German Stollen
A festive German fruit bread studded with dried fruit and nuts, wrapped around a marzipan center. This aromatic holiday loaf takes time but uses straightforward techniques to create an impressive homemade gift.
- Total time
- 180 min
- Servings
- 12
- Calories
- 385
- Protein
- 8g
Ingredients
- 3.5 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup whole milk, warm
- 2.25 teaspoons instant yeast
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 7 ounces marzipan
- 1.5 cups mixed dried fruit (raisins, candied citrus peel, dried cranberries) and sliced almonds
Instructions
- 1
Pour 0.75 cup warm milk (about 110°F—it should feel like a comfortable bath temperature) into a large mixing bowl.
- 2
Sprinkle 2.25 teaspoons instant yeast into the milk and let it sit undisturbed for 5 minutes until the surface looks foamy and smells strongly of yeast.
- 3
Add 0.5 cup softened butter, 0.33 cup sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt to the yeast mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until combined.
- 4
Add 3.5 cups flour to the mixture and stir with the wooden spoon until a shaggy, sticky dough forms that pulls away from the bowl sides.
- 5
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead by pushing the dough away from you with the heel of your hand, folding it back toward you, rotating a quarter turn, and repeating for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- 6
Add the mixed dried fruit and almonds to the dough and knead gently for 1 minute until the pieces are distributed throughout.
- 7
Place the dough in a lightly oiled large bowl, turn it to coat all sides with oil, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise at room temperature for 90 minutes until doubled in volume.
- 8
Turn the risen dough out onto the work surface and gently shape it into an oval about 10 inches long by pressing down with your palms.
- 9
Roll the marzipan into a rope about 8 inches long, place it in the center of the dough oval lengthwise, and fold the dough in half over it so the long edges meet.
- 10
Seal the edges by pinching them together gently, then roll the loaf back and forth on the work surface to create a smooth, slightly oval shape about 9 inches long.
- 11
Place the shaped loaf on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let rise at room temperature for 60 minutes until puffy and the surface springs back slowly when poked.
- 12
Set the oven to 375°F and wait until the indicator light signals the oven is fully preheated, about 12 minutes.
- 13
Brush the top of the loaf with water, place the baking sheet on the middle oven rack, and bake for 40 minutes until the surface is golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
- 14
Remove the baking sheet from the oven using oven mitts and let the stollen cool on the sheet for 15 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Tools you’ll need
- large mixing bowl
- wooden spoon
- work surface (counter or cutting board)
- plastic wrap
- lightly oiled large bowl
- parchment-lined baking sheet
- oven
- oven mitts
- wire cooling rack
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