Traditional German Christmas Stollen Recipe
Mrs. Kostyra’s Christmas Stollen is a lovely yeast Christmas bread to enjoy on Christmas morning. It's Martha Stewart's beloved mother's recipe and we enjoy it every year. Filled with dried fruits and with a lovely powdered sugar glaze, it's a family favorite!
Servings: 2 large braided breads
Calories: 1111kcal
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.
Notes
*could use dairy-free milk, like unsweetened almond milk
*could use dairy-free vegan butter sticks (I like the Earth Balance brand)
*could soak currants in OJ instead of alcohol to keep this alcohol free
*candied citron and orange peel: If you do not like candied fruits, add more dried apricots or even dried cherries or dried cranberries.
Nutrition
Calories: 1111kcal | Carbohydrates: 347g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 25g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 1281mg | Potassium: 2052mg | Fiber: 14g | Sugar: 118g | Vitamin A: 317IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 484mg | Iron: 6mg