Name: German Christmas Stollen (Christstollen)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 230 min
Ingredients: 250 grams raisins; 50 grams candied orange peel; 50 grams candied lemon peel; 50 grams chopped almonds; 80 milliliters rum (or apple juice); 500 grams all-purpose flour; 120 milliliters lukewarm milk; 50 grams sugar; 1 cube fresh yeast; 220 grams butter (soft); 1 egg (medium); 1 egg yolk (medium); 100 grams marzipan paste; 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest; 2 pinches salt; 1/4 teaspoon ground vanilla (or vanilla paste); 1 teaspoon stollen spices (cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, coriander); 100 grams butter (coarse); 3 tablespoons sugar; 60 grams powdered sugar (coarse)

Ingredients

The base of Omas Christstollen is a lush, heavy yeast dough with comparatively much butter - which makes the Stollen moist. The colorful dried fruits in the dough as well as the marzipan result in a wonderful aroma and the unique Christmas stollen consistency. Heavenly!

How to make the German Christmas Stollen

Don't be afraid to bake Christmas stollen. With this recipe, the Christmas classic is guaranteed to succeed. First of all, mix raisins with candied orange peel, candied lemon peel and almonds and pour the juice over them. Cover and leave to stand overnight, but an hour is enough to prepare the dough. Now, crumble the yeast into the lukewarm milk and add a teaspoon of sugar and stir until the yeast is dissolved.

Then, put the flour with the remaining sugar in a large mixing bowl. Make a deep well in the center and pour in the yeast milk. Cover with a kitchen towel and let stand in a warm place for 10 minutes.

Recipe Recommendation

German butter cake with almond topping

This delicious German butter cake with almonds is a popular sheet cake classic without much effort. The cream icing makes it exceptionally moist.

Next step: Cut the marzipan paste into tiny pieces and add to the mixing bowl together with the soft butter, eggs and spices. Mix everything together briefly and then knead (leave to knead) for about 5 minutes. The yeast dough should come away from the edge of the bowl. After that, let the dough rise, covered, in a warm place for at least 30 minutes. Then knead in the dried fruit mixture and let rise again in a warm place for 1.5 hours. Form a very large or two smaller stollen. If you use a Stollen baking pan (approx. 13 in/ 33 cm), put the dough into it before the second rising time.

Continue by placing the Christstollen on a baking sheet covered with baking paper. If necessary, use your hands to decorate the Christmas stollen mold again. Because the Christstollen tends to get wider and flatter without a mold, you can limit it a bit on the baking sheet, for example, by using double-folded aluminum foil or by placing a loaf pan on one side. Cover the Christstollen again and let it rise for half an hour. Preheat the oven to 380°F/190°C and bake the Stollen for 10 minutes, then bake at only 340°F/170°C for another 40 minutes on the second rack from the bottom. Cover towards the end if it gets too dark.

The end is in sight: Melt the butter. Remove the finished Christstollen from the oven and remove any burnt raisins. While still hot, brush Stollen several times with the butter. Sprinkle with the regular sugar first. Let cool completely, remove excess sugar slightly with a spoon or similar. Finally, sift the powdered sugar over the top.

Top Tip

Well, want to give this delicious, moist, buttery Stollen a try? It's definitely not too late. To make sure you succeed with Grandma's Christmas stollen recipe and bake the alternative that's just right for you, I've put together some tips, tricks and answers to frequently asked questions.

How does Christstollen become moist?

First and foremost, it hits the spot to use the right recipe with sufficient butter and eggs. Marzipan also makes the dough slightly moist. In addition, you should not bake the Christmas stollen too long, otherwise, it tends to become drier.

Can you bake Christmas stollen without candied orange peel, candied lemon peel and raisins?

Basically, yes, but then use other dried fruits such as cranberries or chopped apricots.

How can Christstollen be shaped?

Roll out the dough into a rectangle with rounded corners. Fold one of the long sides into the center over the other, covering about two-thirds of the dough. Press each of the "seams" down with your fingers. To prevent the Christstollen from becoming too broad, you may want to use double-folded aluminum foil to limit the width.

How to use a Christmas stollen baking pan?

Turn the dough in the greased mold onto a baking sheet lined with baking paper, but do not remove the mold. Bake again briefly without the cover, only towards the end of the baking time.

How long should Christstollen be stored?

Some say at least 2-4 weeks. However, the Christstollen, according to my recipe, can also be cut well after 2-3 days.

What is the best way to pack and store Christmas stollen?

Once buttered, sugared and completely cooled, wrap several times in plastic wrap and store in a cool dark place.

Can Christstollen be frozen?

Sure. At least in theory 😉 . At best, already cut into slices.

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