Christmas Stollen

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Servings: 15 Difficulty: Advanced
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A traditional German fruit bread filled with dried fruits and nuts, dusted with powdered sugar for the holidays.
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Christmas Stollen

Author: chefs-mate Cooking Method: Cuisine: Courses:
Difficulty: Advanced
Servings: 15 Calories: 27.7

Description

Christmas Stollen is a rich, dense fruit bread originating from Germany, traditionally served during the Advent and Christmas season. This recipe features a soft, yeasted dough packed with plump raisins, dried apricots, and slivered almonds, infused with warm flavors of almond extract and lemon zest. The dough is enriched with margarine and sugar, creating a tender crumb that holds up well to the heavy fruit load. After baking, the loaf is brushed with a warm apricot glaze and generously dusted with powdered sugar, giving it a snowy, festive appearance. It is best enjoyed sliced thinly with butter or cheese, making it a perfect centerpiece for holiday gatherings or a comforting treat with coffee.

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Combine raisins, chopped dried apricots, and unsweetened apple juice (or rum) in a bowl.
  2. Let the fruit soak overnight or for at least 4 hours to plump up.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine active dry yeast, lukewarm milk, and 1/2 cup of flour.
  4. Mix until smooth and the mixture resembles thick mashed potatoes.
  5. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place for 10 minutes, or until doubled in bulk.
  6. Meanwhile, cream together margarine, sugar, salt, almond extract, and grated lemon rind.
  7. Beat the yeast mixture into the creamed margarine mixture.
  8. Gradually beat in 1-1/4 cups of flour.
  9. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
  10. Knead in about 1/4 cup more flour, or until the dough is soft but not sticky.
  11. Knead for 3 minutes to develop the gluten.
  12. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with a damp towel, and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1-1/2 to 2 hours.
  13. Once risen, knead the soaked fruit mixture and sliced blanched almonds into the dough until well mixed.
  14. Roll the dough into a rectangular shape, approximately 12 by 6 inches.
  15. Roll up the dough jelly-roll fashion.
  16. Place the loaf on a lightly oiled baking sheet and let rise for about 30 minutes.
  17. Bake in a 375-degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
  18. Cool the stollen partially on a wire rack.
  19. Heat low-sugar apricot preserves and brush the glaze over the cool but not cold stollen.
  20. Dust generously with powdered sugar before serving.

Nutrition Facts

Servings 15

Amount Per Serving
Calories 27.7kcal
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 0.1g1%
Saturated Fat 0.0g0%
Cholesterol 0.0mg0%
Sodium 1.1mg1%
Total Carbohydrate 7.2g3%
Dietary Fiber 0.4g2%
Sugars 6.7g
Protein 0.3g1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Keywords: christmas, stollen, german, fruitbread, holiday, yeast, raisins, apricots, almonds, lemon, almondextract, baking, traditional, winter, advent, glaze, dough, powderedsugar, festive, dessertbread
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