Stollen, a traditional German Christmas bread, is a delightful treat that is sure to impress your family and friends. With its rich, buttery dough, aromatic blend of spices, and sweet dried fruit, Stollen is a delicious and festive bread that is perfect for any holiday gathering. In this article, we'll explore the best recipe from the Joy of Cooking to create the perfect Stollen, providing you with step-by-step instructions and helpful tips to ensure your Stollen is baked to perfection.
Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!
STOLLEN
German stollen is dense bread that is traditionally oblong, like a swaddled baby. In this version, from Martha's mother, the dough is braided, letting icing pool in the loaf's crevices.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Breakfast & Brunch Recipes Bread Recipes
Yield Makes 2 braided loaves
Number Of Ingredients 19
Steps:
- Whisk together flour, granulated sugar, salt, mace, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Stir in milk and melted butter. Add dissolved yeast and the eggs. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth.
- Drain raisins and currants. Add raisins, currants, almonds, citron, orange peel, apricots, and lemon zest to dough, and continue kneading until incorporated, about 10 minutes. If dough is sticky, knead in more flour.
- Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, 1 to 2 hours. Punch down dough, divide into 6 even pieces, and roll each piece into a 15-inch-long log. Braid 3 logs together, and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining 3 logs. Cover with plastic, and let rise until doubled in volume, about 2 hours more.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake stollen until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Beat together confectioners' sugar and milk. Drizzle stollen with icing just before serving.
TRADITIONAL STOLLEN
Stollen's richness is similar to that of brioche, but dried fruit makes it sweeter and gives it a more interesting texture. Serve this rich holiday treat in thin slices as breakfast bread or with afternoon tea. Like fruitcake, stollen improves with age and can be made up to three weeks in advance.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Breakfast & Brunch Recipes
Yield Makes 4 large loaves
Number Of Ingredients 20
Steps:
- In a small bowl, combine yeast and 1/2 cup warm water, and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. In a large mixing bowl, sift together dry ingredients. Stir in milk and 1 1/4 cups melted butter. Add dissolved yeast and eggs. Turn dough out onto a floured surface, and knead until fairly smooth.
- In two separate bowls, soak currants in cognac, and raisins in orange juice. Let each stand for 10 minutes.
- In a medium-size bowl, mix together currants and raisins with their soaking liquids, the orange peel, lemon zest, citron, apricots, and almonds. Work mixture into dough. Continue kneading for about 10 minutes. If dough is sticky, knead in more flour, but be careful not to overwork.
- Place dough in a large buttered bowl. Cover bowl with a kitchen towel, and let dough rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 1 to 2 hours.
- Punch down the dough, and cut in quarters. Roll each piece into a 12-by-8-inch rectangle. Brush with melted butter, then fold one long side to the center. Fold other long side over first side, overlapping it by 1 inch. Turn dough over, taper the ends, and place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat for remaining 3 loaves, using a second parchment-lined baking sheet for the third and fourth loaves. Cover loaves with plastic wrap; let rise again in a warm place, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
- Heat oven to 350 degrees, with two racks centered. Bake stollen until golden brown, about 35 minutes, rotating the sheets between the racks halfway through baking. Cool on wire rack; dust with confectioners' sugar, and serve.
CHRISTMAS STOLLEN
I got this recipe while I was head baker at London's Dorchester Hotel. It's packed with dried fruit and filled with a marzipan surprise.
Provided by Lee Smith
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European German
Time 3h
Yield 15
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm milk. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
- In a large bowl, combine the yeast mixture with the egg, white sugar, salt, butter, and 2 cups bread flour; beat well. Add the remaining flour, 1/4 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has begun to pull together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead in the currants, raisins, dried cherries, and citrus peel. Continue kneading until smooth, about 8 minutes.
- Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl, and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
- Lightly grease a cookie sheet. Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the marzipan into a rope and place it in the center of the dough. Fold the dough over to cover it; pinch the seams together to seal. Place the loaf, seam side down, on the prepared baking sheet. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C), and bake for a further 30 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow loaf to cool on a wire rack. Dust the cooled loaf with confectioners' sugar, and sprinkle with the cinnamon.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 177.6 calories, Carbohydrate 28.8 g, Cholesterol 24.1 mg, Fat 6.8 g, Fiber 1.4 g, Protein 2.2 g, SaturatedFat 2.8 g, Sodium 306.5 mg, Sugar 17.8 g
TRADITIONAL STOLLEN
This recipe came from my grandmother and was originally written in German. It is one of my favorite treat at the holidays.-Jessie Barnes, Atchison, Kansas
Provided by Taste of Home
Time 55m
Yield 2 loaves.
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the milk, butter, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, salt and 3 cups flour. Add the raisins, candied fruit and almonds. Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. , Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1-1/2 hours. , Punch dough down and divide in half; cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Roll or press each half into a 12x7-in. oval. Fold a long side over to within 1 in. of opposite side; press edge lightly to seal. Place on greased baking sheets; curve ends slightly. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 1 hour. , Bake at 375° for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks. Combine confectioners' sugar and enough milk to achieve desired consistency; spread over stollen.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 244 calories, Fat 8g fat (4g saturated fat), Cholesterol 35mg cholesterol, Sodium 75mg sodium, Carbohydrate 40g carbohydrate (18g sugars, Fiber 2g fiber), Protein 4g protein.
CHRISTMAS STOLLEN WITH ALMONDS & MARZIPAN
Nothing says Christmas like stollen with marzipan. It's a cinch to make, although it does take some time - think of it as a weekend project with the kids
Provided by Claire Thomson
Categories Afternoon tea, Dessert, Treat
Time 2h40m
Yield Cuts into 10 slices
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Soak the dried fruit in 100ml of hot water. Gently warm the apple juice for a few mins in a pan, then add the yeast and leave to activate for 10-15 mins (it will start to bubble).
- Put the flour in a bowl. Stir in the yeast and apple juice mixture to form a smooth dough, then cover and leave to prove somewhere warm until roughly doubled in size, about 1-2 hrs. You can also put the dough in the fridge to rise slowly overnight.
- Drain the fruit and add to the dough along with the nuts, spices and marzipan. Squish everything together, then turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until the fruit stays in the dough.
- Shape the dough into a sausage shape and put it on a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to prove somewhere warm for 30 mins-1 hr until it has risen by about a quarter.
- Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Bake the stollen for 20 mins, then reduce oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2 and bake for 25-30 mins more until golden brown and firm to the touch.
- Remove the stollen from the oven and brush all over with the melted butter. Dust with the icing sugar and leave to cool completely before slicing. Store any remaining stollen, well wrapped, in an airtight container.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 190 calories, Fat 4 grams fat, SaturatedFat 1 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 34 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 15 grams sugar, Fiber 1 grams fiber, Protein 4 grams protein
GERMAN STOLLEN
My family and friends agree that the holidays just wouldn't be the same without this traditional stollen. -Valeria Mauik, Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin
Provided by Taste of Home
Time 1h55m
Yield 2 loaves (14 slices each).
Number Of Ingredients 19
Steps:
- In a large bowl, soak raisins, fruit and currants in apple juice for 1 hour; drain and set aside. , In a large bowl, combine 1-1/2 cups flour, yeast, sugar and salt. In a small saucepan, heat milk and butter to 120°-130°. Add to dry ingredients; beat just until moistened. Add the eggs, zest and extract; beat until smooth. Stir in the almond, fruit mixture and enough remaining flour to form a soft dough., Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. , Punch dough down; divide in half. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll each half into a 12x8-in. oval. Fold one long side over to within 1 in. of the opposite side; press edges lightly to seal. Place on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise until almost doubled, about 30 minutes. , Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks. Dust with confectioners' sugar or combine glaze ingredients and drizzle over loaves.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 214 calories, Fat 6g fat (3g saturated fat), Cholesterol 30mg cholesterol, Sodium 155mg sodium, Carbohydrate 36g carbohydrate (16g sugars, Fiber 2g fiber), Protein 4g protein.
DRESDNER STOLLEN /CHRISTSTOLLEN
Stollen has been sold at the Dresden Christmas market since the 15th century. Each year the city puts on a Stollen Festival to celebrate the food that takes its name from the Saxon city. In imitation of the gigantic Stollen baked in the city in 1730 on the occasion of Augustus the Strong's grand festival of baroque proportions, each year the bakers of Dresden produce a 3000 to 4000 kg stollen. It is cut into half-pound sections and served to the festival visitors. The following recipe won't supply an entire city but the two 12-inch loaves it produces will feed a good-sized family. Based on a recipe from German Traditional Cooking by Tony Schmaeling
Provided by Steve P.
Categories Yeast Breads
Time 4h45m
Yield 2 12-inch loaves, 24 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 19
Steps:
- The 4 hour prep time includes the doughs rising time.
- Place the candied and dried fruits in a bowl. Pour the rum over the fruit, mix well, and let soak for 1 1/2 hours.
- In a small bowl, combine the warm water, yeast, and 1/2 teaspoons of the sugar. Stir and allow to stand for about 5 minutes or until frothy.
- Drain the fruit, setting the rum aside, and dry it on a paper towel. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons flour and allow the flour to become absorbed. Set aside.
- Heat the milk, 1/2 cup of the sugar, and salt in a saucepan, stirring constantly until the sugar has dissolved. Add the rum, almond extract, and lemon rind. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly before adding yeast mixture.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the 4 1/2 cups of the flour with the milk/yeast mixture. Beat the eggs until frothy and add to the dough. Mix in the softened butter. Form the dough into a ball and turn out onto a board sprinkled with the remaining flour. Knead the dough for about 15 minutes or until all the flour is incorporated and the dough is smooth and elastic. Gradually add the fruit and almonds, kneading just enough longer to incorporate them. Place the dough in a buttered mixing bowl. Cover with a towel and let stand in a warm place for 2 hours or until doubled.
- Punch the dough down and divide in half. Let stand 10 minute Roll the halves into 12 x 8-inch slabs approximately 1/2 inch thick. Brush each with 1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter and sprinkle with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the remaining sugar. Fold each strip by bringing the edge of one long side to the center of the strip and pressing down the edge. Repeat on the other side, overlapping the folded edges by about 1 inch.
- Place the loaves on a buttered baking tray and brush the tops with the rest of the melted butter. Let rise in a warm place about 1 hour or until doubled in volume.
- Bake the loaves on the baking tray at 375°F for 45 minutes or until they are golden brown and crusty. Let cool on a wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and cut into 1/2-inch slices before serving.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 270.1, Fat 12.3, SaturatedFat 6.6, Cholesterol 44.1, Sodium 127.8, Carbohydrate 33.1, Fiber 1.6, Sugar 10.3, Protein 5
STOLLEN FROM JOY OF COOKING
Steps:
- In a large bowl, combine warm milk and yeast. Allow to sit 10 minutes until yeast is dissolved. Add 1 cup of the sifted flour and mix to form a sponge. Let sit in a warm place until doubled. Meanwhile, combine cherries, raisins, almonds and citrus peel. Sprinkle a little of the sifted flour over and combine. Set aside. When sponge has sufficiently rested, place butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat well. Beat in sugar and blend until light and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, followed by the salt, lemon rind and rum. Mix well. Mix in the fruit and nuts. Add all the sponge and the remaining flour. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic, adding more flour if too sticky. Cover dough with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk. To shape dough, toss it onto a floured board and divide in two. Pat dough into a rough oval and fold over one third of the dough lengthwise onto the other two thirds. Repeat with remaining dough. Place on baking sheet -one loaf per sheet- and brush with butter. Allow to rise again until almost doubled in bulk. Preheat oven to 350F. Bake loaves for about 40 minutes until they are a dark golden brown.
STOLLEN
Long before the Romans occupied parts of Germany, special breads were prepared for the winter solstice that were rich in dried or preserved fruit. Historians have traced Christollen, Christ's stollen, back to about the year 1400 in Dresden, Germany. The first stollen consisted of only flour, oats and water, as required by church doctrine, but without butter and milk, it was quite tasteless. Ernst of Saxony and his brother Albrecht requested of the Pope that the ban on butter and milk during the Advent season be lifted. His Eminence replied in what is known as the famous "butter letter," that milk and butter could be used to bake stollen with a clear conscience and God's blessing for a small fee. Originally stollen was called Striezel or Struzel, which referred to a braided shape -- a large oval folded in half with tapered ends -- said to represent the Baby Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothing. Around 1560 it became custom that the bakers of Dresden give their king, the ruler of Saxony, two 36-pound stollens as a Christmas gift. It took eight master bakers and eight journeymen to carry the bread to the palace safely. This custom was continued for almost 200 years. In 1730 Augustus the Strong, the electoral prince of Saxony and the King of Poland, asked the Baker's Guild of Dresden to bake a giant stollen for the farewell dinner of the Zeithain "campement." The 1.8-ton stollen was a true showpiece and fed over 24,000 guests. To commemorate this event, a Stollenfest is held each December in Dresden. The bread for the present-day Stollenfest weighs 2 tons and measures approximately 4 yards long. Each year the stollen is paraded through the market square, then sliced and sold to the public, with the proceeds supporting local charities. Although there is a basic recipe for making the original Dresden Christollen, each master baker, each village and each home has its own secret recipe passed down from one generation to the next. There are probably as many recipes for stollen as there are home bakers. The commercial production of Dresden stollen is carefully licensed and regulated to ensure quality and authenticity. Authentic German stollen is usually sprinkled heavily with confectioners' sugar prior to serving. I personally have never liked this topping and choose to drizzle the tops of my loaves lightly with a simple icing (confectioners' sugar mixed with enough heavy cream to reach the consistency of honey).
Provided by Food Network
Categories dessert
Time 3h40m
Yield 1 large loaf or 2 medium-sized loaves
Number Of Ingredients 21
Steps:
- Prepare Fruit: Combine the mixed fruit, raisins, and rum. Cover and set aside. Shake or stir the mixture every so often to coat the fruit with the rum.
- Prepare Sponge: In a large bowl, sprinkle the yeast in the water to soften. Heat the milk to 110 degrees F and add it to the yeast along with the honey and 1 cup flour. Cover the sponge with plastic wrap and let rise until light and full of bubbles, about 30 minutes.
- By Hand: Add the fruit mixture, honey, egg, butter, zest, salt, mace, almonds, and 2 cups of the flour to the sponge. Beat vigorously for 2 minutes. Gradually add the remaining flour 1/4 cup at a time until the dough begins to pull away from the side of the bowl. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. Knead, adding flour a little at a time, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
- By Mixer: In the mixer bowl, add the fruit mixture, honey, egg, butter, zest, salt, mace, almonds, and 2 cups of the flour to the sponge. Using the paddle, beat the mixture on medium low speed for 2 minutes. Gradually add the remaining flour 1/4 cup at a time until the dough begins to pull away from the side of the bowl. Change to the dough hook. Continue to add flour 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough just begins to clean the bowl. Knead 4 to 5 minutes on medium-low.
- First rise: Put the dough in an oiled bowl and turn to coat the entire ball of dough with oil. Cover with a tightly woven towel and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
- Shape and Fill: Turn the dough out onto a lightly oiled work surface. For 1 large loaf, roll the dough into a 9 by 13-inch oval. For 2 loaves, divided the dough in half and roll each half into a 7 by 9-inch oval. Brush the melted butter over the top of the oval(s). Combine the cinnamon and granulated sugar and sprinkle over one lengthwise half of the oval(s). Fold the dough in half lengthwise and carefully lift the bread(s) onto a parchment-lined or well-greased baking sheet. Press lightly on the folded side to help the loaf keep its shape during rising and baking.
- Second rise: Cover with a tightly woven towel and let rise for 45 minutes.
- Preheat oven: About 10 minutes before baking, preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Bake and cool: Bake for 25 minutes until the internal temperature of the bread reaches 190 degrees F. Immediately remove from the baking sheet and place on a rack to cool.
- To serve: Sprinkle heavily with confectioners' sugar just before serving.
- Variation: Between 2 pieces of waxed paper or plastic wrap, roll 3 ounces almond paste or marzipan into the lengthwise shape of half the oval. Omit the butter and cinnamon-sugar filling. Place the marzipan on half of the oval and fold the dough in half. Let rise and bake as directed.
- Notes: One cup coarsely chopped mixed dried fruits may be substituted for the candied fruit. Cover the dried fruit with boiling water and let sit at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours. Drain and use as you would candied fruit. You can also make your own candied fruit and peel. This bread freezes nicely for up to 6 months. If freezing it, do not sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. To serve, first thaw the bread, then bake on a baking sheet in a preheated 375 degree F oven for 7 to 10 minutes. Just before serving, sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.
OLD-FASHIONED STOLLEN WITH ALMONDS
Provided by Mrs. Wadi Williams
Categories Bread Egg Nut Dessert Bake Almond Bon Appétit Kidney Friendly Vegetarian Pescatarian Peanut Free Soy Free Kosher
Yield Makes 2 loaves
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- For sponge:
- Stir 1 1/2 teaspoons lukewarm milk, 1 1/2 teaspoons lukewarm water and 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar in large bowl. Add yeast cake and stir until smooth. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add flour and remaining 1 1/3 cups lukewarm milk and mix well. Cover and let sponge rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
- For dough:
- Mix 3 tablespoons flour with raisins, slivered almonds and candied fruit in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat unsalted butter and sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, cardamom, vanilla and salt. Beat in sponge. Stir in fruit and nuts. Mix in enough remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time to form slightly sticky dough. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, adding more flour if very sticky, about 10 minutes.
- Lightly oil large bowl. Add dough, turning to coat entire surface. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 2 1/2 hours.
- Grease heavy large cookie sheet. Punch dough down. Divide dough in half. Pat each half into 10 x 16-inch oval. Fold in half lengthwise; pat gently. Place on prepared sheet. Cover and let rise in warm draft-free area until almost double in volume, about 2 hours.
- Position rack in lowest third of oven and preheat to 350°F. Bake until loaves are golden and sound hollow when tapped on bottom, about 1 hour. Transfer to rack and cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature. (Stollen can be prepared up to 1 day ahead. Cool completely. Wrap stollen in plastic and store at room temperature.)
ITALIAN MEATBALLS, JOY OF COOKING STYLE
This recipe comes from the Joy of Cooking cook book. These meatballs are tasty and a staple in my kitchen. They are perfect for a quick dinner at home or perfect for entertaining. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
Provided by Julie421511
Categories Lunch/Snacks
Time 35m
Yield 3-4 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Mix all ingredients up to the dried oregano with your hands.
- Scoop out mixture in heaping tablespoons and form into 2-inch balls.
- Dredge the meatballs in the flour.
- Heat in a large skillet over medium heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Brown the meatballs in batches.
- Place in baking pan and cook in a preheated 375 degree oven for 10 minutes.
- Or, if desired finish cooking in the sauce of your choice.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts : Calories 679.6, Fat 39.5, SaturatedFat 13.8, Cholesterol 188, Sodium 1377.2, Carbohydrate 36.9, Fiber 2.9, Sugar 4.4, Protein 42.4
Tips:
- Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment makes mixing the dough much easier.
- Make sure the butter is cold and cut into small pieces before adding it to the dough.
- Knead the dough just until it comes together. Over-kneading will make the dough tough.
- Let the dough rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size. This will take about 1 hour.
- Punch down the dough and divide it in half. Roll out each half into a rectangle about 12x18 inches.
- Spread the filling evenly over the dough. Roll up the dough tightly, starting from the long side.
- Place the stollen seam-side down on a greased baking sheet.
- Let the stollen rise again for about 30 minutes.
- Bake the stollen at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 45 minutes, or until it is golden brown.
- Let the stollen cool completely before slicing and serving.
Conclusion:
Stollen is a delicious and festive bread that is perfect for the holiday season. It is a bit time-consuming to make, but it is well worth the effort. With a little planning, you can have a beautiful and delicious stollen to enjoy with your family and friends.
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