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Christmas Stollen
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5 from 2 votes

Christmas Stollen

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: German
Keyword: bread, candied fruit, fruit bread, stollen
Servings: 2 loaves

Ingredients

  • Fruit and Nuts Filling:
  • 1 ⅓ cups almonds toasted and chopped
  • ¾ cup dried berries (cranberries, or cherries or both)
  • ½ cup maraschino cherries
  • 1 ½ cups raisins
  • 3 tablespoons dark Rum or Grand Marnier or orange juice
  • -
  • FOR THE STARTER SPONGE:
  • 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
  • ¼ cup warm water about 110 degrees F
  • ⅔ cup warm milk
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
  • -
  • FOR THE REST OF THE DOUGH:
  • ⅓ cup honey
  • 1 large egg beaten
  • 1 cup melted butter
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground mace
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon ginger
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring
  • 1 teaspoon almond flavoring
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • -
  • EXTRAS:
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour for kneading
  • ½ cup butter for brushing
  • ½ pound Almond Paste or Marzipan
  • -
  • TOPPING:
  • ¾ cup icing sugar or more as needed

Instructions

  • Soak raisins and dried fruit with rum for at least a couple hours. Overnight would be the best.
  • Mix up the starter, cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 40 minutes. It will bubble during this time.
  • Mix together everything in the ‘For the Dough’ section either by hand or with dough hook and mixer. After a few minutes add starter, mix until well blended. Add nuts, raisins and dried fruit along with the liquid, mix a few more minutes.
  • Knead on counter with ½ cup flour for a couple minutes. Make a ball, put dough in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour.
  • Divide dough in half. Flatten out into a rectangle approximately 11 x 8 inch. If using some fresh red fruits, sprinkle on top of rolled out dough.
  • Divide almond paste in half make 2 strips about 11 x 3 inch, lay along center of each loaf.
  • Fold long side of dough towards center, fold opposite side on top of first side. (See image)
  • Cover each loaf with plastic wrap, let rise 1 ½ to 2 hours.
  • Double up 2 cookie sheets, this will keep the bottom from browning quicker than the top.
  • Bake at °350F for 30 minutes. If ends are getting darker than the middle, cover ends with aluminum foil. Remove from baking sheets and let cool on wire rack. Brush generously with ½ cup butter while still hot. Sprinkle liberally with icing sugar when still warm.
  • Variations – frozen or fresh cranberries and/or cherries can be used. Gently work in the red berries at the end when making the final shape, or the red berries will stain the dough pink.
  • For those of you who like candied fruit – omit the dried berries and maraschinos cherries. Replace the same amount with your favourite candied lemon and/or orange peel fruit to equal 1 cup.

Notes

*Once all the fruit and liquid is added to dough, the second rise will take much longer. Dough may take longer than 2 hours to see a noticeable rise. Once a rise is noticeable after the 2 hours the Stollen can be baked as it will rise up some more in the oven.
*Difference between almond paste and marzipan.
In this recipe there isn't a noticeable difference between the two. Although, almond paste has more nuts and marzipan has more sugar. Use the one you can find.