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Authentic German Christmas Stollen with Marzipan, Dried Fruits, and Nuts Recipe

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★★★★

4 from 57 reviews

Authentic German Stollen is a traditional Christmas bread rich with rum-soaked dried fruits, aromatic spices, and a soft marzipan core. This holiday favorite is a beautifully dense yeast bread with a sweet buttery glaze and a fluffy powdered sugar coating, perfect for festive celebrations or cozy winter mornings.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Dough:

  • 1 cup lukewarm whole milk
  • 3 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 4 to 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons quality pure vanilla extract
  • Zest of one lemon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground mace (can substitute nutmeg)
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 8 ounces marzipan or almond paste, divided in half (homemade or store-bought)

For the Fruits & Nuts:

  • 9 ounces raisins
  • 3 ounces candied lemon peel, finely diced
  • 3 ounces candied orange peel, finely diced
  • 3 ounces blanched slivered or sliced almonds, finely chopped
  • 1/3 cup quality dark rum

For the Glaze & Dusting:

  • 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
  • Powdered sugar for generous dusting

Instructions

  1. Soak the Fruit and Nuts: Place the raisins, candied lemon and orange peel, and chopped almonds in a medium bowl. Pour the dark rum over the mixture, stir to combine, and let them soak while you prepare the dough to enhance flavor and soften the fruits.
  2. Activate the Yeast: Stir the active dry yeast and 2 tablespoons of sugar into the lukewarm milk. Set the mixture in a warm place for 10-15 minutes until it becomes very frothy, indicating that the yeast is active and ready to use.
  3. Mix and Knead the Dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine flour, remaining sugar, egg, egg yolks, softened butter, vanilla extract, lemon zest, salt, cardamom, mace, and cinnamon. Add the frothy yeast and milk mixture. Stir with a spoon until the mixture comes together, then knead on the bread setting for 7-8 minutes until smooth and elastic. Lightly oil the bowl, return the dough ball, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and place it in a warm spot or barely warmed oven to rise for at least 1 hour until nearly doubled in size.
  4. Knead in the Soaked Fruit and Nuts: Punch down the risen dough and add the soaked fruit and nut mixture, discarding any excess liquid. Knead the dough with the dough hook until fruits and nuts are evenly distributed. Add flour as needed if the dough feels too sticky, aiming for a dough that pulls away from the bowl.
  5. Shape the Stollen with Marzipan: Turn dough onto a floured surface and divide into two equal halves. Shape each half into a 1-inch thick oval. Roll each half of marzipan into a log matching the length of the oval. Gently press the marzipan log into the center of each dough oval. Fold the left side of the dough over the marzipan, then fold the right side over so it overlaps slightly to the left side, creating the classic stollen shape with its characteristic hump. Pinch and tuck the ends to seal the marzipan inside. Place on a lined baking sheet, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let rest in a warm place for 40-60 minutes until puffy. Remove any raisins sticking out to prevent burning.
  6. Bake the Stollen: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the stollen for 30-40 minutes until golden brown and an internal temperature of 190°F is reached. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes.
  7. Butter and Powdered Sugar Finish: Poke holes all over the warm stollen with a toothpick to allow melted butter absorption. Generously brush melted butter all over the surface, then immediately sprinkle powdered sugar liberally, rubbing it into creases and around the sides. Let cool completely, then optionally dust again with powdered sugar before serving.
  8. Store and Serve: Slice and enjoy immediately or wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil to let the stollen ripen in a cool place for up to 2 weeks, allowing flavors to deepen and dough to moisten. Stollen can also be frozen for longer storage. For best texture, warm slices briefly in the microwave before serving.

Notes

  • Using homemade candied citrus peel greatly enhances flavor but store-bought can be used if necessary.
  • Marzipan is traditional but can be omitted if preferred.
  • Ensure the milk is not too hot when activating yeast to avoid killing it, around 100-110°F is ideal.
  • The rum-soaked fruits add moisture and depth of flavor; soak them for at least the dough rising time.
  • Removing raisins sticking out before baking prevents burning and bitterness.
  • Stollen improves in flavor after resting for a week or two wrapped tightly.
  • Freeze fully cooled stollen wrapped tightly for up to 3 months.

Keywords: Stollen, German Christmas bread, holiday bread, marzipan bread, yeast bread, fruit bread, festive dessert

Find it online: https://epicrecipebox.com/authentic-german-christmas-stollen-with-marzipan-dried-fruits-and-nuts-recipe/