Stollen is a sweet yeasted German bread bursting with dried fruit and a surprise marzipan filling for a delicious treat at Christmas. I got this recipe while I was head baker at London’s Dorchester Hotel and have been making it ever since.
Preparation Details
Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 40 mins
Total Time: 2 hrs 50 mins
Servings: 15
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- 2 ½ cups bread flour
- ⅓ cup white sugar
- ⅓ cup butter, softened
- 1 large egg
- ½ tablespoon salt
- ⅔ cup diced candied citron
- ⅓ cup currants
- ⅓ cup golden raisins
- ⅓ cup red candied cherries, quartered
- 6 ounces marzipan
- 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Steps
- Gather all ingredients.
- Place warm milk and yeast in a bowl. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
- Place yeast mixture, 2 cups bread flour, white sugar, butter, egg, and salt in a large mixing bowl; stir well to combine. Add remaining flour, 1/4 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition.
- When dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface; knead in candied citron, currants, golden raisins, and cherries. 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 baking sheet. Deflate dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll marzipan into a rope and place in the center of the dough.
- Fold 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.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake stollen 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 and the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.
- Let cool on a wire rack, then dust with confectioners’ sugar and sprinkle with cinnamon.
