icing sugar.
- You can wrap the Stollen in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for 1 week or freeze up to 3 month for longer shelf life.
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