Description
This traditional German Stollen recipe yields a rich, festive bread filled with dried fruits, almonds, and warm spices. Perfect for holiday celebrations, this bread is braided, baked to a golden brown, and topped with a sweet icing glaze for a decadent finish.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough Ingredients
- 1 1/4 tbsp Dry active yeast
- 1/4 cup Warm water (about 40.5 C or 105 F)
- 5 1/2 cup All-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Cinnamon powder
- 1/4 tsp Nutmeg powder
- 5 oz Melted butter (salted)
- 1 cup Whole milk
- 3 Eggs, lightly beaten
Fruit and Nut Mix
- 4 oz Dried currants (soaked in 1/4 cup rum)
- 7 oz Golden raisins (soaked in 1/4 cup orange juice)
- 4 oz Blanched almonds, sliced
- 4 oz Candied orange peel, chopped
- 2 oz Dried apricots, chopped
- Zest of 1 lemon
Topping
- 2 tbsp Melted butter (for brushing on top)
- 3/4 cup Icing sugar
- 3-4 tbsp Milk (for glaze)
Instructions
- Activate Yeast: Whisk together the dry active yeast and warm water. Let it sit until frothy to ensure the yeast is active and ready for baking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, sugar, cinnamon powder, and nutmeg powder, thoroughly mixing the spices and sugar evenly with the flour.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Add the yeast mixture, eggs, milk, and melted butter into the dry ingredients. Mix everything together with a spatula until a shaggy dough forms.
- Knead Initial Dough: Transfer the dough onto a floured surface and knead gently for 2–3 minutes to start developing the gluten.
- Add Fruits and Nuts: Incorporate the soaked currants and golden raisins, chopped apricots, candied orange peel, sliced almonds, and lemon zest into the dough.
- Thorough Kneading: Knead the dough for 10 minutes until the fruits and nuts are evenly distributed. The dough will be a bit heavy, but patience will yield a beautiful, cohesive dough. A stand mixer can also be used for this step.
- First Rise: Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and let it rest in a warm place for 1.5 to 2 hours until it doubles in size.
- Divide and Shape Dough: Gently punch down the dough, transfer to a floured surface, and divide into 6 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 14-15 inch log.
- Braid the Logs: Take three logs at a time, pinch them together at the top, braid them, and tuck the ends under the braid. Repeat with the remaining three logs.
- Second Rise: Place the braids on a parchment-lined baking tray. Cover and let them rise for about 1 hour until doubled in size.
- Preheat Oven: Set the oven to 180°C (350°F) while the dough is rising.
- Bake: Bake the braided breads for 35-40 minutes until they are golden brown and cooked through.
- Butter Finish: Remove from oven and immediately brush the hot breads with 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Allow to cool completely.
- Prepare Icing: Whisk together icing sugar and milk until thick and smooth to form a glaze.
- Glaze and Serve: Pour the icing over the cooled stollen breads, slice, and enjoy your festive, fruit-laden treat!
Notes
- This Stollen makes a richly flavored and traditional German Christmas bread, perfect for the holiday season.
- Soaking the dried fruits beforehand enhances their flavor and moisture, contributing to a tender crumb.
- The dough will be dense and heavy due to the fruits and nuts, so kneading gently but thoroughly is key.
- A stand mixer with a dough hook can ease the kneading process if desired.
- Allow the bread to cool completely before glazing to avoid melting the icing.
- The glaze adds a sweet and decorative finish but can be omitted if preferred.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approximately 80 g)
- Calories: 339 kcal
- Sugar: 24 g
- Sodium: 81 mg
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 54 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 44 mg
