Traditional German Fruit-Stuffed Marzipan Stollen Recipe
Traditional German Stollen is a festive bread filled with dried fruits, nuts, and marzipan, offering a perfect balance of sweet and nutty flavors. This rich yeast bread is soft, fragrant with almond and vanilla extracts, and topped with a dusting of powdered sugar, making it ideal for holiday celebrations or special occasions.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: German
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Dough
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 packet active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
- 3/4 cup warm milk
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
Filling
- 1 cup mixed dried fruits (raisins, currants, candied citrus peel)
- 1/2 cup chopped almonds
- 7 oz marzipan
Topping
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Dissolve Yeast: In a small bowl, dissolve the active dry yeast in warm milk and let it sit until frothy, about 10 minutes, to activate the yeast.
- Make Dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Make a well in the center and add the yeast mixture, melted butter, egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Mix until a dough forms.
- Knead Dough: Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, approximately 8-10 minutes.
- Add Fruits and Nuts: Fold in the mixed dried fruits and chopped almonds evenly into the dough.
- First Rise: Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover it with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 to 2 hours.
- Prepare Oven and Shaping: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Punch down the risen dough and roll it out into a rectangle. Roll the marzipan into a log shape and place it in the center of the dough. Fold the dough over the marzipan and shape it into a loaf.
- Second Rise: Place the shaped loaf on the prepared baking sheet. Cover and let it rise again for 30 minutes.
- Bake: Bake the stollen in the preheated oven for 40 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.
- Cool and Dust: Allow the stollen to cool completely on a wire rack. Generously dust with powdered sugar before serving to finish off this classic treat.
Notes
- For extra moisture, brush the stollen with melted butter immediately after baking and then dust with powdered sugar.
- Use a kitchen thermometer to ensure the milk is warm but not hot, ideally around 110°F, to properly activate the yeast.
- Dried fruits can be soaked in warm rum or orange juice for enhanced flavor and juiciness before folding into the dough.
- Store stollen wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or in an airtight container; it actually tastes better after a day or two as flavors meld.
- Marzipan can be homemade or store-bought; ensure it’s pliable before shaping it into a log.
- You can substitute almonds with other nuts such as walnuts or pecans if preferred.
