Christmas stollen

Step-by-step preparation

Cooking time: 4 day 4 hr

1. STEP 1

   

   How to bake Christmas stollen? To begin, soak the raisins, peeled nuts and zest in cognac and vanilla tincture in advance (preferably in the evening). If you use vanilla sugar, add it directly to the dough). It is better to peel almonds in their skins, otherwise the shell of the nuts will become bitter. To do this, pour hot boiled water over the nuts and leave for 10-15 minutes. The shell of the nuts will swell and be easily removed by hand.

2. STEP 2

   

   Prepare the necessary ingredients for the dough.

3. STEP 3

   

   Add butter to milk. While heating the milk little by little, melt the butter. This can be done either in a saucepan on the stove or in the microwave.

4. STEP 4

   

   Add sugar to the milk mixture and stir until completely dissolved.

5. STEP 5

   

   When the mixture has cooled slightly, add the yolk and stir.

6. STEP 6

   

   Sift the flour. Add fresh compressed yeast and grind it with flour into fine crumbs. If you use yeast that is new to you, it is better to activate it to check for germination. To do this, dilute the yeast in 100 ml of warm water, add 1 tsp. sugar and leave the mixture for 15 minutes. If after this time a foamy cap appears on top, then the yeast is good

7. STEP 7

   

   Pour the cooled milk mixture into the flour mixture and knead into a soft dough.

8. STEP 8

   

   It is very important to knead the dough well. Knead it for 7-10 minutes. Place the kneaded dough in a bowl, cover with a napkin and leave for 1-1.5 hours. During this time it will increase in volume.

9. STEP 9

   

   Knead the risen dough well.

10. STEP 10

    

    Place the dough on the table and start mixing in the dried fruits and nuts soaked in cognac.

11. STEP 11

    

    Cover the dough with a napkin and leave for another 30-40 minutes. Turn on the oven to 175 degrees in advance.

12. STEP 12

    

    Divide the risen dough into two equal parts.

13. STEP 13

    

    Stretch each part into a rectangle.

14. STEP 14

    

    Using your palm, make an oblong indentation in the dough, one-third from the edge. Fold the smaller part of the dough over the larger one along the indentation. Also form a second stollen.

15. STEP 15

    

    Transfer the pieces to a baking sheet lined with parchment and leave them to proof for about 20 minutes. Bake the stollen in an oven preheated to 175 C for about 40 minutes.

16. STEP 16

    

    While still hot, generously brush the finished stollen with melted butter and also generously sprinkle with powdered sugar. Let them cool completely.

17. STEP 17

    

    Traditionally, stollen is carefully wrapped in foil or parchment, placed in an airtight container and left in a cold place for at least 2 weeks. Bon appetit!

Comments on the recipe

Natalia M

15.09.2023

4.6

It's time to bake Christmas stollen! I baked it two weeks in advance, so it will have time to brew. I kneaded the dough in the same way as indicated in the steps. I just replaced live yeast with dry yeast, recalculating the amount. The dough turns out almost the same as for Easter cakes that grandmothers bake). It is quite heavy, very rich! It rises great! For the filling, I took raisins, candied fruits, walnuts and orange zest with a total weight of 450g. Of the aromatic drinks, I only had martini. Overnight the filling was well soaked, the aroma is incredible! The formed stollen lay for a while under a towel, and then I baked them for 35 minutes at 175°C. They browned nicely and grew considerably! I would even divide the dough into three stollen. You need quite a lot of powdered sugar, some of it is immediately absorbed into the melted butter. You can also sprinkle stollen when serving (after 2 weeks)). I left one stollen for Christmas, and we tried the second one in the morning. During this time, under the foil it thickened a little. The taste and aroma are simply amazing! I advise everyone to try it!

Ankdash

15.09.2023

4.7

I read the comments and became even more interested in the recipe. I'll definitely try it, thanks. In addition to stollen, you can bake simple ginger cookies for the holiday table.

Meringue

15.09.2023

4.6

The process of preparing stollen is, one might say, not entirely easy. I agree with the author of the recipe that you need to knead the dough thoroughly. But it’s worth it! Believe me! And cook for fun! How many times have I wanted to try it ahead of schedule? This pastry is the most delicious, for me personally it’s worth the trouble! Candied fruits, cognac, vanilla, walnuts, almonds, raisins of all kinds, zest.....you can get creative with the fillings)

Tatiana

15.09.2023

4.7

Magnificent classic German pastries! The recipe is unique - the longer the stollen sits, the tastier it becomes. It’s as if the taste should infuse. The main thing here is not to violate the technology. It can be stored in a cold place for a very long time (I’ve heard that up to several months). I didn’t stay longer than 2 days. I’ll probably do more this Christmas. I advise everyone!

Zhenya

15.09.2023

4.9

Very tasty, I made it and it turned out amazing, the dough was soft and elastic, everyone at home loved it. For the New Year I’ll make it and decorate the festive table. I’ll make it in the shape of a Christmas tree and fill it with melted chocolate, it will be very tasty! When the baked goods were being prepared, an unusually delicious smell spread throughout the house, and after cooling, it was eaten by the whole family except the children! They were afraid to give it because there was cognac there. Of course it’s not noticeable, but still children!

Shura

15.09.2023

4.6

Irisha, I’m sure that your recipe, compiled according to all the rules, will definitely please us too, now both Tanya and Zhenya have already paid attention to it and are going to repeat it, and this is already an act, the stollen was apparently so tasty that the family quickly found it and they did it. Irisha, tell me, does the stollen itself turn out hard, crumbly, like a cake? Very interesting, I think I’ll try and prepare it)))

Irisha

15.09.2023

4.8

Girls, I’m very glad that you liked the recipe! Shura, you noticed correctly, stollen is very similar to our Easter cake, although it has a slightly different structure after baking, denser or something :) and by the way, immediately after baking, it seemed a little dry to me, well, like a bun, but after After it stood for 4 days, it became much tastier, so I came to the conclusion that I definitely need to let it stand, at least for a week, most importantly, hide it away from my family!