Christmas Stollen
Stollen is a traditional German fruit bread that is particularly popular during the festive season, especially around Christmas. This rich and dense bread is made with a variety of ingredients, including flour, milk, yeast, and a generous amount of butter. Dried fruits such as raisins, currants, apricots and candied citrus peel are mixed in, often complemented by dark rum and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. After baking, stollen is typically dusted with icing sugar, giving it a snowy appearance that is reminiscent of winter. Its origin dates back to the 15th century, and it has become a beloved treat in many parts of Europe and beyond, celebrated for its delightful flavour and the warmth it brings during the holiday season.
For this particular recipe, I took the time to prepare my own marzipan paste along with a smooth cream frangipane before I began the process of making the delicious fruit bread.
CHRISTMAS STOLLEN
By Zosia Culinary Adventures | Date: December 07, 2024
Preparation Time: 1 hour, 1 and 2nd rising 4 hours
Baking Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 6 small loaves or 3 large loaves
Ingredients:
1 kg all purpose floor
20 g fresh yeast or 10 g active dry yeast
500 g 2% milk, lukewarm
200 g unsalted, soft butter
50 g granulated sugar
10 g salt
4 large eggs
400 g frangipane filling
350 g marzipan paste (almond paste): 200 g almond flour, 120 g powdered sugar, 2 tsp pure vanilla extract and 40 g boiled/ cooled water
100 g golden raisins
100 g dried currants
100 g candied orange peel
50 g dried apricots, cut up into smaller pieces
50 g dried cranberries or cherries, cut up into smaller pieces
50 g toasted sliced almonds
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
4 tablespoons Kraken Black Spiced Rum
to make the glaze: 150 g unsalted butter and 250 ml Kraken Black Spiced Rum
egg wash (1 egg and pinch of salt)
powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions:
To make almond paste, mix all ingredients(almond flour, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and boiled/cooled water) in a medium bowl until smooth and like soft cookie dough. It’s best to use your hands to knead the mixture. Once it has the right texture, put the almond paste in an airtight container until you're ready to use it.
Put the flour in a large bowl. In another container, mix the yeast with lukewarm milk until smooth, then pour it over the flour. Add the softened butter, sugar, salt, and eggs. Use a Danish whisk to mix everything well. Once combined, transfer the dough to a clean surface and knead it with your hands until smooth and elastic.
Lightly flour the work table, and then carefully form the dough into a smooth ball. Once shaped, place it back into a lightly floured bowl. Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel to retain warmth, and let the dough rest for approximately 1.5 hours, allowing it to rise and develop its flavor.
Combine the dried fruits—golden raisins, sweet apricots, currants, orange peel, cinnamon, and nutmeg—in a large bowl. Then add toasted almonds for crunch and 4 tablespoons of rum for extra flavor. Let the mixture sit to blend the flavors until you're ready to use it.
Turn out the dough onto a clean work table and gently flatten the dough into a square shape. Carefully spread the dried fruits filling evenly over the surface of the dough, and then fold the dough a few times until the filling is fully incorporated throughout. Next, form the dough into a neat bowl shape and place it back into a lightly floured mixing bowl. Cover the bowl with a tea towel to keep the dough warm and allow it to rest for about 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 175ºC (350ºF) for baking. Prepare one or two large baking pans for 6 small loaves by lining the bottoms with parchment paper and greasing the paper with butter.
Divide the dough into 3 or 6 equal pieces, ensuring each portion is of similar size, and then flatten them out gently with your fingers to create a rectangle shape. Aim for all pieces to look alike in size and shape for a uniform presentation. Next, divide the frangipane mixture equally among the pieces, using a spatula to spread it evenly across each rectangle. Finally, cover the top of each piece with small pieces of marzipan.
Working with each individual stollen one at a time, fold one of the long sides gently into the center, covering the frangipane filling and marzipan beneath it. Then, fold the other side over the top and press down all around the edges carefully to ensure a good seal. Place the prepared stollens seam side down on the greased baking pan. Cover them with a clean tea towel and allow them to rise in a warm spot for about 2.5 hours, or until they have increased in size to just under double.
Prepare egg wash and set aside.
Egg wash each stollen generously before placing them in the oven for baking. Bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until they are a light golden color.
Prepare the final glaze by carefully melting butter in a small pan over low heat and then stirring in the rich rum. Heat the mixture until it becomes hot and fragrant. Once the stollens have emerged from the oven, take them out and generously brush them with the warm rum glaze while they are still hot. Immediately afterward, dust them thickly with powdered sugar for a sweet finish. Allow the stollen to cool completely on the wire rack.
For longer keeping, make sure to carefully wrap each stollen first in sturdy parchment paper, then follow this with a double layer of saran wrap, and finally encase it all in a protective layer of cellophane wrap. If you are planning to give them away as a delightful and thoughtful Christmas gift, consider decorating the beautifully wrapped stollen with colorful and cheerful ribbons and strings to add a festive and personal touch. I usually make this delightful fruit bread about 2 or 3 weeks in advance to ensure maximum flavor and freshness. It keeps remarkably well in a cool cellar or in the refrigerator.
Merry Christmas! Joyeux Noël! Frohe Weihnachten! Wesołych Świąt Bożego Narodzenia! 🌲