Ten years ago, most British consumers had never heard the word Christstollen, or Stollen for short.
Risen and ready for the oven, but not very appetising yet
Once upon a time there were just four ingredients
Stollen was invented in Dresden, but its production is now worldwide
Nicely dressed, ready for action.
The UK – and even the wider world – has profited from Germany’s Christmas traditions over the years, and Stollen is just the latest import. Twenty years ago you might have found this German recipe in speciality delicatessens, but now that we have the likes of Aldi and Lidl surreptitiously slipping German produce into our shopping baskets, and now that we have German Christmas Markets invading our town centres, Stollen is very much here to stay.
For the uninitiated, Stollen is a bread-like fruitcake whose shape is meant to symbolise the baby Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes. It is made with yeast, water and flour, with candied orange peel and candied citrus peel, raisins, almonds and spices such as cardamom and cinnamon added to the dough. Other popular additions are sugar, butter, vanilla and marzipan, but any deviation from the traditional recipe automatically disqualifies the product from the official AOC, the Stollen Schutzverband (an association of Stollen bakers).
Only 150 bakers belong to this association, and they’re all in the Dresden area, for this is the city where Stollen was originally created, over 500 years ago. That original recipe (first documented in 1474) was very different to the product we know now. Composed of just flour, oats and water, it was the sort of thing you might use to hold doors open, but in those days advent was a time of fasting, and more luxurious ingredients were forbidden.
A bread-like fruitcake whose shape is meant to symbolise the baby Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes
After several unsuccessful approaches to various Popes, Innocent VIII finally granted the use of butter in Stollen in a letter to Saxony’s Prince Elector, but this “Butter-Letter” only granted the use of butter to the Prince-Elector and his family and household. Others had to pay a fine, which was why experimentation started with different kinds of animal fats instead, pork fat and beef fat in particular. Eventually the whole butter issue was resolved when Saxony became Protestant, so Martin Luther (see the text on the great man) was indirectly responsible for putting Stollen on the world map.
These days the various bakeries in and around Dresden have their own variations on the recipe, and they still tend to be less rich and sweet than the sort you’d find in supermarkets. Some will also bake loaves brought in by some local families, who still prefer to mix their own recipe at home. Every year they also elect the Dresden Stollen Girl, who has to be a more-or-less scrumptious third year apprentice baker, pastry-cook or salesperson, and who becomes the ambassador for Dresden Stollen.
Find more information on Dresden Stollen.
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FAQs
Expensive ingredients like almonds, nuts, raisins, orange peel, essence of rose and rum were imported. Because the coronation occurred during the Christmas season, the bakers shaped the loaves to resemble a baby in swaddling clothes in respect for the Christ Child. Ask any baker: Stollen is a labor of love.
What's the best way to eat stollen? ›
Serve sliced with good coffee, spreading on butter if it seems too dry. It can't be toasted, but a very light microwaving, so it is just warmed, can be very rewarding because the spices are energised to share their fragrances.
What does stollen mean in Germany? ›
Stollen (German: [ˈʃtɔlən] or German: [ʃtɔln]) is a fruit bread of nuts, spices, and dried or candied fruit, coated with powdered sugar or icing sugar and often containing marzipan. It is a traditional German Christmas bread.
Do Aldi sell stollen? ›
Holly Lane Marzipan Stollen 750g | ALDI.
How long can you keep Christmas stollen? ›
If stored in a cool and dry place such as a bread box or drawer, your stollen will last for months.
Why do Germans eat stollen on Christmas? ›
Stollen also has religious symbolism, with the loaf of bread symbolising Christ's body. It represents the baby Jesus wrapped in swaddling garments by being coated with powdered sugar. As a result, it is also known as Christ Stollen or Christstollen.
Does stollen contain alcohol? ›
Stollen is a kind of fruit bread, made from a leavened dough, containing almonds, raisins, and special spices, and coated in powdered sugar. Many stollen bakers in Dresden also include a bit of alcohol, although there are also alcohol-free varieties which include marzipan and chocolate, for example.
What does German stollen taste like? ›
Stollen is a cake-like fruit bread made with yeast and flour and although it is sweet it does not have to include a lot of sugar. The sweetness comes from the orange and lemon zest, the dried fruits and raisins and the rich taste comes from the butter and nuts.
Is panettone and stollen the same thing? ›
Although their different shapes and textures suggest otherwise, panettone (tall and light) and stollen (long and dense) are made from a basic butter- and sugar-enriched yeast dough. Panettone typically contains candied orange peel and raisins; traditional stollen had candied lemon peel and dried cherries as well.
Do you eat stollen for breakfast? ›
Serving the Stollen
People enjoy eating stollen in many ways and at many times. Traditionally stollen is sliced and served as is with breakfast, although some people prefer to warm individual slices in a toaster or a microwave.
Stollen is basically a yeast-based fruit cake with lots of sugar, butter, raisins, rum aroma and powdered sugar. Traditionally there is also high fructose corn sirup involved, so not exactly what you would call a healthy treat (but pretty delicious tbh).
Do Jews eat stollen? ›
The resulting product, called stollen in it's most generic form, was originally of Jewish origin, and was eaten throughout the Hanukkah season.
What is the most famous stollen? ›
Saxony's World Famous Delicacy. The Dresdner Christstollen is a piece of cultural history, a centuries-old baking tradition, a prevailing passion and, above all, a delicious treat. For centuries, Dresden's bakers and pastry makers have kept up this tradition, passing it on from generation to generation.
