German Christmas Bread—better known as stollen—is one of the most beloved holiday treats in Europe. This festive loaf is rich with golden raisins, candied fruit, chopped almonds, and warm citrus zest, all wrapped in a soft, buttery dough. Once baked, it’s coated in melted butter and a generous layer of vanilla powdered sugar that gives it that classic snowy look. Perfect for cozy December mornings, holiday gatherings, and homemade gifts.
Ingredients
For the Dough
1 cup milk
¼ cup sugar
14 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (divided)
1½ tablespoons active dry yeast
4 cups all-purpose flour (approx., add as needed)
1 cup chopped almonds
¾ cup golden raisins
¾ cup candied fruit mix
Zest of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 orange
For the Coating
7 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
1 cup powdered sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
Instructions
- Warm the milk until just lukewarm. Pour into a large bowl and whisk in sugar and 7 tablespoons of melted butter. Add yeast, stir gently, and let stand for 5 minutes.
- Add flour gradually, mixing until a soft dough forms.
- Stir in almonds, raisins, candied fruit, lemon zest, and orange zest. Knead until well combined and smooth.
- Cover and let rise at room temperature for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
- Lightly knead again. Roll into an oval, press a rolling pin down the center to make an indent, and fold the dough over for the traditional stollen shape.
- Place in a greased baking pan, cover, and allow to rise for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Bake for 70 minutes total. Cover with foil if browning too quickly.
- While still warm, brush the loaf with the remaining melted butter and coat generously with vanilla powdered sugar.
Allow to cool before slicing. The flavor improves even more after a day or two.
