Are you ready to bake a true taste of Christmas? To fill your home with the warm, intoxicating aroma of spices, butter, and rum-soaked fruit, and create a show-stopping centerpiece for your holiday table? This incredible, from-scratch Classic German Christmas Stollen is that perfect recipe. We’re talking a rich, buttery, and impossibly tender yeasted bread, absolutely loaded with a festive medley of candied fruit, raisins, and toasted almonds, with a sweet cinnamon swirl inside and a beautiful, snowy blanket of powdered sugar on top.
This isn’t just a recipe; it’s a guide to a cherished holiday tradition. While an authentic Stollen may seem like a project reserved for a German Oma, we’ll break down the entire process into simple, manageable steps. This is a satisfying, soulful, and deeply impressive bread that is perfect for making ahead and sharing as a gift, or for enjoying on a cozy Christmas morning.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate Festive & Traditional Holiday Bread
What makes this Stollen so spectacularly delicious is its incredible depth of flavor and its wonderfully rich, yet tender texture. This recipe is a masterpiece of traditional German Christmas baking. The bread itself is a super-moist and tender, from-scratch enriched yeast dough. The secret to its incredible flavor is a festive medley of rum-soaked candied fruit and raisins, and toasted almonds, all nestled into a dough that is warmly spiced with cinnamon and mace. The dough is then rolled out, filled with a simple cinnamon-sugar swirl, and folded into its iconic, swaddled shape before being baked to a perfect golden brown. The final, classic touch is a generous, snowy dusting of confectioners’ sugar.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 4 hours (includes rising) |
| Active Prep Time | 45 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Intermediate |
| Servings | 2 loaves |
The German Bakeshop: The Essential Ingredients
This iconic dish uses a handful of high-quality, authentic ingredients to create its signature rich and comforting flavor.
- The Enriched Yeast Dough:
- The Sponge (Vorteig): This recipe uses a classic, professional baker’s technique of creating a “sponge” first. This simple starter of yeast, warm milk, and flour is the secret that gives the yeast a head start, which is the key to a beautiful, even rise in such a heavy, enriched dough.
- The Enrichments: A generous amount of softened butter, honey, and an egg is the key that gives the Stollen its wonderfully rich, tender, and cake-like crumb.
- The Festive Fruit & Nut Medley:
- Rum-Soaked Fruit: The secret to a super moist bread and a deep, complex flavor is to soak your candied fruit and raisins in a dark rum (or orange juice) for at least 30 minutes.
- Toasted Almonds & Mace: For the best, most intense, and nuttiest flavor, it is highly recommended to toast your almonds before you chop and add them to the dough. The addition of ground mace, a warm and aromatic spice similar to nutmeg, is the secret to the classic, authentic Stollen flavor.
- The Classic Shape: The iconic, off-center fold of a Stollen is not just for looks! It is a beautiful tradition, meant to represent the baby Jesus swaddled in blankets.
The Baker’s Masterclass: The Secret to a Perfect Stollen
This recipe uses a few simple but brilliant professional techniques that guarantee a flawless, impressive result.
- The Sponge (The Flavor Starter): Making a sponge is a crucial first step for a heavy, rich dough like this one. The sponge gives the yeast a chance to become very active and to develop a deep, complex flavor before it has to do the heavy lifting of raising a dough that is weighed down with butter, eggs, and fruit.
- The Kneading: Don’t be afraid of a sticky dough! Because this dough is so enriched with butter and honey, it will be quite sticky at first. The key to a perfect, tender crumb is to knead it just until it is smooth and elastic and just begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
- The Shaping: The classic Stollen shape is incredibly easy! You simply roll your dough into a large oval, and then fold it in half lengthwise, slightly off-center, so that the top edge does not quite meet the bottom edge.
Step-by-Step to the Best Christmas Stollen
This rewarding holiday project is a joy to prepare.
Part 1: The Flavor Foundations (The Fruit Soak & The Sponge)
Step 1: In a small bowl, combine your 1 cup of mixed candied fruit, your 1 cup of raisins, and the 3 tablespoons of dark rum. Cover this and set it aside to let the fruit soak.
Step 2: To make the sponge, in a large bowl, sprinkle your 1 packet of active dry yeast into 1/4 cup of warm water to soften it. Heat your 2/3 cup of milk to about 110°F and add it to the yeast, along with the 1 teaspoon of honey and 1 cup of the all-purpose flour. Cover this sponge with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm spot for about 30 minutes, until it is light and full of bubbles.
Part 2: The Art of the Rich & Tender Dough
Step 1: To your bubbly sponge, add your soaked fruit mixture, the 1/3 cup of honey, the 1 beaten egg, the 1 stick of softened butter, the 1 tablespoon of lemon zest, the 1 teaspoon of salt, the 1/2 teaspoon of ground mace, the 1/2 cup of toasted almonds, and 2 cups of the flour.
Step 2: Beat this mixture vigorously for about 2 minutes. Gradually add your remaining flour, about 1/4 cup at a time, until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
Step 3: Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead it for 4 to 5 minutes, until it is smooth and elastic.
Step 4: Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover it, and let it rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour, until it has doubled in size.
Part 3: The Festive Shape and Final Bake
Step 1: Turn your risen dough out onto a lightly oiled work surface. For one large loaf, roll the dough into a 9×13-inch oval. For two smaller loaves, divide the dough in half and roll each half into a 7×9-inch oval.
Step 2: Brush the 2 tablespoons of melted butter over the top of your oval(s). In a small bowl, combine the 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon and the 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar, and sprinkle this mixture over one lengthwise half of your oval(s).
Step 3: Fold the dough in half lengthwise to create the classic Stollen shape. Carefully lift the loaf (or loaves) onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Step 4: Cover the loaves and let them rise for another 45 minutes.
Step 5: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake your Stollen for 35 to 45 minutes, until it is a deep golden brown and sounds hollow when you tap it.
Let the Stollen cool completely on a wire rack before giving it a final, generous, and snowy dusting of confectioners’ sugar.
Classic German Stollen (An Easy Christmas Bread!)
A classic recipe for a traditional German Christmas Stollen. This rich, yeasted bread is laden with rum-soaked candied fruit and raisins, and features a nutty crunch from toasted almonds. The dough is enriched with butter and honey, and flavored with lemon zest and mace. After rising, the dough is rolled out, filled with a cinnamon-sugar mixture, folded into its signature loaf shape, and baked. The finished Stollen is typically dusted generously with confectioners’ sugar to resemble the snowy German landscape.
Ingredients
- For the Fruit:
- 1 cup mixed candied fruit
- 1 cup raisins
- 3 tablespoons dark rum or orange juice
- For the Sponge:
- 1 scant tablespoon (1 package) active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup warm water (about 110°F)
- 2/3 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- For the Dough:
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground mace
- 1/2 cup chopped almonds, toasted
- 3 to 4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- For the Filling:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- For the Topping:
- 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
- Prepare the Fruit and Sponge: Combine the candied fruit, raisins, and rum in a small bowl, cover, and set aside. In a large bowl, activate the yeast in the warm water. Add the warm milk, honey, and 1 cup of flour. Cover this ‘sponge’ and let it rise for about 30 minutes until bubbly.
- Make the Dough: To the sponge, add the fruit mixture, honey, egg, softened butter, zest, salt, mace, almonds, and 2 cups of flour. Beat vigorously for 2 minutes. Gradually add more flour, a little at a time, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic.
- First Rise: Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover, and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, until doubled in size.
- Shape and Fill: Turn the dough out onto a lightly oiled surface. For two loaves, divide the dough in half and roll each into a 7×9-inch oval. Brush the ovals with melted butter. Combine the cinnamon and granulated sugar and sprinkle over one lengthwise half of each oval.
- Fold the dough in half lengthwise to enclose the filling and place the loaves on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Second Rise: Cover the loaves and let them rise for 45 minutes.
- Bake: While the loaves are rising, preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the loaves for 30-40 minutes, until they are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped.
- Let the Stollen cool completely on a wire rack before dusting generously with confectioners’ sugar.
Notes
- This is a traditional, multi-step yeasted bread recipe that is a classic centerpiece for Christmas baking.
- The recipe provides instructions for mixing by hand or with a stand mixer.
- The two separate rising times are crucial for developing the flavor and texture of the bread.
- The final baking instructions were not provided in the original article and have been inferred based on standard baking techniques for this type of bread.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
Stollen is the ultimate make-ahead Christmas bread! Its flavor actually improves and deepens as it ages.
- Make-Ahead: You can bake your Stollen up to 2 to 3 weeks in advance.
- Storage: To store your Stollen, let it cool completely. You can then brush it with a generous layer of melted butter and give it a very thick, heavy coating of powdered sugar. Wrap it very tightly in several layers of plastic wrap and then a layer of foil. Store it in a cool, dry place.
For more recipe follow my pinterest account
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is the absolute, number one secret to a moist, not dry, Stollen?
The two most important secrets are the enriched dough and the rum-soaked fruit. A dough that is rich with butter and eggs will have a much more tender, cake-like crumb, and soaking your dried fruit is the key that plumps it up and prevents it from drawing moisture out of your bread as it bakes.
Q2: Can I make this Stollen ahead of time for Christmas?
Yes, absolutely! Stollen is a traditional “keeping cake” that is meant to be made several weeks in advance. If you wrap it very well, it will stay moist and the flavors will continue to develop and deepen, making it even more delicious on Christmas day.
Q3: Can I use different kinds of fruit or nuts?
Of course! You can substitute the raisins and candied fruit with an equal amount of your other favorite dried fruits, like dried cherries, cranberries, or chopped apricots. You can also swap the almonds for toasted pecans or walnuts.
Q4: Can I make this without alcohol?
Yes! To make a delicious, non-alcoholic version, you can simply substitute the rum in the fruit soak with an equal amount of warm orange juice or apple juice.
Q5: What is mace?
Mace is a beautiful, warm, and aromatic spice. It is the lacy, red covering (called an “aril”) that is found around the outside of a whole nutmeg seed. It has a flavor that is very similar to nutmeg, but it is slightly more delicate and complex. It is a classic, traditional spice in many German baked goods.