Recipes Nugget Markets Signature Recipes
Stollen
- Prep time
- 30 minutes, plus 2½ hours proofing PT0.5M
- Cook time
- 30 minutes PT30M
- Yield
- 3 loaves
- Difficulty
Laden with dried fruit and marvelous marzipan, this sweet, moist German bread, a true holiday season staple, is prized the world over for a reason! If you want to go the extra mile, you can also make your own marzipan!
Ingredients
Fruit:
- 3 cups candied fruit blend
- ⅓ cup rum
Dough:
- 3½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast
- ¾ cup warm water
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¼ cup nonfat milk powder
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground mace
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 tablespoon citrus zest
- ½ cup sliced almonds, toasted
Filling:
- 1½ cups marzipan or almond paste
Topping:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ cup superfine sugar
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
Preparation
To prepare the fruit, combine the candied fruit and rum, cover and set aside at room temperature for up to 12 hours.
To prepare the dough, weigh your flour, then, using a stand mixer, mix and knead together all of the dough ingredients (except the almonds) to make a smooth, soft dough. Cover the dough and let rise for about 90 minutes.
To prepare the filling, divide the marzipan into 3 pieces and shape each into a flattened 7-inch log.
To assemble the stollen, knead the fruit and almonds into the dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly greased surface, divide it into 3 pieces and shape each piece into an 8x6-inch oval.
Place 1 piece of marzipan lengthwise down the center of each oval, then fold dough over it and press the top edge firmly to seal it to the dough below. Place the loaves on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover them, and let rise for 60 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350°F with a rack in the upper third.
Bake the loaves for 30 minutes, until golden brown and their internal temperature reaches 190°F. Remove the stollen from the oven, and brush with melted butter. After 5 minutes, dust with superfine sugar and powdered sugar. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Wrap airtight and store at room temperature for up to 2 weeks or freeze for longer storage.
Stollen Lore:
Studded with dried fruit and a ribbon of marzipan, this rich, sweet and oblong German bread is the holiday season in edible form. It’s especially woven into the city of Dresden’s history as a regional specialty, with roots established as early as the 1400s. On Christmas Day in 1560, the local bakers gifted the area’s elite two loaves of stollen, each weighing 35 pounds! It took 16 people total to carry them to the palace. Later, a 4000-pound loaf was baked up, as the celebration had grown to a dedicated festival, which meant common citizens got a piece of the action. While we’re not asking you to bake a loaf that big, the desire to have a giant stollen all to oneself is certainly understandable.