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–+ servings

Stollen Bread Recipe

This festive bread recipe brings a rich blend of citrus, spice, and dried fruits wrapped around almond paste for a flavorful holiday loaf. This stollen bread recipe includes a buttery crust rolled in sugar and dusted with confectioners’ sugar for a traditional finish.
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Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 35 minutes
Bulk Fermentation 1 hour
Course Bread
Cuisine German
Servings 2 loaves

Equipment

  • Baking sheets
  • Rolling Pin
  • Plastic bowl scraper
  • Parchment paper
  • Sieve

Ingredients
  

Inclusions:

  • 1¼ cups raisins dark, golden, or both
  • 3 tablespoons candied orange peel diced (store-bought or homemade)
  • 3 tablespoons candied lemon peel diced (store-bought or homemade)
  • ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon dark rum or apple juice
  • ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons slivered almonds toasted

Dough:

  • Prepare Basic Babka Dough separately as directed on referenced page

Flavoring Additions:

  • 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest from 2 lemons
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Filling and Topping:

  • ½ cup almond paste
  • 1½ cups granulated sugar
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
  • Confectioners’ or non-melting sugar for finishing
  • Unbleached all-purpose flour for dusting

Instructions
 

  • Day 1 – Soak the Fruit: In a medium bowl, combine the raisins, orange peel, and lemon peel. Pour in the rum or juice, cover, and let it sit at room temperature for 12 to 16 hours.
  • Day 2 – Make the Dough: Prepare the babka dough. After mixing, stir in lemon zest, vanilla, cardamom, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Drain the soaked fruit (reserving the liquid if desired). Gently fold in the fruit and toasted almonds and mix until evenly distributed.
  • First Rise: Cover the dough and let it rise for about 1 hour, until slightly puffy.
  • Prepare Filling: While dough rises, shape the almond paste into two 8-inch logs (about 2 ounces each). Cover to keep from drying out.
  • Divide and Preshape: Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into two equal portions (~19 oz each). Lightly shape each into a log and rest for 15 minutes.
  • Shape the Stollen: With a rolling pin, flatten each dough piece into a rectangle, pressing a slight trough down the center. Place an almond paste log into the trough. Fold and seal the dough around it, creating a slightly humped shape typical of stollen.
  • Final Rise: Transfer shaped loaves onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, seam-side down. Let rise for 45 to 60 minutes until puffy. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Bake: Bake until deep golden brown and internal temperature hits 200°F—about 35 minutes.
  • Finish: While hot, brush loaves with melted butter and coat with granulated sugar. Cool completely on a rack.
  • Dust and Store: After cooling, coat generously with confectioners’ sugar. Store tightly wrapped at room temp for up to 1 week. If freezing, wait to dust until thawed and ready to serve.

Notes

  • This bread improves in flavor after a day or two—perfect for prepping ahead.
  • The rum-soaked fruit adds depth, but apple juice works well for a non-alcoholic option.
  • Shaping takes practice—aim for a gentle mound shape for that signature stollen silhouette.
  • The reserved soaking liquid can be used in cocktails or other baking projects.
Keyword almond paste bread, bread recipes, Christmas bread with fruit, fruit and nut bread, German holiday bread, homemade stollen loaf, stollen bread recipe, sweet yeast bread with fruit, traditional stollen
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