Christmas Stollen Made Easy A Butter-Rich Classic Without Orange Peel and Citron
What would Christmas be without Christstollen? This pastry is a staple of a traditional Christmas celebration. The Christmas Stollen, with its thick layer of powdered sugar, is the perfect gift during the festive season. In this post I will show you how to bake my Christstollen recipe quite easily at home, and in a delicious variant without candied orange peel and candied lemon peel.
In This Article:
- What Christstollen Is and Why It Belongs on the Christmas Table
- A Very Old German Pastry and the Butter History Behind It
- My Twist Traditional with Raisins and Cranberries Instead of Orangeat and Zitronat
- Techniques for the Dough and the Crust Step by Step
- Finishing, Aging and Storage for Maximum Freshness
- Rating, Tips and a Helpful Yeast Guide
What Christstollen Is and Why It Belongs on the Christmas Table
The Stollen is a bread-like cake made from sweet yeast dough. The pastry has a high fat content and the classic version is studded with raisins. The Christstollen is a so-called Gebildebrot. The thick layer of powdered sugar on the dough is meant to remind of the Jesus Child wrapped in white cloth. The Stollen is traditionally eaten during the Christmas season.
A Very Old German Pastry and the Butter History Behind It
These basic ingredients belonged in the classic Stollen dough. The addition of margarine, artificial preservatives and flavors has no place in Christstollen. The Christstollen is one of the oldest baked goods in Germany. Its tradition dates back to the 15th century. As a food in the fasting season, the addition of butter was initially strictly forbidden. Therefore the dough at that time consisted mainly of flour, yeast, water and oil. Only through the so-called Butterbrief, an edict from the pope allowing the addition of butter during Lent, did the Christmas Stollen obtain its typical buttery flavor. Nowadays there are countless variations of the classic Christstollen. Marzipan and poppy seeds are especially popular.
My Twist Traditional with Raisins and Cranberries Instead of Orangeat and Zitronat
Traditionally this pastry is made with candied orange peel (orangeat) and candied lemon peel (zitronat). Personally I prefer the traditional Christstollen with raisins. Since I find the slimy mass awful, I replace it with dried cranberries, which bring a slightly tart note.
Techniques for the Dough and the Crust Step by Step
To give the Christmas Stollen its typical shape, there is a technique: the dough is folded, rolled, and then rolled again. In my recipe video I show you step by step how to prepare the Stollen correctly. Click on the video now! The Stollen tastes best after some resting time, so allow it to mellow for a while.
Finishing, Aging and Storage for Maximum Freshness
After baking, brush the yeast dough with melted butter. This seals the pores and helps extend shelf life. The powdered sugar crust provides the signature finish and adds extra protection. Christstollen is traditionally baked in the Christmas season, begin about four weeks before Christmas. It should be stored cool, dry and dark, preferably wrapped in aluminum foil and then sealed in plastic wrap. This depends on the ingredients. Classic Christstollen with raisins is about 2–3 months shelf-stable with proper storage. Caution with poppy seed-stollen: it should be eaten fresh. Stollen with raisins should mature for at least a week. It tastes best when it can mellow for 3–4 weeks. For Stollen you can use wheat flour type 405 or, alternatively, type 550. Do not replace it with wholemeal flour; this requires more liquid.
Rating, Tips and a Helpful Yeast Guide
Please rate this Christstollen recipe by giving it a star rating and leaving me a comment under this post. Many thanks and happy baking. It should not be overlooked: this recipe isn’t difficult, but it takes time. Yeast dough doesn’t like to be rushed. The resting times are decisive for the final baking result. For those who shy away from recipes with fresh yeast, I’ve compiled many useful tips in my guide Hefeteig mit frischer Hefe. In many recipes, raisins are kneaded into the dough at the end. That can cause the dried fruit to burn in the oven later, so I recommend soaking the raisins in hot water and then letting them soak in rum so they absorb liquid without pulling moisture from the dough. The fruit then stays moist and the Stollen stays juicy.
