Dresden Stollen (German Christmas Stollen)
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This classic recipe for Dresden Stollen is a buttery German festive favorite, packed with dried fruit and citrus zest before being dusted liberally with confectioners sugar.
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Since 1474, Dresden Christmas Stollen has been a favorite advent season treat. A buttery, moist and heavy cake-like fruit bread made simply with yeast, dried fruits and the zests of citrus. Liberally dusted with confectioners sugar, it’s a tradition all of its own.
Especially in Dresden, Germany where they have an official website dedicated to this buttery deliciousness.
As they point out, each Christmas Stollen (originally called Striezel) is unique. With centuries of recipes passed from one family to the next, stollens vary from generation to generation.
But generally, required ingredients contain “raisins, butter, sweet and bitter almonds, candied orange and lemon peel, flour, water, and yeast… Also, whole milk or whole milk powder, crystal sugar, clarified butter, lemon zest, table salt, powder sugar, and stollen spices.”
History of the Dresden Stollen
The Dresdner Christstollen is a piece of cultural history.
It’s been said Dresden Stollen “was baked for the first time at the Council of Trent in 1545, and was made with flour, yeast, oil, and water.” Then Saxon Prince Ernst decided the bread was hard and tasteless, due to the oil used in the bread. Writing to the Pope for permission to use butter, the resulting recipe delivered a moist and buttery bread that survived the centuries to find its way to Christmas tables today.
For a taste of how authentic Dresdner Stollen is made, this bakery video will give you a flavor of how stollen is made in large quantities and ideas on shaping the bread.
Frequently Asked Questions
Stollen is a yeasted sweet bread, but you’d be forgiven for thinking it is a cake due to the amount of sugar and ingredients that are commonly found in a classic fruit cake.
When the dried fruit is soaked in rum or brandy, Stollen is a long-lasting yeast bread that gets better with age. If you keep it well wrapped and in a cool, dark place it should last a couple of months, which is perfect as that just about covers the entire holiday period!
If you enjoyed this recipe on 31 Daily, you might also enjoy:
- German Gingerbread Cookies
- German Cabbage Strudel
- Sheet Pan Bratwurst
- German Chicken Schnitzel
- German Apple Kuchen Cake
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German Dresden Christmas Stollen
Ingredients
Stollen
- 1 cup lukewarm milk
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar divided (
- 3 teaspoons active dry yeast About 1 packet
- 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 4 to 4 1/2 cup
- 1 orange zested
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 large egg
- 2 egg yolks
- 3/4 cup butter softened to room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 8 ounces marzipan almond paste (optional)
Dried Fruit
- 1 cup dried fruit like raisins, golden raisins, cranberries, and currants
- 1/3 cup chopped blanched almonds or pecans, walnuts
- 1/3 cup warm water optional with 1/4-1/2 teaspoon rum extract
Powdered Sugar Glaze
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Instructions
Soak Dried Fruit
- Add the dried fruit and almond into a small bowl and pour the water with rum extract, if using, over the top. Let the fruit mixture soak while the dough rises. Discard any remaining liquid before adding it to the dough. You can replace the water with rum or brandy if desired.
Proof the yeast
- Combine the lukewarm milk with 2 tablespoons of the sugar and the yeast. Stir to combine and let sit in a warm place for 10 to 15 minutes, or until its frothy.
Make the dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer stir together 3 cups flour, remaining sugar, orange zest, salt, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, softened butter, egg, egg yolks, and vanilla extract. Then add the yeast mixture.
- Using the dough hook, beat until the dough comes together. Add additional 1 to 1 1/2 cups of flour to the mixture or until it dough is tacky and only slightly sticky. I almost always use about 4 1/4 cups of flour in total. Knead the dough for 7-8 minutes. Remove from the mixture, place in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours, or until the dough has nearly doubled in size. The timing will depend on how warm it is.
First Rise:
- Remove from the mixture, place in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours, or until the dough has nearly doubled in size. The timing will depend on how warm it is.
- Remove the dough from the mixer and on a lightly floured surface, knead in the soaked fruit and almonds mixture. You can do this by hand or return the dough to the mixer with the dough hook. You may need to add 1 tablespoon or more of flour, just until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
Shape the dough
- Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with parchment paper or coat with cooking spray.
- Punch the dough down and turn it out onto a floured surface. Divide the dough into equal halves.
- Pat or press the dough into two oval shapes, about 1 inch thick. If using marzipan, roll each piece into a log that measures the length of your ovals. Press it into the center of the oval. Fold the right side over the top of the marzipan toward the left side, about 2/3 of the way so that it's just left of the middle. The right side should not meet the left edge of the stollen. Pinch the ends of the stollen together.
- Using the edge of your hand, press along the length of the stollen, just right of the center, to create a divot and give the loaves that characteristic hump. Then, place each loaf on the prepared parchment-lined baking sheet. If you're not using marizpan, follow the same folding directions, just eliminate the almond paste.
Second Rise:
- Cover and let rise until nearly dough; about an hour. Preheat the oven to 350℉.
Bake:
- Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the bread is golden and reaches an internal temperature of about 190°F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from the baking sheet and transfer to a rack for cooling.
- Let the bread sit for 5 minutes, then while still warm, brush the stollen with melted butter and generously sprinkle with powdered sugar. Pat the powdered sugar into the cracks and crevices. Let cool completely before serving.
Storing
- After the stollen is cool, wrap tightly in plastic and foil. It can be frozen for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
No marzipan or almond paste in this recipe correct? They show adding it in the video…
Hi Brooke, you’re right, there isn’t any marizpan or almond paste in this recipe. I knew they included in the bakery video but was hoping their technique of shaping stollen would be helpful!
Would love to make but instructions after second dough rising seem to be missing something. Fold dough in half? Pictures would be helpful. Otherwise recipe looks great!