Stollen - European Recipe

Stollen

🌍 European, Dresden, Saxony, Germany Difficulty: ●●●○○

Dresden Stollen has been baked since at least 1474 and was famously gifted to the Saxon Elector in the 15th century.

Ingredients

• 500 g strong bread flour
• 7 g instant yeast
• 100 g superfine sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• 150 ml warm milk
• 150 g butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 200 g mixed dried fruit (raisins, currants, candied peel)
• 100 g marzipan, rolled into a log
• 50 g flaked almonds
• Zest of 1 lemon and 1 orange
• Powdered sugar for dusting
• 50 g melted butter for finishing

Method

1. Soaking — Soak dried fruit in rum or orange juice for 1 hour; drain.
2. Mixing — Mix flour, yeast, sugar, salt, and spice in large bowl.
3. Adding — Add warm milk, butter, and eggs; knead into smooth dough, 10 minutes.
4. Folding — Fold in soaked fruit, almonds, and zests; knead briefly.
5. Proving — Prove dough in a warm place for 1 hour until doubled.
6. Rolling — Roll dough into oval about 30 cm long; place marzipan log in centre.
7. Folding — Fold one side over marzipan and press to seal the classic Stollen shape.
8. Proving — Prove a further 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
9. Baking — Bake 40–45 minutes until golden.
10. Brushing — Brush generously with melted butter while hot; dust heavily with powdered sugar.
11. Wrapping — Wrap and store at least 1 week before eating for best flavor.

Tags: strong bread flour, instant yeast, superfine sugar, mixed spice, warm milk · Source: Observatory Recipe Research Kitchen