German Stollen have been around for nearly 700 years and are prized throughout the world as one of the most famous and beloved of all Christmas pastries. Your search for the BEST authentic German Stollen recipe has ended: Flaky, moist, and divinely flavorful, these homemade German Christmas Stollen are INCREDIBLE!
For more traditional German Christmas recipes be sure to also try our Pfeffernüsse, Lebkuchen, Springerle, Vanillekipferl and Zimtsterne!
Sweet cakes and breads studded with candied fruits and nuts are hallmarks of Christmas baking in many areas of the world. Examples include fruitcake which is traditional throughout the English speaking nations, panettone in Italy, keks in Poland, julekake in Norway, bolo-rei in Portugal and birnenbrot in Switzerland. But perhaps none are revered as highly throughout the world as German Stollen.
I grew up in southern Germany and celebrating the Christmas season without homemade Stollen was simply unthinkable.
What is Stollen?
Christmas stollen, known in Germany as Christstollen, is a yeast bread that is baked with dried fruits, candied citrus peel, nuts and spices. Variations include Mandelstollen (almond), Mohnstollen (poppy seed), Quarkstollen (quark), Nuss-Stollen (nuts), Butterstollen (high butter content), Dresdner Stollen and Marzipanstollen.
Stollen are famously dusted with a thick coat of powdered sugar, reminiscent of the snowy German landscape, and baked with spices conveying the warmth of the Christmas season.
© shutterstock
Where Did Stollen Originate?
The first and most famous variety of stollen is the Dresdner Christstollen. Some historians date its origin back to 1329 and over the centuries the stollen was refined to become what it is today. And it has come a long way indeed because up until 1650 the stollen was a bland, hard pastry as the use of butter and milk was forbidden during Lent by the Catholic church. It was in this year that Prince Ernst von Sachsen, at the request of the bakers of Dresden, petitioned the pope to lift the butter ban. The request was denied and then, five popes later, the ban was finally lifted in 1490 via the pope’s famous Butterbrief, “butter letter.”
From that point the stollen gradually developed into an enjoyable sweet bread incorporating additional ingredients and it become an important symbol of the region. King August II in 1730 commissioned the bakers of Dresden to bake a gigantic stollen in celebration of the strength of the Saxon military, an event to which he invited the dignitaries of Europe in the hope of building allies. The stollen weighed 1.8 tons (that’s 3600 pounds!), was 27 feet long and 18 feet wide and a special oven was designed and built just for this purpose. It took a convoy of eight horses to transport the stollen to the king’s table and a 26 pound and 5 1/4 foot-long knife was used to cut it.
Germany’s first Christmas market was held in Dresden in 1434. This market, the Dresdner Striezelmarkt, continues to be held every year. Also held annually on the Saturday prior to the 2nd Advent is the Dresdner Stollenfest featuring Germany’s largest Christstollen. So far 2013 holds the record for the largest Stollen weighing nearly 9400 pounds! Each year a horse-drawn carriage parades the giant stollen through the streets and on to the Christmas market. Per tradition, a replica of the original 5-foot long knife is used to slice the stollen. The mayor of the city tastes the first piece and the stollen is then cut into thousands of pieces that are sold with the proceeds going to charity.
© Lianem | Dreamstime
The Symbolism Behind Stollen
The word “stollen” refers to a post or boundary stone for a city. It is also thought it could refer to the entrance of a mine shaft. Some historians believe that the stollen’s characteristic shape was molded after the shape of a mine tunnel, reflective of the silver and tin mining industries of the time. But there is also religious symbolism behind the stollen with the loaf, or bread, being symbolic of the body of Christ. Specifically, being dusted with powdered sugar, it is symbolic of the baby Jesus in swaddling clothes. Thus it is traditionally called Christstollen, or Christ Stollen.
How to Make Stollen
I’m sharing with you my recipe for Stollen which is thoroughly authentic in its method and ingredients. It features dried fruits, candied lemon peel, nuts and marzipan (which you can omit if you choose). I LOVE the addition of marzipan and it’s one of the most popular varieties of Stollen. Don’t worry about having to go out and buy some, it is unbelievably quick and easy to make your own (seriously, it takes about 5 minutes). Check out our recipe for Easy Homemade Marzipan!
A Word About Store-Bought Candied Citrus Peel (do you hate it as much as I do?)
I have to tell you, I absolutely detest store-bought candied citrus peel. And most people I speak to feel the same. It has a bizarre chemical flavor no matter the brand. For that reason I’ve never been a fan of fruitcakes in general. BUT using your own homemade candied citrus peel is a 100% deal changer.
While you can use store-bought candied citrus peel if you insist, I VERY, VERY STRONGLY recommend making your own. Please, trust me on this: Using homemade candied citrus peel is the difference between night and day when it comes to flavor! It is vastly superior in every way and will make your Stollen taste incredible! And the good news is it can be made far, far in advance. In fact, I freeze mine so it lasts basically forever and I take out what I need as needed. Check out our recipe for Candied Orange Peel!
For anyone who may be feeling a little intimidated at the thought of making Stollen, don’t be. If you can make a cake or a loaf of bread, you can make Stollen. But while it’s easy to make, it’s not quick to make. There’s a waiting game involved both during the baking process and the aging process. In the baking process the Stollen dough has to rise a couple of times just like in making yeast bread. Then it has to bake for a while. And then there’s the waiting process. Typically the Stollen is tightly wrapped and kept in a cool place to age for 2-3 weeks before eating. This allows the liquid from the rum-soaked dried fruits to soak into the bread creating both flavor and moistness.
NOW, while letting Stollen age will allow the flavors to fully penetrate the bread, our Stollen is absolutely AMAZING straight out of the oven! So the question of to wait or not to wait we’ll leave up to you.
Fun trivia: Fruitcakes that contain a lot of alcohol can remain edible for years. Yes, years. For example, the Antarctic Heritage Trust discovered a 106-year-old fruitcake last year and after sampling it (the brave souls) they said it was not only in “excellent condition” for its age but was even “almost” edible! Another fruitcake baked in 1878 in Michigan was kept as a family heirloom and sampled for the first time in 2003 by Jay Leno on The Tonight Show. It’s amazing what an incredible preservative alcohol is. So in other words, as long as you keep your Stollen tightly wrapped and in a cool place, letting it age for 2 weeks is, like, nothing.
Lastly, if you’ve never been a huge fan of store-bought Stollen you’re not alone. I’ve never cared for them either. But homemade…that’s an entirely different story.
Your search for the best Stollen recipe has ended: Flaky, moist, and divinely flavorful, these homemade German Christmas Stollen are INCREDIBLE!
Authentic German Stollen Recipe
Let’s get started!
Place the raisins, candied citrus peel and almonds in a medium bowl and pour the rum over it. Stir to combine. Set aside and let the fruit mixture soak in the rum while the dough rises.
Stir the yeast and 2 tablespoons of the sugar into the lukewarm milk and let sit in a warm place for 10-15 minutes until very frothy.
Place the flour, remaining sugar, egg, egg yolks, butter, vanilla extract, lemon zest, salt, cardamom, mace and cinnamon in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the yeast/milk mixture.
Use a spoon to stir the mixture until it comes together. Knead the dough on the bread setting and once the dough comes together continue to knead for 7 minutes.
Remove the dough ball, lightly spray the bowl with a little oil, return the dough ball, cover loosely with plastic wrap and place it in a warm place or lightly warmed oven (just barely warm), to rise until nearly doubled in size, at least 1 hour.
Punch down the dough and add the soaked fruit/nut mixture to the dough (it should have absorbed all the rum by now but if there is excess liquid, pour it out before adding the mixture to the dough).
Using the dough hook, knead the fruit/nut mixture into the dough until combined. If the dough is too wet to handle, add a little bit of flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface.
Cut the dough in two equal halves. Press or roll each piece into an oval to about 1 inch thickness. Roll each piece of marzipan into a log the length of the oval. Press the marzipan gently into the middle of the dough.
Fold the left side of the dough over to cover the marzipan, then fold right side over on top of the left side so that the edge of it sits just left of the middle of the stollen. In other words, don’t fold the right side all the way over to the left edge of the stollen.
Pinch and tuck the top and bottom ends of the stollen to cover the marzipan.
Use the bottom edge of your hand to press down along the length of the stollen towards the right of the center to create a divot and characteristic hump.
Place the stollen on a lined baking sheet. Cover the stollen loosely with plastic wrap and let them rest in a warm place or lightly warmed oven for 40-60 minutes until puffy.
At this point you can pick off any raisins that are sticking out of the dough (they will burn during baking).
Towards the end of the last rise, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and bake the stollen for 30-40 minutes or until golden. You can use an instant read thermometer to aim for an internal temperature of 190 degrees F.
Let them sit for 5 minutes, then use a toothpick to poke holes all over the stollen. This will allow the melted butter to seep in.
Generously brush the stollen with the melted butter while the stollen are still warm.
Immediately sprinkle with a generous amount of powdered sugar, rubbing it into the creases and down the sides. Let the stollen cool completely.
The stollen can be sliced and eaten now or wrapped tightly (I like to wrap in plastic wrap then foil) and left to “ripen” in a cool place for 2 weeks. The liquid from the dried fruits will further penetrate the dough for more flavor and moisture.
Stollen can also be frozen for longer storage.
For eating, I like to warm the slices up for a few seconds in the microwave, it makes the crumb nice and soft.
Slice and enjoy!
For more traditional German Christmas goodies try our:
- Pfeffernüsse
- Lebkuchen
- Springerle
- Gugelhupf
- Printen
- Speculoos
- Vanillekipferl
- Zimtsterne
- Kokosmakronen
- Magenbrot
- Bethmännchen
- Heidesand
- German Rum Balls
BEST Authentic Stollen (German Christmas Bread)
Ingredients
- For the Dough:
- 1 cup lukewarm whole milk
- 3 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 4 cups all-purpose flour ***NOTE: Amount will vary depending on how much liquid is in your fruit/nut mixture. Be sure to drain any excess liquid. Add more flour as needed if dough is too wet.
- 1 large egg
- 2 large egg yolks
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks) , at room temperature so it's very soft
- 2 teaspoons quality pure vanilla extract
- zest of one lemon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 3/4 teaspoon ground mace (recommended but can substitute nutmeg)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 8 ounces Homemade Marzipan/Almond Paste , divided in half (you can omit the marzipan if you prefer)
- or store-bought marzipan/almond paste
- For the Fruits & Nuts:
- 9 ounces raisins
- 3 ounces candied lemon peel , finely diced
- 3 ounces candied orange peel , finely diced
- Homemade Candied Citrus Peel Recipe (we VERY STRONGLY recommend using homemade, it makes ALL the difference!)
- 3 ounces blanched slivered or sliced almonds , finely chopped
- 1/3 cup quality dark rum
- For the Glaze & Dusting:
- 1 stick unsalted butter , melted
- powdered sugar for generous dusting
Instructions
- Place the raisins, candied citrus peel and almonds in a medium bowl and pour the rum over it. Stir to combine. Set aside and let the fruit mixture soak in the rum while the dough rises.
- Stir the yeast and 2 tablespoons of the sugar into the lukewarm milk and let sit in a warm place for 10-15 minutes until very frothy.
- Place the flour, remaining sugar, egg, egg yolks, butter, vanilla extract, lemon zest, salt, cardamom, mace and cinnamon in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the yeast/milk mixture. Use a spoon to stir the mixture until it comes together. Knead the dough on the bread setting for 7-8 minutes. Remove the dough ball, lightly spray the bowl with a little oil, return the dough ball, cover loosely with plastic wrap and place it in a warm place or lightly warmed oven (just barely warm), to rise until nearly doubled in size, at least 1 hour (likely closer to 2 hours depending on the temperature of the environment).
- Punch down the dough and add the soaked fruit/nut mixture to the dough (it should have absorbed all the rum by now but if there is excess liquid, pour it out before adding the mixture to the dough). Using the dough hook, knead the fruit/nut mixture into the dough until combined. If the dough is too wet to handle, add a little bit of flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and cut it in two equal halves. Press or roll each piece into an oval to about 1 inch thickness. Roll each piece of marzipan into a log the length of the oval. Press the marzipan gently into the middle of the dough. Fold the left side of the dough over to cover the marzipan, then fold right side over on top of the left side so that the edge of it sits just left of the middle of the stollen (see pics). In other words, don't fold the right side all the way over to the left edge of the stollen. Pinch and tuck the top and bottom ends of the stollen to cover the marzipan. Use the bottom edge of your hand to press down along the length of the stollen towards the right of the center to create a divot and characteristic hump (see pics). Place the stollen on a lined baking sheet. Cover the stollen loosely with plastic wrap and let them rest in a warm place or lightly warmed oven for 40-60 minutes until puffy. At that point you can pick off any raisins that are sticking out of the dough (they will burn during baking).
- Towards the end of the last rise, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and bake the stollen for 30-40 minutes or until golden. You can use an instant read thermometer to aim for an internal temperature of 190 degrees F. Let the Stollen sit for 5 minutes, then use a toothpick to poke holes all over the stollen (this will allow the butter to seep in), then generously brush the stollen with the melted butter while the stollen are still warm. Immediately sprinkle with a generous amount of powdered sugar, rubbing it into the creases and down the sides. Let the stollen cool completely. You may want to give it another dusting of powdered sugar once cooled.
- The stollen can be sliced and eaten now or wrapped tightly (wrap in plastic wrap then foil) and left to "ripen" in a cool place for 2 weeks. The liquid from the dried fruits will further penetrate the dough for more flavor and moisture. Stollen can also be frozen for longer storage.
- Makes 2 large or 3 medium Stollen.For eating, I like to warm the slices up for a few seconds in the microwave, it makes the crumb nice and soft.
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet November 20, 2018
Atalanta says
I’m in the midst of my massive Stollen making – 24 loaves this year. My recipe is a little different because I’ve doctored it over the years – one year there was an accident (a dish of homemade bitters fell in the batter). My German friend (who got me to baking them again 10 years ago) said that batch was the best and most like what she had back home. So now that “mishap” is part of my version. Sometimes I do marzipan (make my own) but most people prefer the vanilla sugar I use instead. I’ll do marzipan if they ask.
Hint: Our kitchen is relatively cool in the winter. The oven registers about 65F when off (gas with pilot light). Since I don’t have a warm place to let the dough rise I make one by boiling a pot of water and putting it in the oven. This warms the oven to about 85F and I change out the pot of water between rises. It also adds humidity to the oven which I think helps.
shelley liu says
Just want to check when you say ” cool place ” to ripen, can I put them in the fridge? I’m living in Singapore and sadly there are no COOL place unless I turn on the aircon 24/7 for the bread.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Shelley, don’t put it in the fridge because that will dry out the Stollen. If you don’t have a cool place to store them you’ll need to forego the ripening process and just eat the Stollen within a few days. (I actually prefer the Stollen straight out of the oven!)
Jennifer Phillips says
I made this recipe last year making 3 loaves, and again this year making two. Both times I followed the recipe for making my own candied peel. Last year it was like it’s supposed to be being dense in texture. I could slice a pice and lightly toast it with a smear of butter and it was delicious. This year, the final texture is not dense. When I slice a piece it’s more fragile and not sturdy. It tastes great, but is slightly crumbly. Not exactly crumbly, but not dense. Can you tell me what I did wrong? They look beautiful!
Sharmie says
I have made this receipe for the last 4 years and will make it again this year. It’s a Christmas tradition now in my family and everyone would be disappointed if I didn’t show up with it.I’m so grateful to you for sharing it. I candy orange, lemon and grapefruit peel for it and make my own marzipan, as suggested. It’s really fabulous.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you so much, Sharmie, I am beyond happy that this has become a tradition in your family! <3
Eva says
Amazing recipe. It tastes great however mine did not turn out fluffy :(
I let both rises go for 2 full hours in a warm kitchen but they look more like a flatbread than a loaf. I’m not sure what I did wrong-I cook and bake frequently and “go off-course” all the time but I followed this recipe to the letter. Still tastes great! I guess the silver lining is that I was going to send them to my family as gifts but now I just have to eat them. :)
Vivienne Taylor says
I shall make this recipe this week. Am I correct in thinkinking it uses Plain Flour rather than Strong White Bread flour
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Vivienne, yes that’s correct, you’ll need plain flour. Happy baking!
Rosel Camide says
Love this recipe. Very tasty.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you so much, Rosel!
Petra says
Delicious! I can’t get enough of this. I had been told that stollen needs to rest in the fridge for 2-3 weeks before it can be eaten but this one has been amazing from day one. Thank you for the recipe! :)
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you so much, Petra, I’m thrilled that you enjoyed it! I agree, I know Stollen is traditionally aged but I confess that I prefer it straight out of the oven! :)
Linda Daly says
Sending out 8 to relative across the country. Made them last year and love them.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wow, you have been hard at work, Linda, and you have some mighty lucky relatives! :) I’m so glad these have been a hit, thanks so much for the feedback!
Cheri Nichols says
Well, I made the homemade candied citrus peel (yum!), made the homemade marzipan and will make the stollen this weekend! I saw a question about splitting the dough into smaller loaves but as I’m not an experienced baker, I don’t know how to adjust the baking time. I would like to make 4 baby stollen – would this work and how would I adjust the time? Thanks!!! Cheri from Colorado
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Cheri! Yes, this can be divided into smaller loaves. I haven’t timed it for 4 loaves but my guess is around 20-25 minutes. The easiest way is to use an instant read thermometer and aim for an internal temperature of 190 degrees F – a thermometer takes all the guesswork out of determining whether something’s ready. Happy baking! :)
Michael says
Ok, help. I’ve ruined two batches already and I can’t figure out what I’m doing wrong. I made the fruit and marzipan and thought I was in the clear, but I’ve had to throw out two batches of dough. Both were completely wet and gloopy in the first mix at 520 grams of flour. Not coming to gather at all until I gradually added about another ¾ flour. Then it didn’t rise although I made sure my yeast was activated. I thought maybe I’d just done something off the first batch so tried again. Same result. And neither rose. One I tried in a warm oven and the second overnight in the fridge. Is it too much flour? Butter was room temp, soft but not too soft. How wet should the dough be after the first mix? I didn’t use the marzipan or fruit so I’m game for another go since it seems to work for everyone else, but I’m doing something wrong. Help?
P WILSON says
try making for 10.
For the Dough:
98.33 ml lukewarm whole milk
1.25 teaspoons active dry yeast
41.67 g granulated sugar
216.67 g all-purpose flour ***NOTE: Amount will vary depending on how much liquid is in your fruit/nut mixture. Be sure to drain any excess liquid. Add more flour as needed if dough is too wet.
0.42 large egg
0.83 large egg yolks
70.83 g unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks) , at room temperature so it’s very soft
0.83 teaspoons quality pure vanilla extract
zest of one lemon
0.42 teaspoon salt
0.31 teaspoon ground cardamom
0.31 teaspoon ground mace (recommended but can substitute nutmeg)
0.21 teaspoon ground cinnamon
95.83 g Homemade Marzipan/Almond Paste , divided in half (you can omit the marzipan if you prefer)
or store-bought marzipan/almond paste
For the Fruits & Nuts:
106.25 g raisins
35.42 g candied lemon peel , finely diced
35.42 g candied orange peel , finely diced
Homemade Candied Citrus Peel Recipe (we VERY STRONGLY recommend using homemade, it makes ALL the difference!)
35.42 g blanched slivered or sliced almonds , finely chopped
33.33 ml quality dark rum
For the Glaze & Dusting:
0.42 stick unsalted butter , melted
when making up the dough add milk gradully I used a mixer with dough hooks for all mixing Also used half bread flour and half plain flour Weigh your egg no more than 75g
using this smaller batch will make ONE
Atalanta says
I’m in the process of making 2 dozen right now. But since I don’t have an industrial set up, I do it in batches of 4.
Ddrop says
I’ve just had exactly the same issue! Please help as I so want this to work!
Doughboy says
A warm oven risks killing the yeast. A cold fridge and the yeast won’t rise. You almost need to have a warm, dark room to ensure the yeast will activate properly. It can be quite tricky. One suggestion, put the dough in the room where the water heater or furnace is, or in your laundry room while a washing a load of clothes. And if the dough is gloopy then you probably just need to add a bit more flour. Try rolling the dough continually on a floured surface until you can actually pick it up without it sticking to your hands. The addition of fruits and other substances will also absorb moisture. But, the real trick is getting the room warm enough to help the yeast activate; cover with a damp towel and let it do its thing.
Karl Echtermeyer says
This recipe works well. I use a mix of dried diced cherries, apricots, and raisins and add some crystallized ginger along with the candied peel. My German friends seem to appreciate the variety this adds. You can also encase the marzipan in a long tube of dough and create a braid of the dough for a different look.
Deb T says
I lived in Germany for 10 years and this recipe matches any stollen I have had. I live at 7000 ft, so I decreased the sugar and yeast by 1/4 and did an extra proof before stirring in the fruit… it turned out great. I even made the homemade marzipan and citrus peel – never going back to store-bought again. I used dried cranberries, orange peel, raisins, and chopped apricots. Half a loaf has already been eaten… the rest is wrapped and curing for us to take to our family Christmas.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s wonderful, Deb, I’m thrilled you enjoyed it and really appreciate the feedback, thank you!
Jacob Crim says
Would there be any detriment to the overall process if I took the base recipe and split it into three smaller loaves? I assume it would reduce the cook time but wasn’t sure of any other variables to note for. I would like to give one to my sister and a friend while keeping one for myself. Thank you!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Jacob, you can absolutely do that and nothing else needs to be adjusted other than reducing the bake time. Happy baking! :)
Allen says
I didn’t discover stollen until I was an adult and now I seek it out every year. I am comfortable making regular loaves of bread and decided it was time to make stollen this year … and there’s no going back to store-bought after this recipe – thank you!
Having never made it, I wasn’t sure how tacky it should be so I added maybe an additional 1 cup flour after fruit (since it seemed a bit wetter than tacky). There is so much variation in how people measure flour so this could be some of the variance. I The recipe defaulted to cups measurements and I now see there is a metric version as well — will try those measurements next time. I trusted my judgement and added by spoonful until it felt tacky. My only other variation was to use bourbon in place of rum.
I divided into 3 medium sized loaves – one to eat immediately, one to store for 2 weeks, one to freeze for future indulgence. The first loaf is gone and it was so good – perfect in every way. I took your advice and made my own candied citrus as well as marzipan – worth every minute of effort.
This recipe (as well as the candied citrus and marzipan) is certainly a keeper!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s fantastic, Allen! I’m so happy you took the time to make the homemade candied citrus and marzipan and that all that hard work paid off. Thank you so much for the feedback – happy eating! <3
Liz says
This is delicious! Made everything from scratch and it turned out great. One question: isn’t stollen supposed to start with a sponge? All other recipes I’ve seen start that way. What difference does that tend to make?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks so much, Liz, I’m happy you enjoyed it! No, traditional Stollen is not made with a sponge. The sponge method is a more modern technique that some have adapted for Stollen in recent years to give it a lighter texture. But it’s that dense, rich texture that is a central characteristic of traditional Stollen.