Mrs. Kostyra’s Christmas Stollen is a lovely soft yeast Christmas bread to enjoy on Christmas morning. Filled with dried fruits and with a lovely powdered sugar glaze, it’s a family favorite!It’s Martha Stewart’s beloved mother’s recipe and we enjoy it every year.
Originally posted December 3, 2012 and updated December 11, 2022.
A Christmas Stollen, also known as Christstollen in Germany, is a soft yeast bread that is baked and made with dried fruits. It is typically dusted with powdered sugar, however, this recipe is coated with a sweet glaze.
I’ve been dreaming of making this Christmas stollen since I saw it in Martha Stewart Living magazine in 2009. It’s Martha’s mother’s recipe and it looked like it was a good one.
Mrs. Kostyra’s Christmas Stollen
What stopped me from making it year after year? Was it the mace? Was it the braids? I’m thinking it simply had to do with my not taking the time to see what mace is and how it could be substituted. It also was because I didn’t want to try to tackle making pretty braids.
This year I had no qualms about braiding the loaves and I also had no issues with completely omitting the elusive mace. I still have not come across it any of my spice shopping ventures.
Why do we eat stollen at Christmas?
The simple answer is because it tastes good. But the more complicated answer has to do with history and tradition.
Stollen is a traditional German fruitcake that dates back to the 14th century. It was originally made with just flour, water and salt, but over time, bakers began adding in other ingredients like fruit, nuts and spices.
The cake became especially popular during the Christmas season, and it was often given as a gift to friends and family. Today, stollen is still a popular holiday treat in Germany, and it can be found in bakeries all over the world.
When do you use the spice mace?
Mace is often preferred in light dishes for the bright orange, saffron-like hue it impart. Mace’s strong aroma is similar to a combination of pepper and cinnamon.
What can you use instead of mace?
Grated nutmeg would be the closest substitute. Ground all spice could also work but is much stronger.
“Chock-full of dried fruit, almonds, and spices, the German stollen is a dense bread that is traditionally oblong, symbolizing a swaddled infant. The history of stollen dates to 15th-century Dresden, where the first German Christmas market was held (a festival still honors it each year). The bread has evolved since then, gradually becoming richer and sweeter. In this version, a recipe from Martha’s mother, Martha Kostyra, pieces of the dough are braided, letting drizzles of the icing pool in the baked loaf ‘s twists and turns.”
Martha Stewart Living, December 2009
December boozy theme was a fun one for me. I had quite a few ideas in mind and they were all Christmas related. I knew it was time to finally try Martha’s Stewart’s mother’s Christmas stollen. I’d been wanting to make it since I saw it in the 2009 December issue. This was year was the year to bake this beautiful Christmas bread.
I’ve already shown you two stollens here since I started my blog: the first one and the second one. The one I made last year had a funny story with it because I swayed from a recipe I was comfortable with to try a Cooking Light recipe and it just did not turn out well for me. I didn’t give up and tried again with the first recipe that was successful for me the year before and had much better results.
Is stollen the same as fruitcake?
While stollen and fruitcake share some similarities, they are actually two different cakes. Stollen is made with a yeasted dough, which gives it a light and fluffy texture. Fruitcake, on the other hand, is denser and more cake-like in consistency.
What ingredients are needed to make Mrs. Kostyra’s Christmas Stollen?
Here is what you need to make this festive bread:
- all-purpose flour
- granulated sugar
- salt
- ground mace (I used cinnamon instead)
- freshly grated nutmeg
- whole milk, you could sub almond milk if making this dairy-free
- unsalted butter (sub vegan butter sticks if making this dairy-free…like Earth Balance)
- active dry yeast
- eggs
- golden raisins
- dried currants
- Cognac, replace with orange juice if you prefer
- blanched almonds
- candied citron
- candied orange peel
- dried apricots
- grated zest lemon
- Vegetable oil, for bowl
For the glaze:
- confectioners’ sugar
- whole milk, dairy-free milk is fine to use
How do you make this Christmas bread?
First thing after gathering all your ingredients, you 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.
Next step is to 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.
What can you substitute the Cognac with?
If you don’t have Cognac on hand you can substitute it with even brandy. I used a plum brandy the second time I made it.
Can you bake it without alcohol?
Yes! If you aren’t into baking with alcohol, you can just soak the raisins in orange juice and it will still be absolutely wonderful.
What is Mrs. Kostyra’s Christmas Stollen bread recipe like?
The bread was soft and smelled incredible while it was baking. The dough with this recipe was very easy to work with. The glaze gave it a little extra sweetness and it was not overpowering.
My dad told me today that he’s ready for me to bake another one and I told him I would work on it this week. The kids loved it…I loved it. I’d still like to get my hands on some mace and try this recipe again. 😉 This is a recipe that will be made here every year for Christmas.
How do you serve Christmas stollen?
There are many ways to enjoy stollen, but one of the most popular is to slice it and serve it with a dollop of butter or cream cheese. This rich and decadent treat is the perfect way to celebrate the holiday season! It is typically powdered with sugar or covered in a glaze, and sometimes decorated with candied fruit.
What does Christmas stollen taste like?
Christmas stollen is typically made with dried fruits like raisins and cherries, as well as nuts and spices. This combination of ingredients gives the cake a sweet and slightly savory flavor that is simply irresistible.
Happy Baking!
xo
Lora
Some other holiday breads to enjoy:
Source: Martha Stewart
Slightly updated October 2022
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Mrs. Kostyra’s Christmas Stollen
Ingredients
- for the dough
- 5 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour plus more for surface and more if needed
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground mace I used cinnamon instead
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 cup whole milk* warmed, could use dairy-free milk like unsweetened almond mikl
- 5 ounces 1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter, melted could use vegan butter sticks to keep dairy-free
- 1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast from two 1/4-ounce envelopes, dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water
- 3 large eggs lightly beaten
- 7 1/2 ounces golden raisins 1 1/2 cups, soaked in 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
- 5 ounces dried currants* 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons ( soaked in Cognac), could soak in orange juice to keep alcohol free
- 1/4 cup Cognac could soak in orange juice to keep alcohol free
- 5 ounces blanched almonds 1 cup, coarsely chopped
- 4 ounces diced candied citron* 2/3 cup
- 2 ounces diced candied orange peel* 1/3 cup
- 2 ounces diced dried apricots 1/3 cup
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- Vegetable oil for bowl
- for the glaze
- 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 5 tablespoons whole milk
Instructions
- 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.
Heather Schmitt-Gonzalez says
Beautiful, Lora! I've always wanted to make a stollen…it's on my list for this month. AND, I just so happen to have mace in my spice cupboard (lonely, neglected, don't remember why I bought it in the first place)… 😉
Paula @ Vintage Kitchen says
This is a gorgeous bread, but then you´ve made so many in the last months! I can´t believe I missed last months´ theme. Well, will have to make it up. Your pics are great Lora!
Baker Street says
Holy moly! That is nothing short of stunning, Lora! What a gorgeous stollen! I love the picture with the glaze dripping down the sides! Yum! Great theme for december! Can't wait to be back and bake along this month! 🙂
Ma che ti sei mangiato says
Great. I'm a fan of Stollen. I've tried mano versions. My favourite istituto with ricotta. I want to try yours.
Jamie says
Wow beautiful! I've made stollen twice, two different recipes and now I must make this one this year. The texture is more like a brioche or challah which I really much prefer than the normal cakier stollen. Beautiful!
Holly @ abakershouse.com says
I remember this recipe from that magazine! It's been on my list of things to bake too. Thanks for the motivation to give it a try. Yours is gorgeous!
Raquel (Thoughtful Eating) says
That Stollen looks AMAZING!
Lisa says
Oh my gahh, Lora..this stollen is gorgeous! You and Jamie need to open a bakery together! OK..I need to pin the heck out of this baby xo
Lisa says
Oh..BTW..loved Martha's Mom..was so sad when I heard she passed.
~Kate says
This stollen is gorgeous! I've never had stollen before but reading about yours makes me want to try it. Lovely! As for mace, I actually purchased some right at re grocery store. It tastes like mild nutmeg and when I haven't had some on hand that's what I've substituted mace with, nutmeg. Love the theme for this month and can't wait to get working on some boozy bread 🙂
Addie K Martin says
Yay, can't wait to make boozy bread 🙂 I've never had to substitute for mace before but sounds like cardamom or cinnamon (as you did) would work just fine!
Laura Dembowski says
I am also dying to make this. The only thing stopping me is finding the citron. I love citron but don't know where to buy it. Where did you get yours?
The Café Sucré Farine says
This stollen (pronounced schtullen when I was growing up) is reminiscent of my childhood. My mom made stollen every Christmas and yours looks so much like hers, VERY YUMMY! Thanks for sharing this delicious treat!
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
Gorgeous stollen, Lora! I can only imagine how wonderful this smelled while baking!
Sue says
This loaf of bread is GORGEOUS!
Jen Laceda | Tartine and Apron Strings says
Lora, this is a piece of art work! So beautifully done! I haven't really baked yeasted bread before, but seeing your work is so inspiring! I like to eat this kind of loaf, so I just have to get the courage to try something like this!
Barbara | Creative Culinary says
Stollen reminds me of growing up; my Dad bought one every Sunday morning on the way home from church. Maybe that helped all of us kids be quiet; knowing we would have a treat when we got home.
This is lovely…the booze sure doesn't hurt!
Kristina @ spabettie says
I am one of those people who randomly has mace.
This looks so beautiful, Lora – I can imagine the pillowy fluffy oooh… I am at a loss for words now. Perhaps a weekend project for me!
Gina Stanley says
My husband loves stollen, but I've never tried it. I'm thinking it's time to tackle it. Mace sounds similar to Chinese 5 spice. I don't think I've ever looked for it here, but I will. Hope you are having a wonderful week.
-Gina-
Pachecopatty says
One gorgeous stollen Lora and your photos are just dreamy with goodness from this beautiful braided bread;-) I'm glad you finally got around to attempting this wonderful recipe;-)
Lizzy Do says
Wow, this looks fantastic! I'd love to have this on Christmas morning!!!
Valerie says
I'm intimidated by bread-braiding too, but this looks so delicious…I may have to face down that fear! 😀
Gorgeous work, Lora!
www.you-made-that.com says
Gorgeous Stollen Lora! It's a wonderful bread the the holiday season we are in, and I should make this for my foreign exchange student since she is from Germany!
Jennifer @ Delicieux says
Every year after Christmas I think I need to make stollen and then conveniently forget until after Christmas. Your stollen is gorgeous! I don't think I've ever seen mace in the stores, not that I've looked through.
Kate@Diethood says
As always, gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous!!
I don't know what mace even looks like so I'll take the pepper and cinnamon combo! 🙂
Paula says
Beautiful braiding, beautiful loaf. I've never used mace but I have seen it in the stores around here.
Lisa {Authentic Suburban Gourmet } says
Beautiful Stollen Lora! I am always in awe of your bread making prowess! I wish I had the time to make bread – I guess I need to set aside time. Lovely!!!
Jessica @ Portuguese Girl Cooks says
What a beautiful loaf Lora! You make it look very simple!!
Lorraine Joy Alegria-Vizcarra says
The bread looks lovely.
Erin @ Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts says
Gorgeous! I will go for this any day of the week – perfect for the holidays.
Paula - bellalimento says
That is quite a hunk of deliciousness you have there 😉
Brian @ A Thought For Food says
I think I'm going to have dreams of this beautiful loaf. It's like challah on Crack (yes, you can put that quote on the back of your book ;-))
SeattleDee says
What a temptingly gorgeous loaf, and perfect timing for the holidays. You can order mace online from Penzeys
http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeysmace.html
though I'm tempted to use Penzeys Apple Pie Spice mix instead. It is a fragrant and tasty blend of mace, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
Magic of Spice says
This came out beautifully Lora! Perfect for the holidays 🙂
kamrul hasan says
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Jayne says
What a gorgeous stollen! Itlooks lovely and light, Ive found stollen to be quite heavy although I always love it!
Joan says
If you are still looking for mace, Penzys Spices carries it. They have a few retail outlets across the country, but are mainly a mail order catalog. No affiliation, just like their spices and tho't I'd share the thought.
Olivia says
I’ve been making this recipe for 5 years to give to my family at Christmas and it’s my favorite tradition to eat on Christmas morning! Thank you!
Lora says
Hi Olivia-that is so sweet that you wrote to let me know this. I have to buy some raisins so I can make it again for tomorrow! Merry Christmas to you and your family and happy baking! xx
Elisa says
This has been our family favorite Christmas bread for so many years. Making it again and wanted to say how much we love it! Happy Holidays to you!
Olivia says
I’ve been making this stollen for Christmas for about 5 years. It’s excellent and makes delicious toast of you leave off the icing. Like cardamom, mace has its own unique flavor and really can’t be substituted for the same flavor. I can find it in my local high end grocery store so maybe ask around! Thanks for posting this recipe!
Lora says
Hi Olivia-Back when I originally posted this recipe, Amazon wasn’t really a thing (or any online shopping for food stuff, for that matter). So now, something like mace is much easier to find online, if you can’t find it at a specialty market. Really happy you enjoy this Christmas bread so much. Happy Baking! XX
Julia says
Would like to see nutrition information.
Lora says
Hi Julia-Nutrition info has been updated. Happy Baking!
Anne says
I have been making this Christmas bread from your blog for over 6 years. It is a family favorite and it’s not Christmas morning unless we have one ready. Thank you for your hard work and Merry Christmas!