Stollen is a German Christmas bread that is also enjoyed in Austria and other countries. It is made with spices, dried fruit, candied citrus, and nuts and sometimes includes a marzipan stripe through the center. Stollen is dusted in powdered sugar, making the loaves appear freshly snowed upon. Stollen lasts for a long time, and often, people leave it untouched for two weeks to let the flavors intensify. But it’s also delicious freshly baked.
On the Ingredients
- Marzipan is a confection made with sugar, ground almonds, and sometimes almond oil or extract. It’s been traditionally enjoyed throughout Europe. Marzipan can be made into sweets, often shaped like fruits, veggies, or animals. It might also be rolled out and used to frost a cake. Another common use is baked into foods like stollen or king cake.
Recipe Notes and Substitutions
We used a mix of apricots and prunes for this recipe. Raisins and candied citrus peels are more traditional. You can use whatever mix of dried or candied fruit you want!
Stollen (Spiced Christmas Bread)
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hoursStollen is a German Christmas bread that is also enjoyed in Austria and other countries. It is made with spices, dried fruit, candied citrus, and nuts and sometimes includes a marzipan stripe through the center. Stollen is dusted in powdered sugar, making the loaves appear freshly snowed upon. Stollen lasts for a long time, and often, people leave it untouched for two weeks to let the flavors intensify. But it's also delicious freshly baked.
Ingredients
- Dough
1 cup warm milk
3 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 cup sugar OR monk fruit sweetener
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cardamom
3/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 egg (room temperature)
2 egg yolks (room temperature)
zest of 1 lemon
3/4 cup butter (room temperature)
2 tsp vanilla extract
- Fillings
8 oz marzipan (optional) here's a recipe for homemade
2 cups dried fruit (we used a mix of chopped dried apricots and prunes but raisins and candied citrus peel are traditional)
3 oz slivered almonds
1/3 cup dark rum (optional)
- Finish
3/4 stick of butter (melted)
powdered sugar OR powdered swerve for generous dusting
Directions
- Combine the warm milk and yeast and let it sit for 10-15 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and spices. Add the milk, egg, yolks, zest, butter, and vanilla extract.
- Use a bread hook or your hands to knead the dough until it's glossy and slowly springs back when you poke it (5-10 minutes). Lightly oil a clean mixing bowl and place the dough in it. Cover with a damp towel and leave it in a warm spot for 2 hours (or until nearly doubled in size).
- While the bread rises, you can soak your dried fruit in dark rum, but this is optional.
- When the bread is finished rising, turn it out onto a clean surface and flatten it slightly. If you soaked the fruit, drain any leftover rum. Spread the fruit and almonds on top of the dough. Fold the dough in half and sandwich the fruit and nuts between. Repeat and knead until the fruit is thoroughly combined. If you soaked the fruit, the dough may get sticky. You can add more flour as needed.
- Divide the dough in two. Flatted each section into a 10x8" rectangle. If using marzipan, make two 10" ropes and lay one down lengthwise just slightly left of center on the rectangles. Fold the dough over the marzipan, leaving about 1-2 inches of the bottom edge sticking out so the loaves have their distinct shape (see pictures below). Make sure to tuck the dough over the ends of the marzipan ropes so they do not burn. If you are not using marzipan, fold the loaves in the same way, just without the marzipan.
- Cover the loaves with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let them sit in a warm spot for 40-60 minutes until they're puffy.
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. When ready to bake, remove any pieces of dried fruit that are sticking out of the top of the bread (otherwise they may burn). Place the loaves on a parchment-covered baking tray and bake for 30-40 minutes, until the bread is golden brown and sounds slightly hollow when you tap the bottom. You can also check the internal temp; it should be 190° F.
- Let the loaves cool for 5 minutes then take a toothpick and poke holes along the tops of the loaves to let the butter seep in. Thoroughly brush the loaves with the melted butter, making sure to get the sides. Dust the loaves with powdered sugar; again, be sure to get the sides. Be generous — you want the loaves to be white like fresh snow on the hills.
- Let the loaves cool down and reapply a dusting of sugar if needed. Some people wait two weeks to dig in as the flavor intensifies (you should not do this if you use monk fruit and swerve instead of sugar), but the flavors are also delicious when freshly baked.
