Stollen is Germany’s most beloved holiday bread, a rich and tender yeasted loaf packed with dried fruits, nuts, and warm spices that embodies the spirit of Christmas in every slice. This centuries-old recipe creates a beautiful oval-shaped bread with a distinctive fold that resembles swaddling clothes, symbolizing the baby Jesus. What makes stollen truly special is its unique texture – dense yet tender, sweet but not overpowering – and its incredible ability to improve with age as the flavors meld together. Dusted generously with powdered sugar that resembles fresh snow, this festive fruit bread is traditionally made weeks before Christmas and stored to develop its full, complex flavor. Perfect for holiday gift-giving or enjoying with morning coffee throughout the season.
Serves: 2 medium loaves (serves 16-20 people)
What You’ll Need
Creating authentic stollen requires patience and quality ingredients, but the results are absolutely worth the effort. The key to great stollen lies in using the right combination of dried fruits and allowing proper rising time.
For the fruit mixture:
- 1 cup mixed dried fruit (raisins, currants, and chopped dried apricots)
- 1/2 cup candied orange peel, chopped
- 1/4 cup candied lemon peel, chopped
- 1/3 cup rum or brandy
- 1/2 cup blanched almonds, roughly chopped
For the bread:
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 cup whole milk, warmed to lukewarm
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Zest of 1 lemon
For finishing:
- 4 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 cup powdered sugar for dusting
Preparing Your Fruit Mixture
The night before you plan to bake, combine all the dried fruits, candied peels, and chopped almonds in a bowl. Pour the rum or brandy over the mixture and stir well to coat everything evenly. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit overnight at room temperature. This soaking process, called macerating, allows the fruits to absorb the alcohol and become plump and flavorful.
Making the Stollen Dough
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, yeast, salt, and all the spices. Make a well in the center of this dry mixture. In a separate bowl, whisk together the warm milk, eggs, softened butter, vanilla extract, and lemon zest until well combined.
Pour the wet ingredients into the well you created in the flour mixture. Using a wooden spoon or your hands, mix everything together until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 8-10 minutes until the dough becomes smooth and elastic.
Incorporating the Fruit
Drain any excess liquid from your macerated fruit mixture. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a large rectangle about half an inch thick. Spread the fruit mixture evenly over the dough, leaving about an inch border around the edges.
Starting from one long side, carefully roll the dough up like a jelly roll, then gently knead and fold the dough to distribute the fruit evenly throughout. This process might seem messy at first, but keep working the dough gently until the fruits are well distributed.
First Rise
Place the fruit-filled dough in a greased large bowl, turning it once to coat all sides with oil. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until doubled in size. The dough will rise more slowly than regular bread dough because of all the fruit and the richness of the ingredients.
Shaping the Stollen
Once the dough has doubled, punch it down gently and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough in half to make two loaves. Working with one piece at a time, roll each portion into an oval about 10 inches long and 8 inches wide.
Here comes the traditional shaping technique: fold one long side of the oval about two-thirds of the way across the dough, leaving about an inch of the opposite edge visible. This creates the characteristic stollen shape that resembles swaddling clothes. Press the fold gently to seal it.
Second Rise and Baking
Place your shaped stollen loaves on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving plenty of space between them. Cover with clean kitchen towels and let them rise for another 45 minutes to 1 hour until they look puffy but not necessarily doubled in size.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Bake the stollen for 30-35 minutes, or until they’re golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. The internal temperature should reach about 190 degrees if you have a thermometer.
The Final Touch
While the stollen are still warm from the oven, brush them generously all over with melted butter. This not only adds flavor but helps the powdered sugar stick beautifully. Let them cool for about 10 minutes, then dust them heavily with powdered sugar using a fine-mesh sieve.
Aging for Better Flavor
Here’s what makes stollen truly special: it actually gets better with age. Wrap each cooled loaf tightly in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil. Store them in a cool, dry place for at least one week before slicing. During this time, the flavors will meld and deepen, and the texture will become more tender and cohesive.
Traditional German bakers make their stollen up to four weeks before Christmas, and many people swear the flavor peaks at around two weeks of aging.
Serving and Storage
When you’re ready to serve your stollen, unwrap it and dust with fresh powdered sugar before slicing. Use a sharp knife to cut it into slices about half an inch thick. Stollen is traditionally enjoyed with coffee or tea, and a little goes a long way due to its rich, dense nature.
Properly stored stollen can last for several weeks at room temperature, or you can freeze wrapped loaves for up to three months. If the powdered sugar coating disappears over time, simply dust with fresh sugar before serving.
Traditional Tips for Success
German bakers have perfected stollen over centuries, and their wisdom makes all the difference. Don’t skip the overnight fruit soaking step, as this prevents the dried fruit from drawing moisture out of the dough during baking. When kneading in the fruit, work gently to avoid breaking up the pieces too much.
The key to authentic stollen texture is not over-proofing during the rises. Unlike regular bread, stollen should be somewhat dense and rich, not light and airy. If your kitchen is very warm, the rises might happen faster, so watch the dough rather than strictly following the timing.
Gift-Giving Tradition
Stollen makes an absolutely wonderful holiday gift. Wrap aged loaves in beautiful paper or place them in decorative tins. Include a note about when the stollen was made and suggest letting it age a bit longer if it’s still very fresh. Many families have traditions of making multiple loaves to give to neighbors, teachers, and friends, spreading the joy of this special bread throughout the holiday season.
This traditional German Stollen brings centuries of holiday tradition right to your kitchen. With its perfect balance of sweet fruit, warm spices, and tender bread, it captures the essence of Christmas in every slice and creates memories that last long after the last crumb is gone.
