All you need to know about Stollen (2024)

FAQs

How long will homemade stollen keep? ›

If stored in a cool and dry place such as a bread box or drawer, your stollen will last for months.

Stollen will last up to a year if you keep it frozen, but we recommend eating it within 6 months for best flavor.

Behind each of the 24 windows is a scrumptious bite of Stollen in four different flavours: Classic Stollen, Baked Apple Stollen, Almond Stollen and Marzipan Stollen.

As a Christmas bread, stollen was baked for the first time at the Council of Trent in 1545, and was made with flour, yeast, oil and water. The Advent season was a time of fasting, and bakers were not allowed to use butter, only oil, and the cake was tasteless and hard.

Stollen is not a light fluffy bread. It shouldn't be leaden, but it's a rather firm, dense fruit-filled bread with a somewhat cake-like texture. It's practically dipped in clarified butter, then coated in sugar...

Expensive ingredients like almonds, nuts, raisins, orange peel, essence of rose and rum were imported. Because the coronation occurred during the Christmas season, the bakers shaped the loaves to resemble a baby in swaddling clothes in respect for the Christ Child. Ask any baker: Stollen is a labor of love.

Stollen can often be dry and tasteless. The key in my recipe is to soak the fruit at least 24 hours before you want to make it. I would advocate even longer; 5-7 days if you can because the longer the better.

My new favorite way to enjoy Stollen is to slice it fairly thinly and then toast it under the broiler. I especially like Stollen with Marzipan and toasting this kind of Stollen softens the almond paste so it's creamy and warm. The toasting also brings out the nutty flavor and punches up the dried fruits.

Make sure to cover your bread in plastic food wrap to ensure it stays moist. On the other hand, if you want to keep your Stollen for longer than that, for example a year then it is safe to freeze. Our Stollen is made with only fresh ingredients and does not contain any preservatives.

Saxony's World Famous Delicacy. The Dresdner Christstollen is a piece of cultural history, a centuries-old baking tradition, a prevailing passion and, above all, a delicious treat. For centuries, Dresden's bakers and pastry makers have kept up this tradition, passing it on from generation to generation.

What do Germans eat with Stollen? ›

Like you'd expect, you eat a Stollen in slices, often with your coffee or Christmas punch. Some people put butter and jam on it. As with just about every baked product in this part of the world, you find different varieties in Vienna.

Origin of stollen¹. 1925–30; < German Stolle ( n ), literally, post, support; so called from its shape.

Stollen is basically a yeast-based fruit cake with lots of sugar, butter, raisins, rum aroma and powdered sugar. Traditionally there is also high fructose corn sirup involved, so not exactly what you would call a healthy treat (but pretty delicious tbh).

Serve sliced with good coffee, spreading on butter if it seems too dry. It can't be toasted, but a very light microwaving, so it is just warmed, can be very rewarding because the spices are energised to share their fragrances.

Stollen has a very long life when packaged. Keep it wrapped well after slicing, perhaps even storing it in the refrigerator and letting it come to room temperature before serving.

Minimum shelf life from purchase:

Dresdner Christstollen ® – Raisin Stollen: at least 16 weeks. Almond stollen: at least 6 weeks.

Over time, the topping on the stollen may become discolored. This is a natural result of the marinated fruit releasing its juices and does not affect the flavor of the stollen. If your stollen has become discolored and you wish to improve the appearance, simply sprinkle a little powdered sugar on top before serving.