German Christmas Stollen

Stollen - Bake from Scratch - Holiday

This buttery yeast bread is a German Christmas classic. Studded with rum-spiked dried fruit and filled with homemade marzipan, meet your new holiday addiction, Stollen.

Stollen

Makes 2 loaves

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup (196 grams) dried apricots, chopped
  • 1 cup (144 grams) dried cherries
  • ½ cup (70 grams) golden raisins
  • ½ cup (70 grams) raisins
  • ½ cup (96 grams) dark rum
  • ¾ cup warm water (105° to 110°)
  • 4 tablespoons (48 grams) granulated sugar, divided
  • 1 tablespoon (14 grams) active dry yeast
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 vanilla bean , split lengthwise, seeds scraped and reserved
  • 1 orange , zested
  • cups (490 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon (6 grams) kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon (1 gram) grated fresh nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon (1 gram) ground ginger
  • ½ cup (115 grams) unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ cup (51 grams) slivered almonds
  • ¾ cup Marzipan (recipe follows)
  • 2 tablespoons (30 grams) unsalted butter, melted
  • Confectioners’ sugar , for finishing

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, toss together apricots, cherries, raisins, and rum. Cover and let stand for 12 hours.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine ¾ cup warm water, 1 tablespoon (12 grams) granulated sugar, and yeast. Let stand until mixture is foamy, about 10 minutes. With mixer on medium speed, beat in egg, vanilla bean seeds, zest, and remaining 3 tablespoons (36 grams) granulated sugar. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, nutmeg, and ginger. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture. Add butter, 1 tablespoon (15 grams) at a time, beating until a smooth dough forms, 5 to 8 minutes.
  • Spray a large bowl with cooking spray. Place dough in bowl, turning to grease top. Let stand in a warm, draft-free place (75°) until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead fruit mixture and almonds into dough, discarding any remaining liquid. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes. Divide dough in half. Pat one half of dough into an 8x8-inch square. Divide Marzipan in half, and shape each into an 8x1-inch cylinder. Place one cylinder of Marzipan at one end of dough square, and roll up. Pinch ends under, and place on prepared pan. Repeat with remaining dough and Marzipan. Cover and let stand until puffed, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • Bake until golden brown and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes, covering with foil halfway through baking to prevent excess browning, if necessary. Brush loaves with melted butter, and sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar. Store loaves wrapped tightly in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Marzipan

Ingredients
  

  • cups (216 grams) almond flour
  • cups (183 grams) confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 egg white
  • 2 teaspoons (10 grams) rosewater
  • 2 teaspoons (10 grams) almond extract

Instructions

  • In the work bowl of a food processor, combine almond flour and confectioners’ sugar; pulse until combined. Add egg white, rosewater, and almond extract. Process until mixture holds together. If mixture is too dry, add a bit of water, 1 teaspoon at a time. Store Marzipan wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 1 month.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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6 COMMENTS

    • Hi! Sorry about that. Marzipan recipe is now available underneath the Stollen recipe. Thank you for calling that to our attention!

  1. Thanks! The marzipan filling makes the stollen recipe outstanding! (I make macarons so always have plenty of almond flour on hand.) I hope you will feature macarons in the future.

  2. I noticed that the 2017 Bake from Scratch annual book calls for 2 1/4 C almond flour, so which recipe for marzipan is correct? Both recipes have same gram weight.

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