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Yeasted Christmas Stollen with Dried Fruit
Instructions
Soak the raisins. Toss them with the rum or orange juice and let stand for 30-60 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the candied peel into 5-7 mm pieces and coarsely chop the almonds. Drain the raisins well. Do not add any leftover soaking liquid to the dough.
Knead the dough. Mix the flour, sugar, salt, cardamom, and instant yeast. Add the lemon zest, eggs, and lukewarm milk. Knead until the dough comes together, then work in the softened butter a little at a time. Continue until smooth and elastic. A slightly tacky dough is fine, so resist the urge to add flour until it feels dry.
Let the dough rise. Cover and leave at room temperature for 75-105 minutes, until noticeably puffier. Rich dough rises slowly in a cool kitchen. Flatten it on the work surface, scatter over the raisins, candied peel, and almonds, then fold it over itself a few times to distribute the fruit.
Shape the loaves. Divide the dough in two and pat each piece into an oval about 22 × 15 cm (9 × 6 inches). Make a lengthwise crease slightly off center with the side of your hand. Fold the narrower side over the crease, leaving a 2-3 cm lip of dough showing underneath. Press lightly along the fold and tuck any exposed raisins into the dough.
Proof again. Set the loaves well apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover and let rise for 45-75 minutes, until puffy but not necessarily doubled. Toward the end of the rise, preheat a conventional oven to 170 °C (340 °F).
Bake. Bake on the middle rack for 35-45 minutes, checking at 35 minutes. If the crust browns before the center is done, cover the loaves loosely with foil. A skewer should come out without wet dough. If using a thermometer, look for about 90-93 °C (194-200 °F) in the thickest part.
Finish the loaves. Melt the topping butter and brush it over the hot loaves. Transfer them to a rack and cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar. You can slice them the same day, but the crumb slices more neatly the next day.
Time, yield, and nutrition
Allow about 5 hours for mixing, rising, baking, and cooling. The raisins can soak while you mix the dough and start the first rise. A cool kitchen may extend the rising time.
Makes 2 loaves, about 10 slices each. Estimated energy is about 280 kcal per slice when the batch is divided into 20 slices. The estimate counts all the topping butter and sugar, including any you do not use.
The base batch makes two loaves. If you double the ingredients, shape four loaves of the same size. Do not double the baking time.
Contains wheat, dairy, eggs and almonds.
Stollen without proofing
For a loaf that does not need proofing, try the yeast-free cottage cheese stollen.
Recipe video: Christmas stollen: shaping and baking
Important: The Russian-language video shows a different stollen recipe. Use the quantities and method in the written recipe above.
Illustrations were generated with AI.
FAQ
Can I make stollen without rum? +
Yes. Use the same amount of orange juice and drain the soaked raisins before adding them to the dough.
Why is the crumb denser than a brioche? +
The butter, dried fruit, and nuts make this dough heavier. A close, even crumb is normal. A gummy stripe of raw dough in the center is a sign it needed longer in the oven.
What if the dough barely rises? +
Give it more time in a spot without drafts if it is slowly getting larger. If it has not changed at all, check the yeast's expiration date and whether the milk was too hot.
Can I make it weeks ahead? +
This home version does not need aging. For serving the next day, cool the loaves completely and wrap them snugly. For a longer make-ahead window, freeze them without their final dusting of sugar. Thaw them wrapped the day before serving, then dust and slice.
Is this authentic Dresden stollen? +
This is a home-style German Christmas stollen without marzipan. It has the familiar folded shape and butter-sugar coating, but it is not presented as original Dresdner Christstollen.
Can I knead stollen without a mixer? +
Yes. Work in the softened butter a little at a time. If the dough is very sticky, let it rest briefly and then keep kneading rather than adding extra flour straight away.
How do I make the distinctive stollen fold? +
Make a shallow lengthwise crease just off center. Fold the narrower side over the crease, leaving a strip of the lower layer visible.
How do I stop the raisins from burning? +
Tuck exposed raisins into the dough before baking. If the crust darkens before the center is done, cover the loaves loosely with foil.
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