Authentic German Christmas Stollen Bread Recipe in 23 Steps

1) 300 g/10 oz of raisins
2) 30 ml/1 fl oz of dark rum
3) 50 g/1.7 oz of dry yeast
4) 1 tbsp + 150 g/5.5 oz of granulated sugar
5) 100 ml/3.5 fl oz + 400 ml/13.5 oz of cow milk
6) 2 tbsp + 1 kg/35 oz of all-purpose flour
7) 1 tsp of cinnamon powder
8) 1 tsp of cardamom powder
9) 1 tsp of fine-granulated salt
10) 20 g/0.7 oz of vanilla sugar
11) grated zest from a lemon
12) 2 egg yolks
13) 400 g/14 oz + 50 g/1.7 oz of melted butter
14) 250 g/9 oz of walnut core
15) 250 g/9 oz of dried cranberries (you might use instead dried apricot or another dried fruit to your taste)
16) some caster sugar for garnishing

1) place raisins into a small bowl, pour over them the rum, mix to combine the ingredients together, then wait about 6 hours to soften the raisins
2) break yeast into small pieces, place it into a larger bowl, and add over it about a tablespoon of granulated sugar
3) warm about 100 ml/3.5 fl oz of milk up to about 40 C/105 F (just to be lukewarm), then pour it over the yeast into the large bowl
4) sprinkle over milk with two tablespoons of flour, cover the bowl and wait for about 10 minutes to activate the yeast
5) melt 400 g/14 oz of butter over medium temperature, then wait to cool to room temperature
6) meanwhile, sieve 1 kg/35 oz of all-purpose flour and place it into a bowl
7) sprinkle over flour with about a teaspoon of cinnamon powder and cardamom powder
8) add to the bowl salt, powdered vanilla sugar, salt, and lemon zest
9) add to the bowl egg yolks and the ingredients from the yeast bowl
10) pour 400 ml/13.5 fl oz of milk into the bowl and the cooled melted butter, then knead all the ingredients until you get a smooth and non-sticky dough
11) sprinkle some flour on the working surface and knead the dough a couple of minutes more, place it back into the bowl, then cover it with foil and wait about 30 minutes to leaven
12) in the meantime, chop coarsely walnut core with the knife or kitchen robot
13) add walnut and dried cranberries into the raisins bowl, then mix well all the ingredients up
14) place the leavened dough back on the working surface and spread it into a thick sheet
15) place dried fruits over the dough, then fold repeatedly the dough to combine well ingredients
16) put the dough back into the bowl, cover it with foil and wait again for 30 minutes
17) place dough on the working surface and split it into two equal pieces
18) put each dough piece into a loaf pan, cover the pan, and wait for about 15 minutes to leaven
19) place pans into the preheated oven at 180 C/360 F and bake until the cakes are golden brown on top (about 30-40 minutes, less or more, depending on the stove)
20) melt about 50 g/1.7 oz of butter, take the pans out from the oven and brush the stollen with butter until you use it entirely
21) wait to cool the sweet bread to room temperature, then sprinkle over it caster sugar abundantly
22) cover the German Christmas stollen bread with kitchen towels, then place it into a wooden crate (recommended)
23) place the crate into a well-aerated and lukewarm place and wait about a week before serving (if you resist the temptation to taste the German Christmas stollen immediately! )

➡️ Stollen is a traditional German Christmas bread that is usually flavored with cardamom and raisins. The exact origin of stollen is a bit of a mystery, but the first stollen recipes were likely a variation of German sweetbreads that were baked for special occasions. Today, stollen is a popular holiday treat in Germany, where it is often served with coffee or tea. The most traditional stollen is made with yeast, but it can also be made using baking soda or baking powder for a quick and easy stollen recipe.

📖 Read more about the origins of the stollen bread origins here!

➡️ Christmas, the season of joy, is also the season of German Christmas cakes. These cakes are served at Christmas and New Year’s and are often made with fruits that resemble the shape of a tree.

➡️ German Christmas cakes are some of the most decadent desserts you’ll find during the holidays. The cakes are typically heavy and moist with a sweet yeast-based dough and are often filled with chocolate or fruit.

➡️ The Christmas cake tradition comes from Germany, where the cakes are typically served at Christmas Eve dinner to symbolize the birth of Jesus and to celebrate the holiday season.

➡️ The German Christmas cake is a symbol of the Christmas season and is traditionally served with a glass of mulled wine.