This stollen also makes a ‘Perfect Easter’ bread
Klik hier voor de Nederlandse versie
Our Christmas stollen bread recipe is very dear to us. It is not one to impress with an extensive list of ingredients. It is not overstuffed with candied fruits and nuts. No, our stollen is all about flavour and the optimum ratio between filling and crumb and staying true to the taste and traditions we know and love from our childhood. Of course you can add as much succade, chopped cherries, spices and rum as you like, but if you believe in ‘less is more’ you will not regret giving this stollen a chance. For us, baking stollen is part of our perfect Christmas.
In Holland people eat a lot of stollen (known as ‘Kerstbrood’ or ‘Kerststol’) during the festive season. After the holidays most of us can’t stand the look of it at least til Easter, when the same type of bread is offered again as Easter bread (‘Paasbrood’).
The secret to a good Stollen: the best ingredients for fragrant soft bread, the best home made almond paste and the right bread to filling ratio!
There are a few ingredients from the list, the sweetener and the almond paste, that are best made in advance. You can make them many weeks before baking day and they will not deteriorate.
Ingredients for Stollen
Makes 1 stollen of about 800 g
250 g all purpose flour (we use French type 55)
135 g lukewarm milk*
7 g instant yeast or 21 g fresh yeast
5.5 g salt
1 egg yolk
40 g butter, softened
15 g ‘sweetener'(orange and lemon zest sugar)
180 g dried fruits equal parts, raisins, currants, cranberries, soaked and dried
150 g almond paste combined with 1/2 a small egg or one egg yolk (see recipe here)
melted butter for brushing
icing sugar for dusting
*Please note that the amount of liquid may vary. Depending on the type and brand of flour you use, you may need less or more.
Before you start
Prepare your dried fruits by soaking them in hot water for 15 minutes (if you want you can also soak them in water with added rum or other liqueur of choice). Rinse them and leave in a sieve above a bowl to let excess water drip off. Set aside.
You need to prepare a mixture we call ‘sweetener’ which gives the dough it’s distinctive and pleasant taste. For this you mix 45 grams of sugar with the zest of 1 unwaxed lemon and one unwaxed orange. You can store this mixture in your fridge, it will keep for a long time.
Prepare your almond paste (find almond paste recipe here) by combining it with half a small beaten egg until completely absorbed, add the egg in stages until you get the right consistency. You can also add only the egg yolk if you want to make it even richer. The almond paste should be lovely smooth and supple, not too wet not too dry. Of course this is a matter of preference. It’s a bit sticky, but this ‘kneading the egg through the almond paste’ job is best done by hand. We like it smooth enough to reach a consistency that allows for the almond paste to be smeared on the bread itself after baking. Set aside.
Making the stollen
In a bowl combine half the flour (125 g), all the yeast, the egg yolk and lukewarm milk. Mix well with a dough whisk, cover and let stand for 30 minutes. Then add the remaining ingredients (except for the dried fruits!) and knead for 5 to 7 minutes with a standing mixer or about 10 to 14 minutes by hand. The aim is to get a smooth, supple and satiny, ever so slightly sticky, dough with good gluten development.
Now add the prepared dried fruits (if you want you can also add other stuff like nuts and candied peel at this stage) and carefully work it through your dough so it’s evenly distributed. If your fruit mixture is a bit wet you can sprinkle on some flour before adding it to the dough.
The ideal temperature of your dough should be around 25 ºC / 77 ºF (see our article on dough temperature)
Form the dough into a ball, place in a greased bowl, cover and let it rest for 20 minutes in a warm, draft-free environment. We use our small household oven as a proofing cabinet by preheating it to 30 ºC / 86 ºF, turning it off before putting the dough in.
Flatten the ball into a disc, roll into the shape of a loaf, cover and let it rest again for 20 minutes in a warm, draft-free environment.
Now flatten the loaf with a rolling pin, making sure to leave the edges a little thicker and also leave the top half of the dough a little thicker than the bottom half. Make a sausage shape out of the almond paste, just a tiny bit shorter than the length of the bread and place it in the middle. Fold the dough in half, making sure the thicker edges land against each other, the top edge lands more on the thinner center section. Now press the dough between the bump of the almond paste sausage and the thicker outer edge down firmly. At this point it is wise to place the stollen on the baking sheet that is also going into the oven, so you don’t have to move or touch the stollen anymore.
Preheat oven to 190 ºC / 375 ºF
Now it is time for the final proofing. Depending on the temperature of your dough and surroundings, this should take at least 40 minutes to 1 hour. Make sure the bread is fully risen before it goes into the oven. When you think it has risen enough, use your finger to carefully make a very small dent in the dough. If the dent remains and you feel no resistance at all anymore, the bread is ready to bake, if the indentation disappears, the dough needs more time. With this type of bread, we dare you to take it as far as possible with this final proofing, so the bread will be light and fluffy!
Bake the stollen in the preheated oven for 35 minutes until golden brown. Keep a close eye on your stollen, if the browning process goes too quickly you can temper your oven to 160ºC / 320ºF, about 20 minutes into the baking process and/or protect it with some aluminum foil. Leave the stollen to cool on a rack for 10 minutes then brush it with some melted butter. Alternatively you can lacquer it with warm apricot jam. When it is completely cooled you can dust it with icing sugar. We like to eat our stollen with fresh dairy butter.
Alternatively you can brush the stollen with an egg mixed with a tablespoon of water and decorate with almond shavings before it goes into the oven. Watch closely again, so the almonds will not burn. Cover the top with aluminum foil when you think they have the right color.
Happy baking and merry Christmas!
PS: Baking to impress? Bake a big stollen by doubling the ingredients. Of course you also have to adjust your baking time. A big stollen will take 45 to 48 minutes to be ready to wow your family and friends! But be sure it fits in your oven. It can be up to 50cm wide!
Briana says
I baked this today without the almond paste and it’s a touch dry. Will it still keep for several weeks or should I attempt another loaf for Christmas?
Weekend Bakers says
Hello Briana,
First of all we would advice to bake a fresh loaf for Christmas. It may very well be that the flour you use requires a bit more liquid to get the right result. Secondly do not over-bake the loaf because that will also have the effect of making it drier.
Some stollen, that are more filling than bread, keep for longer, especially store bought ones with all kinds of preservatives. This stollen is best when fresh and if you want to keep it for longer, we would advice to keep it in the freezer.
Happy baking and happy Christmas!
Alice says
Normally, ingredients are listed in recipes in the order that they are added so I was just wondering if your intention was for the salt to be combined with the first 125 g of flour or after adding the milk so it will start working with the yeast. I made this last year but I think I just followed the recipe as written. It turned out perfect though and delicious. I am just curious.
Weekend Bakers says
Hi Alice,
The first phase with the 30 minute rest is just combining half the flour (125 g), all the yeast, the egg yolk and lukewarm milk. This way the yeast gets a ‘head start’ and initial development is not inhibited by the salt. So salt is added with the rest of the ingredients (except fruit and other filling of choice) after this 30 minute period.
Thank you for making our recipe and great to read it was a success!
Happy holiday baking and seasons greetings from Holland ,
Marieke & Ed
Linda Raby says
HI, this is a brilliant recipe. Have just made this for New Year’s Eve, we are going to eat it warm with brandy butter. The stollen size is perfect, too many recipes assume households of biblical proportion. Thanks, again. Linda, London.
Weekend Bakers says
Hi Linda,
Thank you, so glad you mention this! Yes we are more modest with the amounts and this size has proven to be perfect for many occasions, also as a gift. We have to say making a double one is also fun if you want to impress a larger party 🙂
Brandy butter, even better than the plain dairy butter we use of course!
Hope you enjoyed the festivities and wishing you lots of baking bliss in 2017.
Marieke & Ed
elizabeth grieve says
HAPPY CHRISTMAS
I have made your stollen in fact I made three!! They are absolutely delish I added dried cranberries sour cherrieqs and apricots Adding the fruit was a bit of a challenge but got there in the end I then discovered the cranbery rondo recipe and made them for friends visiting They are delish too My friends then went on to make them for their families too
Thank you from Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland
Weekend Bakers says
Hi Elizabeth,
Thank you for your wonderful comment. So great to read our recipes are embraced by you and your friends too! You are right about the challenge of adding the fruit, first you think it seems too much but when the bread is finished you see it can take it easily and the ratio bread to filling is still ‘modest’.
One other recipe that we love as a variation on the stollen that you might like too are the stollen bollen, with a hint of cinnamon and optional cherries too: www.weekendbakery.com/posts…en-bollen/
Wishing you a very happy and healthy 2017 with lots of baking and sharing!
Greetings from Holland to beautiful Scotland,
Marieke & Ed
Anneke says
Born to Dutch parents in Rotterdam, i immigrated to Canada as a small child. My mother often baked krentenbrood, and even banketletters, and gevulde koek. But never stollen. The first time I tasted this was when I was in my thirties when I received a store bought German-made one as a gift. I really loved it and usually bought one each year as a treat for Christmas. And yes, it is delicious toasted! However this year, I am truly “retired” so I decided to search for a doable recipe. When I came across yours with it’s Dutch leanings, I decided to try it. Although in Canada we usually bake using volume measurements as opposed to weights, I own a kitchen scale and decided to follow the directions exactly. As we speak, the dough is into its second proofing. So far, I found that the amount of fruit (180gm) was far more than I could incorporate into the (small) dough ball. I am curious to see how it will be once completing the subsequent proofs. I’ll keep you updated and let you know how it turns out!
Anneke says
I was amazed at how much the loaf grew with subsequent proofings, and during baking. I ended up very pleased with the final result; it probably is the best tasting and looking stollen I’ve ever had. It was well worth the prolonged effort, and next time I will make it with more confidence with the benefit of experience! Thanks for the recipe! Have a Merry (and delicious) Christmas!
Weekend Bakers says
Hi Anneke,
Just read your comment. So glad you persevered! Yes, it seems like a lot of filling, but indeed, this is how it should be (even more is possible too).
Thank you for making the recipe and so glad we could be part of hopefully a new family tradition that also bring back fond memories.
May we also suggest making krentenbollen 🙂 www.weekendbakery.com/posts…isin-buns/
And maybe some appelflappen: www.weekendbakery.com/posts…ff-pastry/
These can also be made with store bought puff pastry if pressed for time, if the quality is good enough, they are still very good!
Happy baking in your beautiful Canada,
Marieke & Ed
Richard Olykan says
Good morning
When and how do you mix the butter in this recipe.
Kind regards
Judie says
Put your butter into the warm milk. The butter will soften. If you have proofed the yeast, add the liquids to yeast and follow the directions from there.
Weekend Bakers says
Hi Richard,
We usually incorporate the butter directly after adding the other remaining ingredients, as soon as the dough comes together. But with this amount of butter is not so important, if soft enough, you can also just add it together with the other ingredients. But unfortunately we would not advice to put it in the warm milk in the first phase of the recipe like judie suggested , because it will inhibit the working of the yeast.
Happy holiday baking!
Helga Stintzcum says
I grew up in Germany. My mother always baked several large stollen for Christmas, but she never put almond paste in hers. In fact, I don’t know of any German recipes that call for it. It must be exclusively a Dutch custom.
Weekend Bakers says
Hi Helga,
This December we watched a German TV program called ‘Deutschlands bester Weihnachtsbäcker’ (Germany’s best Christmas baker) a competition for professional bakers and in the program they said that some regions use a marzipan filling and some don’t. Marzipan is very much like almond paste only the first is made with icing sugar and the second with caster sugar.
And indeed in Holland all stollen are filled as far as we know, otherwise we would call it something else probably.
A good last few days of December and a very happy New Year!
Ed & Marieke
Judie says
I agree with you. I have been making stollen from a family recipe for 40 something years. Never heard of marzipan or almond paste. The old family recipe called for suet which I used in the past. No more though because you have to get it at a meat market which is not easy to find anymore. Stollen was very good when made with ground suet.
Weekend Bakers says
Hi Judie,
Yes, suet really is something that our grandmothers used and most people nowadays do not know anymore or if they know what it is (animal fat from around loins and kidneys) they would not want to use it. But we do see it being used sometimes on British TV in certain pies.
Gonny says
Hi, I am confused, your recipe states 135 g milk? Is this grams, seems strange to weigh a liquid or should it read 135 ml milk?
Thank you.
Weekend Bakers says
Hi, 135 g is correct, although 135ml will work ok. However measuring liquids by weighing is not much stranger than measure solids by volume (cups, tsp, tbsp etc.) 😉 Measuring by weight is more exact than measuring by volume.
Susan says
Hi Ed and Marieke,
Do you by any chance have a Panettone recipe that you can share with us?
All you recipe that I have tried have turned out very well. I have tried several Panettone from the web and none of
them are quite up to expectation.
Thanks,
susan
Weekend Bakers says
Hello Susan,
We are busy with a recipe of our own, but it takes some time before we are satisfied and are ready to share the results. At the moment we are simply too busy to fit in all the activities that are on our list, including testing recipes and adding new ones. But it is the thing we love most so we really try to find the time for it.
Ed & Marieke
Michelle says
Panettone
14 g dry yeast (2 sachets)
80 ml milk, warmed
380 g bread flour, plus more for surface
50g caster sugar
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 + ½ tsp coarse salt
300 g unsalted butter, (softened to room temperature, not melted).
½ tsp pure almond extract
½ tsp pure orange extract
120 g candied (glazed) orange peel, diced (optional)
180 g golden sultanas (optional)
Sliced almonds for sprinkling
1 large egg for egg wash
Pour the warm milk into the bowl of a mixer fitted with the dough-hook attachment, Immediately sprinkle the yeast, 60 g of the flour and 1 tbsp of the sugar over the top and give it a quick stir. Cover with plastic and let stand for 1 hour.
When ready, add the remaining flour and sugar, the eggs and the salt. Mix together on medium speed until dough forms a smooth, stiff ball, about 5 minutes. Now add the butter, 1 tbsp at a time, mixing well after each addition. Now mix on medium-high speed for 5 minutes. Reduce speed to low, and add the extracts (make sure they are pure extracts, nothing artificial), orange peel, and raisins. Mix until combined and then transfer dough to another lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic, and refrigerate overnight.
Bring dough to room temperature, and divide in half. Form each half into a ball; place each in a paper panettone case. Transfer to a baking sheet.Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 175°C or 160°C if fan forced
Brush the panettone very gently with beaten egg and sprinkle with almonds. Bake until golden brown, roughly about 45 – 50 minutes, depending on your oven. Remove panettone from oven, and run two wooden skewers, horizontally, side by side and about half way up through each panettone loaf. Hang loaves upside down by propping the ends of the skewers on tall canisters or cans. Let them cool completely in this way to avoid “fallen” panettone. Bon Appetite!!
Weekend Bakers says
Maybe you have seen our panettone recipe already Susan? You can find it here: www.weekendbakery.com/posts…e-project/
Susan says
Hi both,
I baked this over the weekend and it turned out great. I am a shame to say that I used supermarket marzipan, albeit the best in the market, and it turned out quite well. Would it be alright to have a smaller roll/sausage of marzipan and I add some marzipan cut into small cubes and scatter it all over together the dough together with the dried fruit?
Does this Stollen, like the bread, have to sound hollow when I tap it to ascertain that it is properly baked? Mine came out a little dry because I was waiting to hear the hollow sound!
All your recipes are great. Am going to try a new recipe each week. Have done 4 already!!!
Thanks,
Susan
Weekend Bakers says
Yes, you can add marzipan to the bread that way, no problem. Just make sure the marzipan you buy is good quality that consists of almonds and sugar and not some ‘bean’ substitute, that would be a shame.
We never tap the stollen to make sure it is done. You just have to start at the baking time the recipe indicates and, based on trial and error and experience with your own oven, come to the right baking time. So based on what you tell us, next time a few minutes less and see if you like the result better.
Good luck with it and enjoy the stollen!
Teresa Teague says
I just want to say I love you guys!
Everything thing I’ve made so far has been wonderful.
I started with your sour dough starter which was a great success and have made several loaves of sour dough bread.
My friends can’t believe I’m making such delicious bread without commercial yeast.
Thank you so much for sharing your recipes and providing such detailed instructions.
I never had such excellent results until I starting using your recipes. I feel like I’ve hit the jackpot here.
Sincerely,
Teresa
Weekend Bakers says
Thank YOU Teresa for such wonderful feedback. So glad to be sharing recipes and methods that seem to be working well for other bakers too. Very happy about it!
Have a lovely Holiday baking season,
Ed & Marieke
Teresa Teague says
Greetings!
I wanted to let you know that I have kept my sour dough starter alive and well for just over a year. It smells wonderful and fruity. I did not bake much bread for several months this summer but routinely fed my starter though I sometimes went 2 weeks without feeding. It didn’t hurt it one bit.
Winter is here and it’s 28 degrees outside and I’m ready to start baking again.
More sour dough and trying the Panettone and Stollen this year too.
Thanks again!
Weekend Bakers says
Great Teresa. Hope you will let us know how the Stollen and Panettone turn out.
Happy Holiday Baking!
Ed & Marieke
Liz wilson says
Hello lovely weekend bakery…could you tell me how long this will keep for after baking (if I don’t eat it all) ? Does it freeze well?
Thank you
Liz
Weekend Bakers says
Hello Liz,
Yes, we think it freezes well and it is our preferred way of keeping ‘leftover’ stollen. If you store it in a bag in a bread bin it will keep for about a week but of course it will lose some of its freshness (slightly warm it in the microwave can also give it a helping hand when it goes stale). There are types of stollen (German style) that are more filling than bread that will keep for many weeks, but this type we think is best when fresh.
Happy Holiday baking!
Ed & Marieke
Liz wilson says
I didn’t freeze it. I ate it. It is so good. Thank you.
Happy festive baking to you too
Liz
Weekend Bakers says
Sounds like something we would do 🙂
Judie says
Try toasting stollen. Very good.
Weekend Bakers says
Never tried that Judie, but why ever not.. sounds like a great thing to try.
Thank you for this tip and happy Holiday baking!
Ivan Bendl says
Do you still have stollen for sale, for delivery to Bondi Junction ? Please advise.
Weekend Bakers says
Hello Ivan, we do not sell stollen online. We only bake for ourself and family. Try using the recipe to bake a stollen yourself! Happy baking!
Barbara King says
Friends asked if I could make stollen so have searched for a recipe similar to the bread he had purchased from Germany. I’m going to try.
Thank you
Cornelia says
Excellent kerst-stol. I made one just a week ago to check out if I could make one for X-mas! It just came out of the oven. Now we hope it will survive long enough to make it to our traditional Christmas breakfast table. Just one question. I am baking my bread in a conventional home oven and by covering the top during baking I get a very nice crust on the top of my breads (not too thick not to thin) but the bottom is still too thick. Any suggestions how to solve this problem?
Fijne feestdagen en een gelukkig nieuwjaar gewenst!
Cornelia
Weekend Bakers says
Hello Cornelia, thanks for your lovely comment. You can bake it inside a cast iron pan, you preheat the oven with the pan inside, and then put the bread inside this very very very hot pan and put the lit on top. Please be careful not to burn your hands! Also you can use a pizza stone on a rack within your oven. This should improve the crust. Happy baking!
Ralph says
This looks just like my (Dutch) mom’s old recipe. I’m living on a small island in the Caribbean now but this will be a perfect way to bring some ‘Nederland’ to our Christmas here! Will let you know how it goes 😉
Juliana says
Hello Ed and Marieke,
I am trying your recipe, but I am not sure how to adjust it because I only have access to active dry yeast and not to instant yeast, can you guide me please? Thanks 🙂
Weekend Bakers says
Hello Juliana, active dry yeast and instant yeast are more or less the same. Using active dry yeast it takes about 15 minutes for the yeast to get active, instant yeast will become almost direct active within your loaf. When using active dry yeast you may have to add 15 minutes to the final proofing time, but let your eyes and touch be your guide instead of the time! Happy baking!
Ellen van Schaik says
Goedenavond,
Ik zou graag willen weten welke afmetingen de ovale deeglap heeft en welke dikte voordat de amandelspijs erin gerold wordt.
Hebben jullie misschien enig idee hoe hoog de kerststol wordt als deze gebakken is dan kan ik dit vergelijken.
Alvast hartelijk dank voor het antwoord.
Groetjes,
Ellen van Schaik
Weekend Bakers says
Hallo Ellen,
Je stelt goede vragen. Ik moest er even over nadenken want ik maak vaak een dubbele versie van dit recept, maar ik heb wel een antwoord voor je. De deeglap is ongeveer 30 x 30 cm waarbij het midden dunner is (denk 1 cm) en de uiteinden dikker zoals je op de foto ziet. De gevormde stol is dan tussen de 30 en 34 cm lang, 14 tot 16 cm breed en ongeveer 8 tot 10 cm hoog.
Ik hoop dat dit een goede indicatie geeft.
Succes ermee en vooral veel bakplezier!
Marieke
Ellen van Schaik says
Dank je wel, Marieke.
Het valt nog niet mee om een goede stol te vormen, maar we houden moed.
Groetjes van Ellen
Madlaina says
I grew up in Switzerland and my German grandfather, who used to be a ‘Konditor’ would always send us a care packet for Christmas with various types of maccaroons, hazelnut cake and of course Christstollen – all home made. Sadly my grandfather passed away many years ago, so this tradition stopped. When I emigrated to Australia it became difficult to get my hands on Stollen, although it is now becoming popular here too. I have made my own Stollen a couple of years ago using a different recipe and the result was acceptable, but nowhere near as good as I remember from my childhood. I am looking forward to trying your res
Weekend Bakers says
Hello Madlaina,
Thank you for your comment. I am guessing our stollen will be different from the one you remember from your childhood, but I hope you will try it and like it anyway because it is truly delicious. The German stollen tends to be more compact, but you could adapt this version by adding more filling and different ingredients for the filling.
Happy stollen baking!
Marieke
Hanaa says
This Kerststol looks wonderful. I’ve only attempted it once (different recipe) and it was really dense. I don’t like to waste food so I turned them into biscotti by baking the sliced bread 🙂 Your pictures and recipe sound really easy. I’m surprised you don’t even need a starter with this recipe. I’m very tempted to make it again. What would you say the difference is between a Kerststol and Panettone? Does Panettone have more sugar/butter?
Fijne feestdagen nog!
Weekend Bakers says
Hi Hanaa,
Yes it does, much more, as far as I know. But of course you have to take into account that there are hundreds of different recipes for stollen and panetonne all over the world, each family and each baker having their own traditions and preferences.
I think the panetonne is closer to a brioche dough than the stollen. We like the fact that there is a lightness to our stollen bread, in combination with the heavy paste, but it is very easy to modify and again make your own version of it, with more ingredients / filling, spices and liquor.
Fijne feestdagen en een heel gelukkig 2014!
Marieke & Ed
Jess says
WOW! I made this for Xmas and this is the BEST stollen ever! Moist, rich, light and perfectly balanced. I soaked my fruit (including cranberries and dried apricots) in Cointreau for 3 days and added 1/2teaspoon cinnamon and a couple of grates of nutmeg to the dough. To reduce the amount of work on xmas day I put the dough to proof in the fridge overnight, and the final rise was around 1 hour. Came out with a fabulous crumb with a good complex flavour.
Weekend Bakers says
Hi Jess,
Sounds you also baked it perfectly, reading your description. Your additions sound delicious, I love a hint of nutmeg too.
Happy baking and a Happy New Year!
Marieke
Yang says
Hey Marieke,
I’m making your stollen this year and I’m sure it will be loved by everyone. I’m sorry that I havent replied to all your kind messages. I tried before but the inernet just failed me way too many times. I’ve been making all the wonderful breads on your website and they all come out great! Will send you the results after the holiday. Everything’s getting crazy, too busy! Merry Xmas and thank you for all your kind sharing! Wish you a happy new year too, in case I wont be able to come over to say that. Will go on following your baking next year . xxx
Yang
Weekend Bakers says
Hello Yang,
Maybe we will be making stollen together then, but in different parts of the world. That is a nice thought. Would love to see the result of course! Happy to keep on sharing, also in the new year.
Happy Holidays, Happy Baking and best wishes,
Marieke & Ed
teagan Kuling says
Hello, thanks for the great recipe!
I have one question about the sweetener… I know you explained it in the instructions but I am wondering if you are required to boil down the sugar and add the zest so it is a liquid sweetener. I am assuming this because you say to store it in the fridge after (cooling) and that it is good to make far in advance.
Weekend Bakers says
Hello Teagan,
You do not have to boil it. Just combine sugar and zest. The sugar acts as a preservative so the zest will keep longer too. Storing it in the fridge I think is the best option to make double sure it will keep a long time (but not indefinitely of course because over time it can lose its fragrance but you can easily use it for several months).
Happy Holiday baking,
Marieke
Bill in UK says
By the way. Am thinking of having some of my @hopebake customers round for a “make a Stollen” session where they all through some dough aroung and each take one home. I imagine mulled wine and mince pies will be involved…..
Weekend Bakers says
….and that sounds awesome, wish we could be there to join the fun baking and eating and being merry :O
Let us know how it goes please!!
Happy Holiday Baking,
Ed & Marieke
Bill in UK says
Lazy lot, none of them could make it so I made a batch and sent them out anyway. Came out very nicely and no sinking this time so they are nice and light. Stuck toasted almody slivers on with warmed apricot Jam AFTER baking then covered in icing sugar.
Weekend Bakers says
Hi Bill,
I bet they are all gone now?!
Lovely with the warmed apricot jam!
Have a marvelous New Year!
Marieke
Bill in UK says
Made 3 of these today for my wife’s school cofee morning. They were great but shrank a bit after being baked. Any thoughts? Flour too week? Not enough development in the dough? Over risen?
Thanks
Weekend Bakers says
Hi Bill,
What flour did you use? It is OK for the crust to shrink ever so slightly after baking , as long as the inside is more or less as you see in the pictures. You say it shrank after baking so I do not think the dough was over risen. Maybe a bit under developed. Did you check the temp of the dough and / or test with your finger so the proofing got to the point were there was no resistance in the dough anymore? The other proof would be in the eating of course. Delicate and very fragrant, that’s how it should be, with the taste of the crust a bit deeper and different from the crumb….
Eveline says
Thanks Marieke for this great recipe. I have tried many recipes before but this is my absolute favourite. Just the way a kerststol should taste! I shared it with many of my friends already and they all love it! Merry xmas
Weekend Bakers says
Hi Eveline,
Thank you so much for liking this stollen recipe too. I think sometimes a recipe can have too much ingredients and it can get crowded with all kinds of tastes and with this stollen, for me, it is the perfect mix of ingredients and the bread itself is not pushed to the background. I cannot stop making them (luckily for me I can also make them for Easter). And another option is to make a bread without the almond paste and shape it like a ‘krentenbrood’ during the less festive months.
Merry Xmas to you too and Happy Holiday Baking!
Marieke
Nicole from Australia says
Thanks Marieke. Will try today as a trial run for Christmas 🙂
Weekend Bakers says
Let us know how it goes ?!
Nicole from Australia says
Looks great! I’m trying a couple of recipes this year, for the first time, in search of my favourite! Can you tell me how far in advance this recipe should be made and how long it can be stored if the fruit is soaked in alcohol (eg rum)- the one I baked today which indicates it’ll take up to 5-6 weeks to develop the taste and crumb.
Weekend Bakers says
Hello Nicole,
Actually I would not suggest making it far in advance if it is not necessary. The only things you would make in advance is the citrus rubbed sugar (sweetener) and the almond paste. This can be made weeks before the actual baking. The baked stollen can be kept in a plastic bag and/or airtight container /bread bin for a week or so, but beyond that I would suggest putting it in the freezer. It is actually very nice freshly baked, so this is not a recipe like for example a Christmas pudding that only gets better as you leave it longer. The bread itself is rich with butter and yolk and sugar, but it can get stale. So we pretty much bake and eat them over here (fresh out of the oven!) , not much left after one or two days :).
Happy Baking,
Marieke
Yang from China says
Meant to say as usual, that’s just me, so careless! God, hate that side of myself.
Weekend Bakers says
Never mind Yang, I know the feeling and most people are not immune to it. Always glad to help, because there is a lot of information on the website and in the recipes.
M.
Yang from China says
Thanks so much Marieke! As usually I was being careless when I read the recipe. Silly me. Thank you !
Yang from China says
Hey Marieke,
Been thinking about making this bread for a while. Too good to get it go. Just one small question ,what is lemon zest sugar? Is it dried lemon zest coated in sugar? Thanks!
Weekend Bakers says
Hello Yang,
The instructions are in the recipe. It is a combination of sugar and lemon and orange zest. The basic recipe is as follows:You need to prepare a mixture we call ‘sweetener’ which gives the dough it’s distinctive and pleasant taste. For this you mix 40 grams of sugar with the zest of 1 unwaxed lemon and one unwaxed orange. You can store this mixture in your fridge, it will keep for a long time.
Hope you will like the stollen too!
Marieke
Fabuloaf says
Hi there,
You mention pastry flour or all purpose flour, what is the equivalent for UK?
Many thanks
Weekend Bakers says
Hi there Fabuloaf,
I think the people in the UK would call it plain flour. It usually has a protein content of around 11%.
Have a great (baking) weekend and stay warm!
Marieke
Fabuloaf says
Thank you for clarifying,
EB in TX says
What a great website – just stumbled onto it this week and I am really impressed (and jealous over your oven too). I am an American with a Dutch wife, and fresh Kerstol on Christmas morning has been a tradition in her family forever. Yours looks perfect! We used to spend Christmas in The Netherlands, but since the addition of kids in 2000 we’ve been spending the holidays here in the States. As a consolation to her I’ve been making our version of Kerstol for the past 11 years. The first few years were experiments and developmental, but for about four years now we have it the way she likes it — reminiscent of Bakker Hans, the longstanding family source. My recipe is very, very close to yours, but a large one at 2X the amount, slightly lower hydration (52%), with a bit of cinnamon (4 g) added to the dough, and our own dried fruit mix (soaked in Cognac) plus some candied orange peel. It’s very reassuring to see a real Dutchman’s recipe so close to what we developed. Tomorrow is bake day for breakfast Sunday morning. This year “Oma” (her Mom) is with us for the holidays, so I will get a second judging. Hope yours is perfect again this year. Vrolijk Kerstfeest en een Gelukkig Nieuwjaar!
Weekend Bakers says
Hello EB,
Thank you so much for sharing your story with us. No matter where you go and how long ago, the memories and tastes of our childhood are so strongly imprinted in our minds, we will never lose them and always long for them. So great to hear you have been able to recreate them and no doubt made your wife very happy with a taste of home. We Dutch love it that at least some culinary traditions are being carried across borders, because we are not known for our wonderful ‘cuisine’. But when it comes to festive baking we have been somewhat influential, next to the cheese reputation of course.
I hope and expect oma will approve of your wonderful kerststol.
Fijne feestdagen en een heel gezond en gelukkig 2012!
Ed en Marieke
Sarah says
Looks pretty perfect to me!
Weekend Bakers says
Thank you very much Sarah, have a wonderful Christmas time!
Ed and Marieke