Christmas Stollen

Christmas Stollen is a special holiday bread filled with nuts, spices, and dried or candied fruit, coated with powdered sugar or icing sugar. It is a traditional German bread enjoyed throughout the year, but it is especially popular during the Christmas season.

Christmas is coming soon and if you want to treat your friends and family with festive and yummy bread, here is a special sourdough version of Stollen recipe for you, inspired by the Daring Gourmet.

Ingredients

Sweet Stiff Sourdough Starter 

• 20 g sourdough starter
• 45 g water
• 100 g bread flour
• 7 g sugar

Dough

• 250 g warm milk
• 150 g sweet stiff starter
• 500 g flour
• 2 large eggs
• 100 g sugar
• 150 g soft butter 
• 10 g salt 
• Vanilla
• Zest of 1 lemon (optional)
• Spices optional (1/2 tsp cardamom, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 cinnamon )
• 0.5 g dry yeast (optional, to reduce sourness)

Fruits & Nuts

• 1/2 cup raisins 
• 1/2 cup candied orange and lemon peel 
• 1/2 maraschino cherries (diced) 
• 1/2 cup blanched almonds (finely chopped)
• 1/3 cup quality dark rum

Glaze & Dusting

• 50g unsalted butter (melted)
• powdered sugar for generous dusting

Marzipan (optional)

• 70 g fine almond flour
• 85 g powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 45 g honey
• 1 tablespoon butter (optional for kneading)

Directions

Day 1

Starter

• 10 pm dissolve sugar in the water, add starter and whisk together, add flour, mix well, form a ball, make a cross shaped cut on top of the ball, place in a container, cover and let it sit at room temp 74-78F until it increases in volume in 2 or more times.
• Stiff sweet starter has lower hydration comparing to regular liquid starter and will help to lower the acidity of the final product (learn how to make sourdough starter from scratch here).

Marzipan 

• Place almond flour and sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Add almond extract and honey, blend for 1 minute until it sticks together. If marzipan seems dry, add in another teaspoon of honey and keep blending.
• Finish kneading marzipan with butter until it becomes smooth. It should feel stiff and be a little sticky.
• Wrap the marzipan in plastic and seal it in a ziplock bag. Refrigerate for an hour or so until it’s cool enough to handle. You can keep it in the fridge for 6 weeks or freeze for 6 months or longer.

Day 2

• Place raisins, candied citrus peel, cherries in a medium bowl and pour the rum over it. Stir it well. Set aside and let the fruit mixture soak in rum while the dough rises.

• Clean almonds from their skins, chop them up.

Dough

• 8 am add milk, sweet stiff starter, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, lemon zest, salt, spices, flour in the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook. 

• Knead the dough on medium speed for 7-8 minutes. Once gluten is developed and the dough came up together, add soft butter, continue mixing for 5-10 more minutes.

• When all the butter is mixed in, the dough becomes smooth and shiny, and you are able to perform a windowpane test.

• Remove the dough, lightly spray the bowl with a little oil, place the dough back into the bowl, cover and place it in a warm place to rise until it almost doubles in size (at least 3-5 hours at 74-80F). 

• 11 am press down the dough and add the soaked fruit mixture to it (the mixture should have absorbed all the rum by now but if there is excess liquid, pour it out before completing this step). 

• Using the dough hook, knead the fruit/nut mixture into the dough until well incorporated (about 3- 6 minutes on low speed). If the dough is too wet to handle, add a little bit of flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. 

Shaping 

• Place the dough onto a floured work surface and cut it in two equal halves.  Press or roll each piece into an oval shape (about 1 inch thick).  

• Roll a piece of marzipan into a log, it should be as long as your oval dough piece. Place marzipan into the middle of the dough. Grab the top part of the dough and fold it over to cover the marzipan, then fold the bottom part over on top of the previously folded part so that the edge of is almost in the middle of the stollen (see images below). 
• Use your hand and fingers to press down along one side of the marzipan to create a Stollen-specific curve .

• Place the stollen on a lined baking sheet.  
• Cover the stollen with a plastic wrap and let it rest in a warm place for 1-2 hours until it becomes puffy. 

Baking

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and bake the stollen for 30-40 minutes or until golden. Internal temperature should reach 190 F.

• Let it cool down  for couple minutes, then use a toothpick to poke holes all over the stollen. This will allow the melted butter to seep in.
• Generously brush your stollen with the melted butter while the stollen is still warm. Immediately sprinkle with a generous amount of powdered sugar.

• Let the stollen cool completely.  You may want to give it another dusting of powdered sugar once cooled.
• The stollen is ready to be eaten right away or you can wrap it tight in plastic and airtight bag and left to “mature” in a cool place for a couple of weeks.

Enjoy your Christmas Stollen!

Christmas Stollen

5125kcal

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Prep 1 hour hr

Cook 40 minutes mins

Rise & Rest Time 15 hours hrs

Total 16 hours hrs 40 minutes mins

This exquisite festive German holiday bread is richly filled with rum-soaked candied peels, raisins, cherries, and blanched almonds, complete with an optional decadent core of homemade marzipan. Coated heavily in melted butter and snowy powdered sugar, its dense, sweet, and spiced crumb is perfect for holiday morning breakfasts or cold winter gifting.

Servings 2 loaves

Cuisine German

Ingredients

1x2x3x

Sweet Stiff Sourdough Starter (Night Before)

• ▢ 20 g Sourdough starter culture
• ▢ 45 g Water
• ▢ 100 g Bread flour
• ▢ 7 g White sugar

The Rum-Soaked Holiday Fillings (Night Before)

• ▢ 1/2 cup Raisins
• ▢ 1/2 cup Candied orange and lemon peel Roughly chopped
• ▢ 1/2 cup Maraschino cherries Diced
• ▢ 1/3 cup High-quality dark rum
• ▢ 1/2 cup Blanched almonds Finely chopped

The Rich Enriched Main Dough

• ▢ 500 g Bread flour (100%)
• ▢ 250 g Warm milk (50%)
• ▢ 150 g Sweet stiff sourdough starter (30% – From the stage above)
• ▢ 2 Large eggs
• ▢ 100 g Sugar (20%)
• ▢ 150 g Soft unsalted butter (30%)
• ▢ 10 g Salt (2%)
• ▢ 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 Lemon Zested cleanly
• ▢ 1/2 tsp Ground cardamom
• ▢ 1/2 tsp Ground nutmeg
• ▢ 1/2 tsp Ground cinnamon
• ▢ 0.5 g Active dry yeast (Optional – Used exclusively to reduce natural sourdough sourness)

The Decadent Marzipan Core (Optional)

• ▢ 70 g Fine almond flour
• ▢ 85 g Powdered sugar
• ▢ 1 tsp Almond extract
• ▢ 45 g Honey
• ▢ 1 tbsp Butter Reserved for final hand kneading

The Traditional Snow Glaze

• ▢ 50 g Unsalted butter Melted completely
• ▢ Powdered sugar Sifted heavily for final coating

Equipment

• ▢
  Stand Mixer Essential for handling the heavy, enriched dough and thoroughly distributing the massive volume of fruit and nut inclusions
• ▢
  Small Food Processor Optional, to blend and process the optional homemade marzipan core smoothly
• ▢
  Pastry Brush For heavily coating the warm baked loaves in melted butter
• ▢
  Toothpick To poke precise channels for internal butter absorption
• ▢
  Kitchen Scale

Method

Prevent Sleep ModePrevent Sleep Mode

Night Before – Stiff Levain, Fruit Soaking, and Marzipan Setup

1. 10:00 PM – Sweet Stiff Starter Build: In a small glass bowl, thoroughly dissolve 7g of sugar into 45g of water, add your 20g of starter culture, and whisk cleanly. Stir in 100g of bread flour and knead with your hands to form a stiff, uniform dough ball. Use a sharp knife to cut a clean cross shape into the top of the ball. Place it inside a jar, cover loosely, and let it rise at room temperature 74–78°F (23–26°C) overnight for 8 to 10 hours until it at least doubles in size.
2. The Rum Boozy Soak: In a medium bowl, combine the 1/2 cup of raisins, 1/2 cup of candied citrus peels, and 1/2 cup of diced maraschino cherries. Pour 1/3 cup of high-quality dark rum directly over the top, stir thoroughly, cover tightly, and leave it on your counter overnight to plump up.
3. Homemade Marzipan Assembly: In a small food processor fitted with a blade or a mixer with a paddle attachment, combine the 70g of fine almond flour and 85g of powdered sugar. Add 1 tsp of almond extract and 45g of honey, and blend for 1 minute until a cohesive paste forms. (Note: If the paste looks dry, add an extra teaspoon of honey). Turn the paste out onto your counter and knead in 1 tablespoon of butter until slick and smooth. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.

Day 2 – Heavy Dough Mixing and Bulk Rise

1. 8:00 AM – The Core Mix: In your stand mixer bowl fitted with a dough hook, add the 250g of warm milk, 100g of sugar, 2 large eggs, 1 tsp of vanilla extract, the fresh lemon zest, 10g of salt, and all spices (cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon). Add all 150g of your active overnight sweet stiff starter and 500g of bread flour. (If using the optional 0.5g of dry yeast to balance out sourdough sourness, drop it in now). Knead on medium speed for 7 to 8 minutes until a strong, uniform dough develops.
2. Butter Emulsification: With the machine still running, gradually drop in the 150g of soft unsalted butter piece by piece. Continue mixing on medium-high speed for 5 to 10 minutes until the fat is completely incorporated and the dough turns smooth, glossy, and cleanly passes a windowpane test.
3. Bulk Fermentation: Remove the dough hook, round the dough cleanly into a ball inside the bowl, cover tightly, and place it in a warm, cozy spot at 74–80°F (23–27°C) to rise for 3 to 5 hours until it looks visibly puffy and nearly doubles in size.
4. Folding in the Inclusions: Return the risen dough to the stand mixer. Add your 1/2 cup of finely chopped blanched almonds along with the entire rum-soaked fruit mixture (including any unabsorbed rum liquid). Mix on low speed for 3 to 6 minutes just until the fruits and nuts are evenly distributed throughout the dough matrix. (Note: If the excess rum makes the dough too sticky to handle, sprinkle in 1 to 2 tablespoons of extra bread flour until it pulls cleanly away from the bowl).

Traditional Stollen Shaping & The Bake

1. Shaping the Loaves: Tip the heavy dough onto a lightly floured surface and slice it cleanly into two equal halves. Press or roll each piece into a thick, uniform oval shape roughly 1-inch thick. Cut your chilled marzipan log into two halves and roll each into a long cylinder matching the length of your dough ovals.
2. The Fold Sequence: Place a marzipan log directly into the center of a dough oval. Fold the top edge of the dough completely over to cover the marzipan, then fold the bottom edge up over it so the final seam sits slightly off-center, creating the signature asymmetrical German Stollen shape. Use the side of your hand to firmly press a deep indentation along the side of the marzipan core to emphasize the traditional curved crest. Repeat with the second loaf.
3. The Final Ambient Rest: Place both shaped stollen loaves onto a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover them loosely and let them rest undisturbed for 1 to 2 hours at room temperature until slightly puffy.
4. Baking: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Slide the baking sheet onto the middle rack and bake for 30 to 40 minutes until the crust turns a rich, uniform golden brown and the internal temperature hits 190°F (88°C).

The Sugar Crust Melt & Maturing

1. The Butter Infusion: Remove the loaves from the oven and let them cool for just 2 to 3 minutes. Take a toothpick and poke tiny holes all over the warm crust of both loaves. Using a pastry brush, slather the 50g of melted butter heavily across the tops and sides of the hot loaves, allowing it to pool and seep directly into the toothpick channels.
2. The Snow Coating: Immediately dust a thick, heavy layer of sifted powdered sugar over the wet butter coating until the stollen is completely white. Let the loaves cool completely down to room temperature, then finish with one final heavy dusting of powdered sugar. Slice and serve immediately, or wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in a cool pantry for 2 to 3 weeks to allow the boozy holiday flavors to fully mature!

Nutrition

Calories5125kcalCarbohydrates726gProtein111gFat217gSaturated Fat110gPolyunsaturated Fat12gMonounsaturated Fat46gTrans Fat7gCholesterol773mgSodium1251mgPotassium986mgFiber24gSugar150gVitamin A5503IUVitamin C1mgCalcium403mgIron11mg

Notes

• The Magic of the Sweet Stiff Starter: Traditional liquid sourdough starters carry a high level of acetic acid that can clash harshly with sweet holiday bakes. By building a tight, low-hydration (45%) starter ball packed with a pinch of white sugar, you completely alter the fermentation pathway. This technique suppresses sour acid production, rewarding you with an incredibly mild, sweet leavening power that lets the holiday vanilla, lemon zest, and warm baking spices shine through beautifully.
• Why the Poked Toothpick Channels are Mandatory: Do not skip poking the baked crust with a toothpick before applying the melted butter glaze. Enriched holiday breads like stollen have a dense crumb structure; the toothpick holes act as tiny internal irrigation channels that guide the melted butter deep into the core of the loaf. This step preserves moisture and creates a protective fat barrier that keeps the bread from drying out during long storage windows.  
   
• The Art of Maturing Your Stollen: While this bread tastes phenomenal fresh out of the oven, traditional German stollen is designed to be wrapped tightly in multiple layers of plastic wrap and left to “mature” or age in a cool, dark cupboard or cellar for 2 to 4 weeks before slicing. Over time, the alcohol from the dark rum dispersion breaks down the grain starches, deeply infusing the entire crumb with a mellow candied fruit aroma that elevates the final flavor profile.  
   

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