Sächsischer Stollen: Christmas bread with candied fruits, marzipan.
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup milk, lukewarm
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup candied lemon peel
- 1/2 cup candied orange peel
- 1/2 cup almonds, chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup rum or brandy (optional)
- 7 ounces marzipan
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Sächsischer Stollen, also known as Dresden Stollen, is a traditional German Christmas bread that hails from Saxony. Rich, sweet, and dense, this festive loaf boasts a luxurious mix of candied fruits, nuts, spices, and a core of marzipan, invoking the warmth and cheer of the holiday season. Each Stollen is prepared with a yeasted dough that is carefully leavened and then kneaded with a generous amount of butter, raisins, lemon peel, and a medley of aromatic spices like cinnamon and cardamom. The dough might also contain almonds, rum, or brandy for extra flavor. Before baking, a log of marzipan is placed inside the dough which, once baked, melts slightly and adds a subtle almond sweetness. The loaf is traditionally dusted with a veil of powdered sugar, simulating a blanket of snow, and is meant to represent the baby Jesus in swaddling clothes. This holiday treat is not just a dessert, but a festive symbol savored during the Christmas season.
Transport your taste buds to the heart of Dresden with this cherished family recipe for Traditional Dresden Christmas Stollen. Passed down through generations and embedded with cultural heritage, this classic German Christmas bread is rich with dried fruits, nuts, and festive spices. The recipe I'll be sharing with you today comes courtesy of Neues Irisches Tagebuch and holds true to the time-honored methods that evoke the warmth of the season and the vibrant culinary history of Saxony.
Ingredients:
- 1 kg all-purpose flour
- 2 packets (14g) dry yeast
- 300g granulated sugar
- 200g almonds, chopped
- 1 pinch of salt
- A few drops of bitter almond oil
- 400g raisins
- 100g candied lemon peel (Zitronat)
- 100g candied orange peel (Orangeat)
- 250g unsalted butter, room temperature
- 250g lard, room temperature
- 500ml warm milk
- Rum, for soaking raisins
- Additional unsalted butter, melted for brushing
- Vanilla sugar, for sprinkling
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
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Prep Time: 30 minutes (plus soaking overnight and resting times)
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: Approximately 1 hour 30 minutes (excluding soaking, resting, and aging times)
Equipment: Mixing bowl, kitchen towel, baking sheet lined with parchment paper, pastry brush
Servings: 2 large stollen loaves
Instructions:
1. The day before baking, soak the raisins in rum overnight to plump them up. Also, remove the butter and lard from the refrigerator to soften.
2. The next day, in a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, dry yeast, granulated sugar, chopped almonds, salt, and a few drops of bitter almond oil.
3. Fold in the rum-soaked raisins along with the candied lemon and orange peels.
4. Incorporate the softened butter and lard until the mixture starts resembling a coarse, crumbly texture.
5. Gradually pour in the warm milk and knead the dough vigorously until all the ingredients are well-incorporated and the dough becomes smooth and elastic.
6. Remove the dough from the bowl and continue kneading on a flat surface. Return it to the bowl, cover it with a clean kitchen towel, and let it rest for one hour in a warm place.
7. Knead the dough again thoroughly, then let it rest for another hour, covered.
8. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
9. Cut the dough in half and shape each half into a traditional stollen form.
10. Place the formed stollen on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover, and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
11. Bake in the preheated oven for about 1 hour. Keep an eye on the stollen and cover with foil if the side with the fold is browning too quickly.
12. Once baked to a golden-brown colour and still slightly soft in the middle, remove from the oven and allow to cool a bit.
13. Generously brush the warm stollen with melted butter, sprinkle with vanilla sugar, then coat with more butter and finish with a thick dusting of powdered sugar.
14. Wrap the cooled stollen in foil and let it sit for at least two weeks to develop the flavors.
15. Slice and enjoy the Traditional Dresden Christmas Stollen with a cup of tea by the cosy light of a candle, while the winter rages outside. A tribute to a mother's legacy and the taste of childhood memories during the holiday season.
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This authentic recipe is inspired by the cooking traditions preserved by Neues Irisches Tagebuch. Find more heartfelt recipes and stories of culinary heritage on their YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@neuesirischestagebuch6767
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Sächsischer Stollen: Christmas bread with candied fruits, marzipan.
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