German Christmas Stollen | Christstollen
After reading all about the English Fruit Cake/ Christmas Cake, let us now travel southwards to my second home Germany to know a bit about the Stollen. Pronounced Schto–len, it is Germany’s answer to the Fruit Cake. It is quite similar in preparation and ingredients but is more like a bread and less dense compared to the fruit cake.
The Christstollen has been around for centuries now. It is a yeasted bread baked with a mix of rum soaked dry fruits, nuts, spices and candied citrus peel. The types vary based on the ingredients used in them. The Dresdner Stollen from the city of Dresden in Germany, is the most popular among the different varieties of Stollen.
The Allegory of the Stollen
Stollen is a word used for a post or boundary stone of a city. This word is also used for the entrance of a mine shaft. The city of Dresden was known for silver and tin mining and it is believed that the Stollen is shaped to remind locals of a mine tunnel entrance, reflecting upon the mining activity in the region.
The early name for the Stollen was Striezel, meaning loaf. In Christianity, a loaf of bread is symbolic of the Body of Christ, and this loaf when dusted with powdered sugar is a representation of the baby Jesus in swaddling clothes and hence the name Christstollen. The aromatic spices that go into it, symbolize the warmth of the Christmas season and the powdered sugar coating is also a depiction of a snow clad Christmas in Germany.
The History
It is believed that the first of this baked delight originated in Dresden in 1329. It started as a bland, hard pastry loaf as the use of butter and milk was forbidden during the Lenten season by the Catholic church. And this continued until the mid- 17th century. Although a petition was made to the Pope in 1329 to lift the ban, it wasn’t until the year 1490 that the ban was lifted by the Pope’s famous “Butterbrief” (butter-letter). This eventually led to the evolution of the Stollen into the enjoyable sweet bread that we get to enjoy today.
It was baked in loaves weighing 30 pounds and traditionally the first piece was set aside and stored by families to ensure they would be able to afford a Stollen the following year and the last piece was saved to ensure they had enough food for the year.
Germany is known for its Christmas markets. They are absolutely beautiful and add to the charm of this season. I have been blessed to experience some of the iconic Christmas markets in the country. The first Christmas market was held in the year 1434 in Dresden. It is known as the Dresdner Striezelmarkt and it features the stollen prominently.
In the mid 18th century, King August II commissioned the bakers of Dresden to bake a giant stollen in celebration of the strength of the military of Saxony. This stollen was baked in a purpose built oven and weighed close to 2 tons! A convoy of horses was used to transport it to the King’s table and cut with a specially made 5-foot long knife.
Since 1994, this event is commemorated at the Dresdner Striezelmarkt on the saturday prior to the 2nd sunday of Advent, as the Dresdner Stollenfest, featuring the country’s largest stollen. The giant stollen is paraded on a horse drawn carriage through the streets and onto the Christmas market, where it is cut using a replica of the original 5 foot knife.
The Mayor, tastes the first piece, after which the stollen is cut and sold, with the proceeds going to charity. This event has been held every year with 2020 being an exception with the cancellation of all Christmas markets due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hopefully, come 2021 I will be able to strike-off the Dresdner Strizelmarkt off my bucketlist.
The Recipe
The recipe I have for you is of a basic Christstollen with Marzipan. Just like the Christmas Cake, it involves, soaking of the fruit. This can be done just before you start making the dough but overnight soaking is recommended.
This is then followed by activating the yeast and then kneading the dough with the mentioned ingredients and resting it for at least an hour to let it rise and double in size. I used a hand held mixer for kneading the dough. The soaked fruit is added to the dough and kneaded until the fruit has been completely incorporated into the dough. It is important to drain out the excess liquid from the soaked fruits, before adding them to the dough.
This dough is then portioned for assembly. The portioned dough is roughly rolled out on a floured surface to a thick oval. A marzipan log is placed in the middle of it. Fold over one side of the dough over the marzipan log and then fold back the other side over the edge of the first fold, just beside the marzipan log. The ends and seam of the dough need to be tucked in.
Then using the back of the hand, the folded dough is gently pressed on either side of the marzipan to form the characteristic hump and divots. The formed stollen is then rested for a final rise until the it appears puffy and then baked till golden brown.
The baked stollen is poked all over with a toothpick and when still warm, melted butter is generously brushed on it. This butter seeps into the holes and helps keep the stollen moist. It is then immediately dusted generously with powdered sugar. Once it has cooled completely, it is dusted again if needed.
Storing
The stollen can be sliced immediately and enjoyed. But, it can also be wrapped tightly in cling film, followed by aluminium foil and allowed to ripen for a couple of weeks, allowing the liquid from the soaked fruits to penetrate further into the dough enhancing the flavour and moisture. It can also be frozen for longer storage and microwaved before serving. I’m sure you will enjoy baking this Stollen!
German Christmas Stollen
Equipment
- Hand-mixer with dough hook
- Parchment paper
- Silicone brush
- Sieve for dusting
Ingredients
For Soaking:
- 90 gms Raisins
- 90 gms Sultanas
- 90 gms Currants
- 90 gms Candied Orange Peel
- 90 gms Candied Lemon Peel
- 80 ml Dark Rum
For the Dough:
- 250 ml Milk, lukewarm
- 10 gms Active dry Yeast
- 100 gms Sugar, divided
- 600 gms All purpose Flour + more, if needed
- ¾ tsp Cardamom powder
- ¾ tsp Nutmeg powder (can substitute with mace)
- ½ tsp Cinnamon powder
- 1 tbsp Lemon zest
- 1 tsp Salt
- 175 gms Unsalted Butter
- 2 tsp Vanilla essence
- 1 Egg, Large
- 2 Egg Yolks, Large
Additional Ingredients:
- Oil (for proofing the dough), as needed
- 90 gms Blanched, Slivered Almonds
- 250 gms Marzipan
For Glazing and Dusting:
- 60 gms Unsalted Butter, melted
- Powdered Sugar, for dusting
Instructions
Preword:
- Soaking of the fruits can be done just before you begin making the dough but soaking them overnight is recommended
Soaking the Fruits:
- Place the raisins, sultanas, currants, candied orange peel and lemon peel in a large enough bowl or air-tight container
- Add the rum to the bowl and give it a good mix
- Cover the bowl and keep aside
Making the dough:
- Add the yeast and about 2-3 tbsp of sugar to the lukewarm milk and give it a good stir and leave it in a warm place for about 20 minutes for the mixture to turn frothy
- In a large mixing bowl, sift in the flour. Add the remaining sugar, cardamom, nutmeg (or mace), cinnamon, lemon zest and salt. Follow this with the butter, vanilla, whole egg and egg yolks
- Add the frothy yeast-milk mixture to the bowl
- Using a hand held mixer with a dough hook, combine all the ingredients at low speed and then knead on medium speed for about 10 minutes
- Once the dough is formed, coat the dough ball lightly with some oil and cover the bowl loosely with cling film
- Place the dough in a warm place and allow it to rise for atleast an hour or until it doubles in size
Assembling the Stollen:
- Punch the dough and make a depression in the middle
- Drain the soaked fruit of any excess liquid and place them in the middle of the dough, followed by the slivered almonds
- Using the hand-mixer, gently knead the dough on low speed until all the fruits are well combined with the dough (add some flour if the dough feels wet and sticky)
- Take out the dough onto a floured work surface, and divide into two equal portions
- Roll out each portion into an oval of about 2 cm thick
- Divide the marzipan into two equal portions, and roll them into logs, slightly shorter than the length of each oval.
- Place the marzipan log in the middle of the dough and gently press it into the dough
- Fold over one side of the dough over the marzipan log and then fold back the other side over the edge of the first fold, just beside the marzipan log
- Tuck in the seam and the ends of the dough
- Using the back of your hand, press the stollen down on either side of the marzipan to create the characteristic hump and the divots
- Place the Stollens on a parchment paper lined baking tray and cover loosely with cling film and rest in a warm place for the final rise for about 60 minutes until they appear puffy
Baking the Stollen:
- Halfway through the fianl rise, preheat the oven (top and bottom heat) to 180°C
- Bake the Stollen for about 40 minutes or until they turn golden brown
- Take the Stollen out of the oven and let it rest for about 5 minutes
Glazing and Dusting the Stollen:
- With the help of a toothpick, poke holes all over the Stollen
- When the Stollen is still warm, give it a generous brushing of the butter
- Immediately dust the Stollen with powdered sugar
- Allow the Stollen to cool completely and then dust it again with the powdered sugar if needed
- Slice the Stollen fresh or wrap it tightly in cling film, followed by aluminium foil and allow to ripen for a couple of weeks, letting the flavour from the dried fruits to soak deeply into the dough
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