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German

Dresden Christmas stollen

Vegetarian

Dresdner Christstollen

Germany's classic Christmas bread: a dense, buttery yeast dough packed with rum-soaked raisins, candied peel and almonds, brushed with butter after baking and buried in sugar, then left to mature.

Dresden Christmas stollen is a German bread from Germany, ready in about 16 hours 45 minutes and made with raisins, candied mixed peel and all-purpose flour. It serves 24 and is rated intermediate to cook.

Start cooking
Sliced traditional German Stollen dusted with powdered sugar, perfect for dessert or breakfast.
Photo: Pixabay / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
45 min
Cook
1 h
Rest
3 h
Total
16 h 45 min
Serves
24
Level
Intermediate
Calories
275

Soak the fruit overnight first. Traditionally the wrapped stollen is matured for 1–3 weeks before cutting.

Ingredients

24 slices

Fruit

Sponge

Dough

Coating

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    The night before, mix the raisins (opens in a new tab) with the rum (opens in a new tab) (or orange juice), cover and soak.

    • 2 min

  2. Step 2

    Sponge: mix 100 g flour, the warm milk (opens in a new tab) and yeast; cover and leave 30 minutes until frothy.

    • 3 min

  3. Step 3

    Add the remaining flour, sugar (opens in a new tab), salt, lemon zest (opens in a new tab), spices and vanilla (opens in a new tab) and knead 5 minutes, then add the soft butter in pieces and knead 8–10 minutes more until smooth, glossy and elastic. It is a rich, firm dough.

    Hands kneading dough on a floured surface
    How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    On low speed or by hand, gently work in the drained raisins (opens in a new tab), candied peel and almonds (opens in a new tab) until just evenly distributed — over-mixing crushes the fruit and greys the dough. Cover and rest 1 hour (it will rise only modestly).

    • 4 min

  5. Step 5

    Pat into a 30 × 25 cm oval. Press a rolling pin (opens in a new tab) along the length just off centre to make a groove, then fold the larger side over the smaller one, leaving a step, to make the classic stollen shape. Pick off any fruit poking out of the surface (it burns). Place on a lined tray, cover and proof 45–60 minutes. Heat the oven (opens in a new tab) to 170 °C (fan 150 °C).

    Dough being rolled out with a rolling pin
    How it looks · Photo: Katerina Holmes on Pexels

  6. Step 6

    Bake 55–60 minutes until deep golden; the centre should read about 93 °C. Cover loosely with foil after 30 minutes if it browns quickly.

  7. Step 7

    While still hot, brush generously with melted butter — let it soak in, then brush again — and sprinkle with sugar (opens in a new tab). When cold, dust heavily with icing sugar (opens in a new tab). Wrap in baking paper and foil and leave in a cool place at least 3 days, ideally 1–3 weeks, before slicing.

    Fresh herbs scattered over a finished dish
    How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Saxony (Dresden), Germany · Well documented'Dresdner Stollen' is a protected regional name for stollen baked in the Dresden area; this is a home version in that style.Also popular in Austria, Netherlands, United KingdomMore food from Germany
Dish
Breakfast · Snack · Dessert · Breads & flatbreads · Cakes
Cooking method
Oven-baked, Fermented
Taste
sweet, buttery, fruity, aromatic / warmly spiced
Diet
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo)
All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Egg-free · Pork-free · Beef-free
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Festive & celebration · Make-ahead · Freezer-friendly
Cook more with
Raisins · Candied mixed peel · All-purpose flour · Unsalted butter · Almonds · Milk
Techniques
Baking · Kneading · Fermentation

Allergens

  • Contains: Milkfrom milk, unsalted butter
  • Contains: Tree nutsfrom almonds
  • Contains: Wheatfrom all-purpose flour
  • Contains: Glutenfrom all-purpose flour
  • May contain: Sulphitesfrom raisins, candied mixed peel

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

275 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 70 g · recipe makes 24

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 5%
  • Carbohydrate 53%
  • Fat 42%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g
Energy275 kcal394 kcal
Protein3.8 g5.5 g
Carbohydrate37.5 g53.7 g
Net carbohydrate35.7 g51.1 g
Sugars18.8 g26.9 g
Added sugars8.9 g12.8 g
Fibre1.8 g2.6 g
Fat13.1 g18.7 g
Saturated fat7.2 g10.2 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol30 mg43 mg
Sodium94 mg134 mg
Salt equivalent0.2 g0.3 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
167 mg
Calcium
33 mg
Iron
1.4 mg
Magnesium
20 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
96 µg
Vitamin C
1 mg
Vitamin D
0.1 µg
Vitamin B12
0.1 µg
Folate (DFE)
74 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: rum.
  • Candied mixed peel: Generic candied fruit data used for candied citrus peel (orange, lemon, citron).
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • The butter-and-sugar coating seals the loaf so it keeps moist as it matures.

Common mistakes

  • Adding the fruit at the start of kneading, which breaks it up and stops the dough developing.

Serve with

  • Thin slices with coffee or mulled drinks through Advent.

Storage

  • Keeps 3–4 weeks wrapped in a cool, dry place; freezes for 3 months.

Variations

  • Marzipan stollen: Roll a 200 g log of marzipan into the fold before baking.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

Structure

Dough

Used in steps 2, 3, 7

Baker’s notes

Customise in Bread & Bakery

Timeline and readiness cues

  1. Mix and knead · about 45 min

    Weigh everything. Knead until smooth and elastic: a small piece stretches thin enough to see light through (the windowpane test).

  2. First rise (bulk) · about 1 h 30 min

    About doubled, domed, jiggly, with bubbles on the sides. A floured finger poked in leaves a dent that fills slowly.

  3. Final proof · about 55 min

    Poke test: the dent springs back slowly and only partly. Springs back fast = needs longer; doesn't spring back = over-proofed, bake now.

  4. Bake · about 1 h at 170 °C

    Deep golden; bread sounds hollow when tapped underneath, or reads 93–96 °C inside (enriched breads 88–90 °C).

  5. Cool · about 72 h

    Cool on a rack before slicing — the crumb is still setting; cutting hot bread makes it gummy.

  6. Start to finish: about 76 h 10 min. Times are a guide — warmth changes everything; follow the cues.

The dough

The dough in baker's percentages. Flour = 100%.
IngredientRoleWeightBaker’s %
All-purpose flourFlour500 g100%
Unsalted butterFat250 g50%
MilkOther liquid180 g36.1%
SugarSugar60 g12%
Instant yeastYeast11 g2.1%
Lemon zestOther6 g1.2%
SaltSalt5 g1%
Vanilla extractOther4 g0.9%
Ground cardamomOther1 g0.2%
NutmegOther1 g0.1%
Total flour
500 g
Hydration
—
With milk, eggs…
31.4%
Wholegrain
0%

Hydration = water ÷ flour × 100. Milk is about 87% water and eggs about 75%, so they’re shown separately as “with milk, eggs…”.

  • Salt 1% — on the low side (1.8–2.2% is typical for bread).
  • Sugar 12% — an enriched, sweet dough; rises more slowly and browns quickly.
  • Fat 50% — a rich, tender dough.

If something goes wrong

  • Dense, heavy loaf

    Likely causes

    • Under-kneaded (weak gluten)
    • Under-proofed
    • Old or dead yeast/starter
    • Too much wholegrain flour without extra water

    What to do

    • Knead to the windowpane stage
    • Proof by the poke test, not the clock
    • Test yeast in warm water with sugar; feed the starter and use it at its peak
    • Add 5–10% more water for wholegrain flours and give them a rest
  • Gummy or wet crumb

    Likely causes

    • Under-baked
    • Sliced while hot
    • Hydration too high for the flour

    What to do

    • Bake to 93–96 °C inside (cakes: clean skewer)
    • Cool completely on a rack before slicing
    • Reduce water by 3–5% or use a stronger flour
  • Spreads flat / no oven spring

    Likely causes

    • Over-proofed
    • Weak shaping (no surface tension)
    • Oven not hot enough
    • Too much water for the flour

    What to do

    • Shorten the proof; bake when the poke springs back slowly
    • Shape tightly so the skin is taut
    • Preheat fully (30+ minutes; with a stone or Dutch oven, 45)
    • Lower hydration or use bread flour
  • Collapsed or sunken middle

    Likely causes

    • Oven door opened too early
    • Too much leavening or sugar
    • Under-baked centre
    • Over-proofed yeast dough

    What to do

    • Don't open the oven for the first two-thirds of baking
    • Measure leaveners exactly with spoons, levelled
    • Test the centre before removing
    • Proof less
  • Pale crust

    Likely causes

    • Oven too cool
    • Too little sugar or no milk/egg for browning
    • Over-fermented (yeast ate the sugars)

    What to do

    • Check the oven with a thermometer
    • Brush with egg wash or milk
    • Shorten the fermentation
  • Burnt bottom

    Likely causes

    • Tray too close to the heat
    • Dark tray absorbs more heat
    • Too much sugar in the dough

    What to do

    • Bake on the middle shelf
    • Double up trays or use a light-coloured one
    • Lower the temperature 10–15 °C and bake a little longer
  • Cracked or domed top

    Likely causes

    • Oven too hot (crust sets before the centre rises)
    • Too much leavening
    • Overmixed batter

    What to do

    • Lower the oven 10–15 °C
    • Use the exact leavening amount
    • Fold just until combined
  • Big holes or tunnels

    Likely causes

    • Overmixed batter (cakes, muffins)
    • Air trapped while shaping bread
    • Uneven proof

    What to do

    • Mix quick breads only until no dry flour shows
    • Degas gently and shape tightly
    • Proof covered in an even, warm place
  • Dough didn't rise

    Likely causes

    • Dead yeast (expired or killed by hot liquid)
    • Kitchen too cold
    • Salt in direct contact with fresh yeast
    • Starter not active

    What to do

    • Liquid should be lukewarm (no hotter than 40 °C)
    • Proof somewhere warm (an oven with just the light on)
    • Mix the salt into the flour, not onto the yeast
    • Feed the starter until it doubles in 4–8 hours
  • Over-proofed (sour smell, collapses when scored)

    Likely causes

    • Too warm
    • Too much yeast
    • Left too long

    What to do

    • Knock back, reshape and proof again briefly (yeast doughs)
    • Use less yeast or a cooler proof
    • Set a timer and check early with the poke test
  • Dry or crumbly

    Likely causes

    • Too much flour (scooped, not weighed)
    • Over-baked
    • Too little fat or sugar

    What to do

    • Weigh flour, or spoon it into the cup and level
    • Check 5 minutes early
    • Don't cut fat or sugar by more than a quarter without another moisture source

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