Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Fruit Soak
- 150 g dried cranberries
- 60 ml orange juice, warm
Dough Base
- 120 ml whole milk, warmed
- 7 g active dry yeast
- 375 g all-purpose flour
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 4 g salt
- 2 g ground cardamom
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 5 ml vanilla extract
- 115 g unsalted butter, softened
Mix-ins & Filling
- 50 g sliced almonds, lightly toasted
- 150 g almond paste
Coating
- 60 g unsalted butter, melted
- 100 g powdered sugar
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 405 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbohydrates
- 55 g
- Fat
- 19 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 27 g
- Sodium
- 144 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 8 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 7 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 48 mg
- Potassium
- 150 mg
- Calcium
- 57 mg
- Iron
- 2.0 mg
- Magnesium
- 38 mg
- Phosphorus
- 112 mg
- Zinc
- 0.7 mg
- Vitamin A
- 112 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 3 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.2 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 3.4 mg
- Vitamin K
- 2 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.34 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.33 mg
- Niacin
- 2.5 mg
- Folate
- 86 mcg
- Water
- 27 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Combine the dried cranberries and warm orange juice in a small bowl. Let them soak and plump up for 30 minutes, then drain any excess liquid thoroughly.
Warm the milk to 40C or 105F. Stir in the yeast and a small pinch of the granulated sugar. Let sit for 10 minutes until the mixture becomes foamy and aromatic.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the all-purpose flour, remaining granulated sugar, salt, and ground cardamom. Add the yeast mixture, egg, vanilla extract, and softened butter. Knead on medium-low speed for 8 minutes until a smooth, slightly tacky dough forms.
Gently fold the drained cranberries and toasted sliced almonds into the dough by hand or on the lowest mixer speed. Continue just until evenly distributed, being careful not to smash the berries.
Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly greased bowl. Cover with a damp towel and let it rest in a warm place until nearly doubled in size, approximately 90 minutes.
Punch down the dough and transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Roll it into an oval roughly 2 centimeters thick. Shape the almond paste into a log slightly shorter than the dough. Place the log just off-center, then fold the larger side of the dough over the almond paste, pressing the edges lightly to seal.
Transfer the shaped loaf to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover loosely with a towel and let rise for another 45 minutes until noticeably puffy.
Preheat the oven to 175C or 350F. Bake the stollen for 35 to 40 minutes. If the exterior is browning too quickly, tent loosely with aluminum foil halfway through. It is done when the loaf sounds hollow when tapped and the internal temperature registers 90C or 195F.
Remove the stollen from the oven. While the loaf is still piping hot, use a pastry brush to coat it generously with the melted butter. Immediately sift half of the powdered sugar over the wet butter to create a thick crust.
Allow the loaf to cool completely on a wire rack for at least 1 hour. Once cool, dust with the remaining powdered sugar to finish.
Chef's Notes
- Soaking the dried fruit is crucial; if added dry, the cranberries will steal moisture from your dough, resulting in a crumbly, dry bread.
- For the most traditional flavor, age your stollen. Wrap the cooled, sugared loaf tightly in foil and keep it in a cool, dark place for 1 to 2 weeks before slicing to let the flavors mature and meld.
- Do not skip the heavy butter and sugar coating while the bread is hot. This technique creates a protective seal around the loaf, which preserves its moisture and extends its shelf life significantly.
- Ensure your almond paste is pliable before shaping. If it is too stiff, microwave it for 5 to 10 seconds to make it easier to form into a log.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 weeks — Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil to prevent drying out.
Freezer: 3 months — Wrap in double layers of plastic wrap and heavy-duty foil.
Troubleshooting
Dough is too dense and heavy
Cause: Butter was not soft enough to integrate smoothly, or yeast was expired
Fix: Cannot be fixed once baked, but can be sliced thin and toasted or used for bread pudding
Prevention: Ensure butter is fully room temperature and bloom yeast in warm milk to verify activity before proceeding
Exposed cranberries burnt and became bitter
Cause: Fruit pieces on the very outside of the dough caught too much direct oven heat
Fix: Pick off the burnt berries before coating with butter and powdered sugar
Prevention: Before baking, pick off any cranberries sitting directly on the surface or poke them deep into the dough
Cultural Context
Stollen is a traditional German fruitbread baked during the Christmas season, with records dating back to the 15th century in Dresden. Its characteristic folded shape and heavy coating of white powdered sugar are said to symbolize the infant Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes. While early versions were austere loaves made only of flour, oats, and water during Advent fasts, modern Stollen is a rich, festive celebration bread enriched with butter, dried fruits, and often a decadent center of sweet almond paste.
