German stollen (Christmas bread) has been a fixture of the Jolly Tomato family’s Christmas for as long as any of us can remember. In fact, it’s so deeply embedded in our Christmas traditions that it kind of hadn’t occurred to us to post the recipe before now. (Doesn’t everyone make stollen at Christmastime?)
Our mom makes at least ten German stollen every Christmas season. Each one goes as a gift to someone she knows or loves. (True story: Our brother used to complain because our mom made him give one to the bus driver every year. He was embarrassed, but she – the German bus driver – loved it.)
Some people make German stollen with all kinds of heavy candied fruits. We prefer it with just a few dried fruits and not too heavy on the sugar. It’s best when it’s fresh baked. In fact, we usually slice it up first thing in the morning for Christmas breakfast. And – just personal opinion here, but still – it’s amazing with a few pats of butter.
Creating a Stollen
The general idea is that you’re going to make a basic yeast dough. (Don’t fear the yeast dough – it’s easy! All you have to do is make it and let it rise.) Once you’ve gone through the first rise of the dough, you’re going to form it into an oval that’s approximately 12 inches by 7 inches.
Then you’re going to fold half of it over.
Then you’re going to put your loaves on a greased baking pan, let them rise, and bake them.
When they’re all baked, you can frost them:
… And decorate them!
Then slice them up and eat them. See why the bus driver loved getting them so much?
OK, here’s the full recipe:
German Stollen Recipe
Authentic German Stollen
An easy and delicious authentic German stollen - a sweet bread traditionally served at Christmas.
CourseBreakfast, Dessert, Snack or Dessert
CuisineGerman
KeywordChristmas, dried fruit, German, stollen, sweet bread
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Rising time 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours 5 minutes
Ingredients
- 5 1/2 to 6 1/2cupsall-purpose flour
- 1/2cupsugar
- 1 1/4tspsalt
- 2packetsactive dry yeast(1 tbsp plus 1/2 tsp)
- 3/4cupmilk
- 1/2cupwater
- 2/3cupmargarine
- 3eggs at room temperature
- 3/4cupdried fruit (chopped dried apricots, dried cranberries, etc.)
- 1/2cupseedless raisins
Frosting
- 1cuppowdered sugar, sifted
- 1tbspmilk or water
- 1/4tspvanilla
Decorations (optional)
- Dried cranberries
- Mint leaves
Instructions
In the large bowl of a mixer, thoroughly mix 2 cups flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. Set aside.
In a small saucepan, combine the milk, water, and margarine. Heat until the liquid is warm and the margarine begins to melt. (The mixture should not be hot.) Add the mixture to the dry ingredients and beat for two minutes at the medium speed of the mixer. Add the eggs and 1/2 cup flour, and beat again. Stir in enough additional flour to make a soft dough.
Move the dough from the mixing bowl to a lightly floured board and knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover it with a towel, and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about one hour.
Remove the dough from the bowl, punch it down, and knead in the fruit and raisins. Divide the dough into three equal parts. Roll each part into an approximately 12 x 7 inch oval. Fold the ovals in half lengthwise. Place the ovals on greased baking sheets. Cover again with a towel and let them rise until doubled in bulk, about one hour.
Remove the towel and bake the loaves at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. The loaf should be a pretty golden brown. Cool the loaf, and then frost it and decorate it.
Frosting
Whisk together the powdered sugar, water or milk, and vanilla. Drizzle it over the stollen, spreading it around with a spatula where needed.
Just one thing to add because we know this is going to be a question. Margarine? Really? Yes, margarine. We hate to have to do it, but we promised this was going to be authentic. We tried this recipe with butter several times and it just doesn’t quite have the right texture.
That said, we know you’re going to love, love, love this authentic German stollen. And if you really like it, pin it!
Authentic German Stollen for the Holidays
P.S. Looking for other holiday favorites? Try these Letter to Santa cookies.
Related
FAQs
The most common Stollen is Dresdener Stollen from the city of Dresden, Germany. The word Stollen, means a post or boundary stone for a city.
Why is Christmas stollen so expensive? ›
Expensive ingredients like almonds, nuts, raisins, orange peel, essence of rose and rum were imported. Because the coronation occurred during the Christmas season, the bakers shaped the loaves to resemble a baby in swaddling clothes in respect for the Christ Child. Ask any baker: Stollen is a labor of love.
What does stollen mean in German? ›
Stollen (German: [ˈʃtɔlən] or German: [ʃtɔln]) is a fruit bread of nuts, spices, and dried or candied fruit, coated with powdered sugar or icing sugar and often containing marzipan. It is a traditional German Christmas bread.
What common ingredient was missing from the first stollen recipe? ›
The common ingredient missing from the first stollen recipe was marzipan. At first, the church forbade the use of butter, which prevented the inclusion of marzipan in the recipe. Only around the 15th century was marzipan added to the recipe.
What do Germans drink with stollen? ›
Think of a Stollen as the love child of a fruit cake and a loaf of bread: it's typically baked from a yeasty dough (replete with dried fruit soaked in rum), then covered in icing sugar. Like you'd expect, you eat a Stollen in slices, often with your coffee or Christmas punch.
Why do Germans eat stollen? ›
Germans baked stollen loaves at Christmas to honor princes and church dignitaries, and to sell at fairs and festivals for holiday celebrations. Early stollen loaves were made as bread without milk or butter because the Catholic church did not allow these ingredients during advent.
How do Germans eat stollen? ›
Traditionally stollen is sliced and served as is with breakfast, although some people prefer to warm individual slices in a toaster or a microwave.
What is the difference between panettone and stollen? ›
Although their different shapes and textures suggest otherwise, panettone (tall and light) and stollen (long and dense) are made from a basic butter- and sugar-enriched yeast dough. Panettone typically contains candied orange peel and raisins; traditional stollen had candied lemon peel and dried cherries as well.
How long will homemade stollen keep? ›
Stollen will last several months if kept covered in a cool, dry place. Stollen loaves are made in early November for the Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays. Stollen loaves will become more moist and flavorful with age.
Why is marzipan in stollen? ›
The layer of marzipan keeps the stollen moist. A butter and sugar glaze locks in additional moisture.
This amazing recipe makes 4 stollens, all about 800 grams – enough for the winter! I do not use marzipan in my stollen, but plenty of people do. Marzipan is optional.
When should I eat stollen? ›
In Germany we eat Stollen traditionally only during Christmas time.
Does Entenmann's make stollen? ›
Entenmann's Fruit Stollen | Packaged Sweets & Desserts | Foodtown.
What are the ingredients in Aldi stollen? ›
𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐫 (𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐫, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Sugar, Sultanas, Water, Butter (𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐤), Roasted 𝐀𝐥𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐝 Flakes (7%), Raisins (5%), 𝐀𝐥𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐬 (4%), Sugar, Glucose Syrup, Rum (2%), Yeast, Butter Oil (𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐤), Apricot Purée, Glucose-fructose Syrup, Cherries (1%), Orange Peel, Dextrose Monohydrate, 𝐄𝐠𝐠 Yolk, ...
What is the difference between stollen and Kerststol? ›
Kerststol is a Dutch sweet bread which contains dried fruit, nuts, citrus and almond paste. It's very similar to the German Stollen and is eaten during the Christmas period. For the almond paste: 250g/9 oz/2 cups of almonds.
What is the most popular stollen? ›
The first and most famous variety of stollen is the Dresdner Christstollen. Some historians date its origin back to 1329 and over the centuries the stollen was refined to become what it is today.
Which German city is famous for stollen? ›
Dresden's stollen bakers traditionally presented their sovereign with one or two festive stollen at Christmas. During one ceremony the stollen, weighing in at 36 German pounds, or 18 kilos, was carried through the city to the palace by eight master bakers and eight journeymen.
What city is famous for stollen? ›
Welcome to the Stollen Capital Dresden
With events that are much more than just enjoying the pastry, Dresden's stollen bakers and pastry makers successfully manage to create an adventure out of the craft and the tradition and thereby preserve it.
