Baking stollen: interesting facts and a tried and tested Christmas stollen recipe

Sweet breads with candied fruits and nuts are the hallmark of Christmas. Fruit cakes, panettone and julekake (a Norwegian Christmas bread) are popular, but the Christstollen is clearly the king of Christmas cakes, and not only in Germany. Learn more about the history of the Christmas stollen and how you can bake a traditional Dresden stollen. Just read on …

Baking stollen – a centuries-old tradition

Dresden Christmas stollen

The Christstollen is a rich, dense, sweet bread that is filled with dried fruits, candied citrus peel, marzipan or almond paste and nuts. It originally comes from the city of Dresden, where it was first prepared in the late 1500s.

It tastes like … Christmas

Dresdener Stollen is enjoyed all year round, but on the holidays it is filled with more fruits and nuts, which used to be only available through imports from Italy and were therefore very expensive. The Christmas cake has a long history. That is why the preparation of Christmas stollen is an important tradition in Germany.

Bake traditional stollen

Since the Stollen has a long history, there are many variations and the ingredients can be swapped depending on your taste.

Baking stollen is not difficult, but preparation takes a little more time compared to other cake recipes. In fact, the secret of stollen baking is patience. After the stollen is baked and of course has filled your home with the scent of Christmas, you should let it cool down, then wrap it up tightly and let it rest for three weeks.

Chrisstollen – a Christmas cake with a long history

Before the dough mixture is prepared, the dried fruits are soaked in rum or other spirits. Later, as the bread matures, this aromatic liquid is absorbed into the bread and gives it its characteristic richness and depth of taste. However, if you don’t have time to let the stollen rest, it’s no problem – it will still be delicious.

Christmas stollen with nuts, candied fruits and marzipan

As we just mentioned, the most popular sweet holiday bread is the Dresden Christmas stollen. But you don’t need to travel to Dresden to taste it. Simply bake your own Dresden Christmas stollen yourself.

Below you will find a simple Christmas stollen recipe. Put on your apron and start baking a delicious stollen …

Chris stollen recipe

Baking stollen – Ingredients:

• For the dough
• 200 g raisins
• 50 ml rum
• 330 g all-purpose flour, divided into 2 x 165 g
• 85 ml milk (lukewarm)
• 1 pack of dry yeast 7 g
• 50 grams of sugar
• ⅓ teaspoon of salt
• 165 g butter (soft)
• 33 g almond flour
• 80 g candied orange peel
• 40 g candied lemon peel
• 35 g butter for brushing the loaves
• Sugar for sprinkling the loaves
• Icing sugar to sprinkle the loaves

The stollen is traditionally covered with a thick layer of powdered sugar

 

Spices for the dough

• ⅓ teaspoon of cinnamon
• Ground some clove
• Ground some cardamom
• ¼ teaspoon mace

Baking stollen – preparation:

Step 1 – one day before: preparation

Put the raisins in a bowl, pour rum over them and leave to rest overnight.

Step 2 – the day after: Knead the yeast pre-dough

Scatter the yeast into the 85 ml milk, dissolve it and let it rise.

Mix together 165 g flour and 1 tbsp sugar. To do this, gradually add the yeast-milk mixture and start kneading.

After kneading for 2 minutes, add the salt. Then knead until a firm dough is formed.

Knead briefly by hand, place in a bowl and cover.

Let rest for 90 minutes.

Prepare all ingredients carefully

Step 3 – add the spices

If not already ground, grind the cardamom and cloves. Then mix all the spices together.

Step 4 – knead the dough

Mix the remaining 165 g flour with the spices in a mixing bowl.

Add the remaining sugar and 33 g almond flour and mix well.

Now add the softened butter and knead into a dough.

Add the yeast pre-dough and continue kneading both dough masses together.

Knead the dough and prepare it for baking

Step 5 – add raisins and candied fruit

Mix in the contents of the raisin peel along with the candied orange and lemon peel to form the batter. (Don’t use a blender so the raisins don’t get mushy.)

Cover the dough and let it rest for 1 hour.

Step 6 – shape the stud

Preheat the oven to 200 ° C (no convection)

Roll out the dough on parchment paper into a thick layer.

Then shape into the typical stollen shape

Remove all the raisins from the top of the stollen to prevent them from burning!

After baking, sprinkle the stollen with powdered sugar and let it rest

Step 7 – Bake

Bake the stollen at 200 ° C for about 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 150 ° C.

Bake for another 25 to 30 minutes. (The baking time may vary.)

Let cool for 30 minutes before moving on to the next step.

Step 8 – brush the stollen with butter

Melt 35 g butter and let it boil until the whey separates from the fat.

Pierce many holes in the tunnel with a wooden skewer.

Brush the entire stollen generously with the butter, including the bottom.

Sprinkle the stollen with sugar as much as possible on all sides.

Let cool down completely!

Enjoy the typical taste that the Christstollen has!

Step 9 – enhance the flavor

Finally, cover the stollen thickly on all sides with powdered sugar.

Wrap tightly in aluminum foil and let it rest for at least 1 week, better 2 weeks.

Step 10 – Enjoy

Cut the Christmas stollen into slices and serve with hot tea, hot chocolate or mulled wine. Some people like to butter their stollen slice.

Bon appetit and Merry Christmas!

Homemade stollen with candied fruits