As an amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

My homemade Stollen recipe is a German Christmas bread with a rich, spiced yeast dough filled with dried fruit and almonds. A rope of marzipan goes in the center. Once baked, you brush it with butter and roll it in sugar. This recipe makes one loaf, about 10 slices, and you can let the dough rise overnight in the fridge.

Sliced stollen on a cutting board with a knife

Every December, I look for a baked treat that fills the house with holiday scents, and this is my favorite. Cardamom, mace, cinnamon, and orange peel stand out, and the marzipan in the middle is a nice surprise when you slice it.

Here's Why You'll Love This Recipe

It's packed with flavor. Cardamom, mace or nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, and candied citrus peel all season the dough.
There's a marzipan center. As the bread bakes, the marzipan melts right into the loaf.
The fruit stays plump. Dried cranberries and golden raisins are soaked in rum or hot water before mixing into the dough.
It gets a buttery, sugary crust. Brush the warm loaf with melted butter, then coat it in sugar.
You can make it ahead of time. Let the shaped loaf rise overnight in the fridge if you like.
It also makes a great gift. The loaf is sturdy and slices easily once it's cool.

Ingredients You'll Need

The recipe card at the bottom of the post contains the full list with all of the amounts. Refer to that when you're cooking.

Ingredients for stollen in separate containers

For the fruit

Dried cranberries and golden raisins: Soak them so they stay plump in the bread.
Candied citrus peel: Add it in with the soaked fruit, but don't soak it.
Rum: This is optional. You can use hot water instead.

For the dough

Bread flour: This gives the dough a chewy texture. All-purpose flour will work if needed.
Ground cardamom: The signature stollen spice.
Ground mace or nutmeg: You can use either one. Mace has a slightly more delicate flavor.
Ground cinnamon: Adds warmth.
Kosher salt: This seasons the dough. Don't use the same amount of table salt, since it's saltier by volume.
Granulated sugar: Some is mixed into the dough, and the rest coats the finished loaf.
Milk: Any kind works.
Heavy cream: This makes the dough rich and tender.
Active dry yeast: Use one ¼-ounce packet, or about 2 teaspoons.
Large eggs: These add richness and structure.
Vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste: Either one rounds out the flavor.
Unsalted butter, softened: Add it to the dough one tablespoon at a time.
Slivered almonds: Knead these in with the fruit for crunch.

For the center and finish

Marzipan: Roll it into a rope and bake it in the center of the loaf.
Unsalted butter, melted: Brush this on the warm loaf so the sugar sticks.
Powdered sugar: Use this for a generous dusting at the end.

In Photos: How To Make Stollen

Step 1: Soak the fruit

Soak the dried cranberries and golden raisins in rum or hot water.

Soaking dried fruit in rum for stollen in a glass measuring cup

Step 2: Make the dough

Whisk together the flour, cardamom, mace or nutmeg, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Sprinkle the salt around the edge.

Make a well in the center. Add ⅓ cup of the sugar, the milk, and the cream, then sprinkle the yeast over the liquids.

Yeast dissolving in milk in the stollen dough base

Let the yeast dissolve, then add the eggs and vanilla.

Adding eggs and vanilla to stollen dough

Start in the center and stir the liquid ingredients together, slowly pulling in the dry ingredients until you have a sticky dough.

Stir in the soft butter one tablespoon at a time, letting each addition mix in completely before adding the next.

Adding butter one tablespoon at a time to the stollen dough

stollen dough after the butter is mixed in, but before kneading

Knead the dough for 10 minutes. To check if it's ready, pinch off a small piece and gently stretch it with your fingertips. If it tears, keep kneading. The dough should stretch thin enough for light to show through.

Cover the bowl and let the dough rest in a warm place until slightly puffed, about 1 hour.

stollen dough after resting and rising for the first time

Step 3: Shape the loaf

Uncover the dough. Drain the cranberries and raisins well, then knead them into the dough on a lightly floured surface, along with the candied citrus peel and almonds.

Adding fruit and nuts to the stollen dough

Pat or roll the dough into a circle about 1 inch thick. Place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Roll the marzipan into a rope about as long as the circle's diameter, and lay it down the center.

stollen dough after being rolled out on parchment paper, with the roll of marzipan in the center

Fold one side of the dough over the marzipan, then fold the other side on top. The loaf should have a slight hump in the center with the marzipan sealed inside.

folding the stollen dough over the marzipan log

folding the other half of the stollen dough over the marzipan log

Remove any fruit or almonds sticking out of the surface so they don't burn.

Lightly spray a sheet of plastic wrap with nonstick spray and cover the loaf loosely. Let it rest in a warm place until it's slightly puffed, about 1 ½ hours, or leave it overnight in the fridge.

Step 4: Bake and finish

If the loaf was in the fridge, let it come to room temperature. Preheat your oven to 350°F.

Uncover the loaf and bake until it's puffed, golden, and the inside reads about 190°F, which takes about 35 to 45 minutes.

While the loaf is still warm, brush it with melted butter, roll it in the remaining granulated sugar, and dust it generously with powdered sugar.

Let the loaf cool completely before slicing.

baked stollen dough after being baked, cooled, and sliced

Helpful Tips and Tricks

Knead for the full 10 minutes. The dough is rich and sticky, and kneading helps build its structure.
Try the windowpane test. If the dough tears when you stretch it, keep kneading.
Add the butter slowly, one tablespoon at a time. This keeps the dough from getting greasy.
Drain the fruit well. If it's too wet, the dough can get soggy and leave pockets in the bread.
Tuck in any extra fruit or almonds. If they're on the surface, they'll burn, so remove them before baking.
Seal the marzipan inside. Pinch the seam closed so it doesn't leak out.
Use a thermometer to check doneness. The stollen is ready when it's about 190°F inside.
Coat the loaf while it's warm. The butter and sugar stick best when the loaf is still warm.
Plan ahead. The second rise can happen overnight in the fridge. Bring the loaf to room temperature before baking.

More Sweet Bread Recipes

Author

Allie

Allie is the creator and owner of Baking a Moment. She has been developing, photographing, videographing, and writing and sharing recipes here since 2012.

View all posts

More Yeast Breads

Have a question about this recipe? Ask AI:

Stollen

Table of Contents

Here's Why You'll Love This Recipe