Stollen

Stollen is the German Christmas bread. According to Peter Reinhart, in the book, Bread Baker's Apprentice, the shape of the stollen symbolizes the blanket of the baby Jesus, and the colored fruits represent the gifts of the Magi. Dresden is considered the home of stollen and even hosts an annual stollen festival where they unveil a giant (huge!) loaf.

The bread is generously dusted with powdered sugar, and also often filled with a rope of marzipan, a sweet almond paste (I used slivered almonds instead).

The dough is shaped by folding it over a layer of almonds (or marzipan) and then folded again, in a "Z" pattern. Then it is shaped like a crescent to symbolize a blanket in a manger.

Don't let the "drunken" fruit in the bread scare you away. It is not the dreaded fruitcake. Not even close. I loved this version of stollen, especially toasted and buttered for breakfast.

The original recipe calls for a mixture of dried and candied fruit, I substituted all dried fruit, including golden raisins, cranberries, cherries, apricots, and currants, which I soaked in rum.

There are billions of iterations of stollen, but this one is my favorite. I first made this version while baking every recipe in Peter Reinhart's Bread Baker's Apprentice. It was great to revisit the floury, tattered, and much loved pages of the book to bake this bread again.

More Christmas Breads: 

• Gingerbread from Nik Snacks
• Czech Christmas Bread
• Christmas Wreath Focaccia
• Finnish Pulla
• Overnight Panettone
• Pecan Kringle

Stollen

Yield: 24 slices

Author: Karen's Kitchen Stories

Prep time: 1 HourCook time: 1 HourInactive time: 3 HourTotal time: 5 Hour

Stollen is generously dusted with powdered sugar, and also often filled with a rope of marzipan, a sweet almond paste.

Ingredients

For the Sponge

• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup (2 1/4 ounces) unbleached all purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons instant yeast

For the Fruit

• Fruit
• 1 cup golden raisins
• 1 cup mixture of dried fruits such as cherries, apricots, apples, cranberries, and currants
• 1/4 cup rum
• 1 teaspoon orange extract

For the Dough

• 2 1/4 cups (10 ounces) unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 large egg
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup slivered blanched almonds
• Melted butter
• Powdered sugar

Instructions

1. Warm the milk to 100 degrees F and add the flour and yeast. Stir and cover with plastic and let sit for one hour, until very bubbly.
2. In a bowl, mix the fruit, rum, and orange extract, and let sit while you are making the dough.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour, sugar, salt, zests, and cinnamon and whisk to combine.
4. Add the sponge, egg, butter, and water (enough to create a soft but sticky dough. Mix on low with the paddle attachment for about 2 minutes to fully combine.
5. Cover the bowl and let it sit for 10 minutes.
6. Drain the fruit, and add it to the bowl. Use your hands to mix it into the dough.
7. Using the dough hook, knead for about four minutes, adjusting with flour and water to achieve a tacky but not sticky dough.
8. Form the dough into a ball and place it into an oiled bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise for about 45 minutes.
9. On a lightly floured counter, press the dough into a 8 inch by 4 inch rectangle. Sprinkle with the half of the almonds over the top.
10. With a small floured rolling pin, press in the center of the dough the long way and roll the middle out to 1/2 inch thick, but not all of the way to the sides. Leave the long sides thick.
11. Lift one long side, and fold it over the other side, leaving some overlap. Tuck the rest of the almonds inside the fold, and then pick up the overlap and fold it back. The shape sort of resembles a "Z."
12. Place the loaf onto a parchment lined baking sheet, gently press the layers together, and shape it into a crescent. Spray the loaf with spray oil and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise for about an hour.
13. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and bake for 20 minutes. Rotate the pan, and bake for another 35 to 50 minutes, until the interior reaches about 190 degrees F.
14. After removing the loaf from the oven, place it on a wire rack. Immediately brush it with melted butter, and generously sift powdered sugar over it.
15. Cool completely before slicing.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

136

Fat (grams)

4 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

2 g

Carbs (grams)

20 g

Fiber (grams)

2 g

Net carbs

19 g

Sugar (grams)

6 g

Protein (grams)

4 g

Cholesterol (grams)

15 mg

https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2014/12/stollen-twelveloaves.html

Karen's Kitchen Stories

stollen, christmas

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