Whole Grain Christmas Stollen
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.
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
Mixing the dough: Dump the flour, Platinum yeast, salt, cardamom, and vital wheat gluten in a Round Food-Storage Container with Lid
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.
On baking day take a 1 1/2 pound (small cantaloupe-size) piece of dough from the bucket.
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.
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
Preheat the oven to 350F degree, with rack in the middle of the oven.
Once it has rested use a pastry brush and cover lightly with egg wash, then bake for 35 to 40 minutes.
Let the loaf cool for about 20 minutes
and then Sprinkle it with confections’ sugar…
Until it is completely covered and looks like snow!
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
Happy Holidays!
I love the idea of a whole wheat version of the Christmas stollen.
I love your website, so seeing this recipe in time for the holidays was perfect!! I almost bought one today but decided it would be so much better homemade–wow-what timing!!!
Would love to try this recipe! Thanks!
I’m new to bread making so these items would really come in handy! The Stollen looks great, I bet it would make a great French Toast!
Amazing. Just amazing. And so continue to bake while on the road in whatever container I can find to mix! Thanks for the gift of bread even when away from home!
Being German, I can’t wait to try out this whole wheat version!
Love this! Oh baking is good!
This looks so good! I keep seeing stollen in stores but it just seems like it would be stale and gross. I’m adding this to my baking list for the weekend!
What a lovely holiday gift. Everyone I know loves the gift of homemade bread!
I’m just getting back into bread baking & this recipe is one I plan on trying for Christmas.
Thanks for sharing great recipes!
Bread is life.
This Stollen recipe looks great and I can’t wait to try it!
What a fantastic recipe and great for the holidays but even better all year long!
This stollen looks great!
I would love to win!
I am excited to say that I have just begun to learn about ABin5. I may bake my first load tomorrow! My husband works at the local library, where I had him check out the book for me. I can’t tell you how I’m anticipating that first bite!
This recipe looks wonderful. I’ve always wanted to try stolen and can’t wait.
This looks delicious! It sounds like a good alternative to the mostly super over-the-top sweets usually found at gatherings. I’ll be makiing it!
Wow, what a great classic recipe (and a fantastic giveaway as well).
Our family loves baking for the holidays. We have family recipes that have been used for the past 75 years. Your Christmas Stollen recipe looks to be a wonderful addition to our family recipe trove!
Thanks for the recipe. I may have to try this for Christams.
recipe looks great
This is going into by Christmas gift basket of baked goods! Thank You! Merry Christmas!
I love the recipes I find on your site. Thank you for your Artisan in 5 book, it has introduced
me to the world of bread baking, and I’m hooked!
Just tried the five min a day receipt, and fell in love with bread making!! Great book
I just discovered your Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day at the library and am very excited to try your recipes. Fingers crossed that I might be able to win some of the supplies to do so. I look forward to exploring your website as well.
This would be amazing, and definitely get me in gear for holiday baking!
I make the challah from the first HB in 5 for family and friends at Christmas time, thanks for such a great book.
Tanks or the recipe, can’t wait to try it!
This looks great-like my grandmothers. I would love to win the Emile Henry products-they look fantastic! I just started baking your bread and need a pizza stone for sure.
This looks delicious! The stollen is a great Christmas gift idea.
Can another ingredient be used instead if almond paste? Cream cheese or ricotta or any suggestions
I love the almond paste surprise…I can wait to try this.
When I substitute the Brioche dough for the whole wheat doe in the Christmas stolen recipe, should I bake the brioche in a loaf pan as is noted in the brioche recipe ?
I am so excited to try this Stollen recipe!
My German Grandmother used to make this when we were growing up. It makes the whole house smell AMAZING! 🙂
Not sure if I answered already. Happy holiday to both of you.
I just discovered your books! Can’t wait to get started. I was wondering if the No Knead Sandwich rolls (which I found on the King Arthur site and I think may be your recipe) can be used as dinner rolls? Not sure if the texture of the bread is good for that or not.
Can’t wait to try the stollen with the whole wheat dough!
Delicious.
Will be trying this next weekend. And what about this gigantic giveaway? Just found your sight through FreshLoaf. Been baking in a friend’s wood fired oven over the past year and would love to share a prize with the group.
I love to bake and this recipe looks delicious, something I will definitely try.
This bread looks delicious!
Yum! Thanks for sharing
Just love your books and Craftsy class ; thanks for another fabulous recipe ….and an even more fabulous give away !!
Lovely recipe!
This looks lovely and such a nice gift for special friends. We just replaced our ovens last week after being without for over a year. I am so looking forward to tasty breads on a regular basis again.
The first thing we made was artisan pizza from the pizza/flat bread book. The toppings and sauce don’t matter a whit if you haven’t got the right crust. My personal favorite pizza is home smoked Alaskan salmon with spinach with a light garlic based sauce on a thin crispy crust.
I have not made home baked bread in years and have wanted to start again making these kinds of bread. Would love all the help I can get!!
Love baking bread with whole grains
I’d love to try the Stollen this Christmas!
I think Oprah said it best — “I love bread.” I just haven’t been able to get the texture and taste right. I took a Sourdough class — which was fabulous, but it didn’t work when I got home. I’m going to order your book and video as a present for myself this year! Thanks!