Whole Grain Christmas Stollen

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Christmas Stollen is a wonderful German baking tradition this time of year. A sweet loaf that is studded with dried fruit, spiced with cardamom and a special treat of almond paste runs through it. Once it comes out of the oven it is traditional to slather the warm loaf in butter then roll it in sugar, but we skip the extra butter and dust it with a thick layer of confectioners’ sugar to look like the snow outside. This loaf actually holds up very well for a couple of days and that makes it a great gift for the holidays.

About gifts for the bakers on your holiday list, here are our favorite tools for baking bread, they are great for those who love to bake and folks who want to learn how.

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100% whole wheat Christmas Stollen from The New Healthy Bread in Five Minutes

Makes enough for three 1 1/2 pound loaves

6 cups White Whole Wheat Flour

1 tablespoon granulated Red Star Platinum Yeast

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1/2 tablespoon ground cardamom

1/4 cup Vital Wheat Gluten

2 cups lukewarm water

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly (see the book for other alternatives)

1/2 cup honey

4 large eggs

1/4 cup brandy (OJ or black tea can be substituted)

1 1/2 cups finely chopped dried and/or candied fruit (you choose your favorites. I used cherries, raisins, craisins, and  apricots.)

1/2 cup Almond Paste, per loaf

Egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water)

Confectioners’ sugar for the top

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Mixing the dough: Dump the flour, Platinum yeast, salt, cardamom, and vital wheat gluten in a Round Food-Storage Container with Lid and stir them together with a spoon or Danish Dough Whisk. Add the water, butter, honey, eggs, brandy and dried fruit, mix until well incorporated. No kneading! Cover loosely and let stand on the counter for 2 hours. This dough will be sticky, but much easier to handle after it has been refrigerated for several hours. It can be stored in the refrigerator for 5 days or frozen for 2 weeks.

For a version that is a little more decadent, you can use the Brioche Dough (page 189, ABin5) and add the cardamom, the dried fruit fruit and replace 1/4 of the water for the brandy.

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On baking day take a 1 1/2 pound (small cantaloupe-size) piece of dough from the bucket.

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Using plenty of flour roll out the dough into a 1/4-inch-thick oval. Form the 1/2 cup almond paste into a rope and lay it onto the dough about a 1/3 of the way from the end.

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Fold the dough over the almond paste in thirds, so that it forms an S-shape, when you look at it from the end.

Place the loaf on a Sheet Pan with parchment or a Nonstick Silicone Baking Mat and loosely cover with plastic and let it rest for 90 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350F degree, with rack in the middle of the oven.

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Once it has rested use a pastry brush and cover lightly with egg wash, then bake for 35 to 40 minutes.

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Let the loaf cool for about 20 minutes

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and then Sprinkle it with confections’ sugar…

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Until it is completely covered and looks like snow!

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Here’s another idea for a bread baking gift:

Bread Baking Craftsy Class – An in depth video class that will guide you through the mixing, shaping and baking of our Master recipe. We’ll make dozens of breads, including everything from a boule to sticky buns. You’ll see our tips for shaping properly and getting the best results from all your breads, no matter which dough you use. If you buy the class through our site you’ll get $20 off the price of the class. Hope you’ll join us.

The winner of Sarah Kieffer’s book, The Vanilla Bean Baking Book, is Carol.

Happy Holidays!

272 thoughts to “Whole Grain Christmas Stollen”

  1. I have this years past but lost recipe when I was defrauded out of my home…..would love to make again for my church’s social hour on Christmas day…I lost much of my bread making equipment and would love to win this

  2. Oooooo Christmas stollen! My mother in law used to make a loaf for each of her 5 kids, we all gobbled it up so quickly! Now she no longer bakes, I’ll have to try your recipe and make a loaf for her!
    Thank you!

  3. Have seen your books on Amazon and actually have them in my wish list! Am just getting back into baking bread again and love your recipes.

  4. Your book has become my new Bible. My goal is to try every recipe, and I am half way there!!
    I have given a copy of your book to several friends as gifts. They kept asking for my “Recipe” Now they have their own copy!!

  5. Getting started baking my own bread one a more regular basis. In the past only baked bread for special occasions.

  6. Such a fun and generous giveaway! I’m still pretty new in the land of dough, but my goodness would these be some awesome additions to my little kitchen. Merry Christmas! This recipe also looks delicious!

  7. Looks stunning! I wished I’d looked for this sooner, so I could take it to a party tomorrow… Oh well, I’ll make and take it to another Christmas gathering next week. Thanks for sharing all the amazing recipes in your books & on your site. It took me a few tries to get it consistently good, but I now bake Abin5 at least twice a week, and have dough in my fridge always. I find it so gratifying to create something that looks so great, and tastes even better.

  8. This recipe looks delicious and so beautiful. I was baking a boule today and was curious to see what’s going on here at your site. Love Emily Henry! Would definitely help add to my baking essenitals!

  9. I’ve been baking for years, but over the past 9 years I’ve started baking more due to the interest of my granddaughter who is 9 years old. The stollen looks like a new recipe we could make for the holidays. We love to bake and we also learn new dances during the rising time

  10. I was just making a shopping list for my brioche dough stollen and thought I would check to see if I’d missed anything in my scribbled notes. I never thought of making a whole wheat one, but did find the post interesting. I think I’ll stick with my one eggy decadent bread for the year and do some healthier bread later!

    Thanks again for helping with my slow cooker bread a few years ago. It was the only way I could bake in Virginia in the middle of summer without heating the whole house.

  11. I love all of my Emile Henry baking dishes! Thank you for the chance to win! The recipes look so delicious, I can’t wait to try them this week!!! Thanks again!

  12. I cut the recipe for No-knead artisan free form loaf off a bag of Gold Medal Flour. I’m getting ready to try it now since my family is coming in for the holidays. I look forward to several days of freshly baked bread

  13. Just purchased your book, Artisan Bread In Five, and love it!!! I’m currently planning to make the monkey bread for Christmas morning. Ive been reading your book and engaged in your website and Facebook page – thank you so much for your inspiring work!
    Emile Henry Is one of my favorite brands. I own a few of their pieces and love them. I’d love to own the covered loaf baker, count me in for the contest!

  14. This looks AMAZING!! Totally making it for the holidays. Just have to say, we are homemade bread addicts and I now make all of our bread thanks to you!! Can’t tell you enough how much I adore your books. I most often bake from Healthy Bread in 5 Min a Day and love love love raising my boys on healthy bread that they go nuts for. Just made your carrot bread and we can’t stop eating it! THANK YOU!!!!

  15. Hello! I have bought couple of your books and was looking for the white flour version of a Christmas Stollen! What would the recipe be? Do you think I could just replace the whole wheat flour for all-purpose flour? I guess adpting the water would be necessary? Thank you. I am enjoying all your books!

  16. In traditional Stollen the fruits and nuts are soaked in the alcohol the night before making the bread. I would suggest that step when making this recipe.

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