Easy No-Knead Christmas Stollen is filled with dried cranberries, sultanas, almonds, and spices with a rich marzipan filling. Not to mention a heavy dusting of powdered sugar.
German Christmas Stollen is a yeast bread filled with dried fruit, candied citrus peel, nuts, spices, and a ribbon of marzipan down the center. I developed a quick version using rich no-knead bread dough.
Tips:
- This version uses dried cranberries and golden raisins (sultanas), Dark raisins can be substituted.
- Feel free to soak the dried fruit, candied citrus peel, and nuts overnight in 1/4 cup rum rather than rum extract.
- If you can’t find candied citrus peel, or you’d rather not make it, substitute with 2 tablespoons of orange and lemon zest.
- Let the Stollen rest for a day before slicing. Waiting will enhance the flavor of the bread.
- This recipe will make 1 large loaf of bread. The dough can be divided in half to make 2 smaller loaves. Divide the marzipan as well still reserving one of the balls of marzipan for another use.
Making Stollen Dough
- In a large bowl add flour, yeast, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, dried fruit, and candied citrus peel.
- Stir together and set aside.
- In a separate bowl mix eggs, water, rum, and sugar until the sugar has dissolved. Whisk in the melted butter until smooth.
- Add egg mixture into the flour mixture.
- Stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until a mass is formed and no dry flour remains. About 1 minute.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let stand for 10 minutes.
Folding the Dough
- Holding the edge of the dough with your fingertips, fold the dough over its self by gently lifting the dough and folding the dough toward the middle.
- Turn the bowl 45 degrees and fold again a total of 8 times.
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes. Repeat the folding and rising 3 more times.
- After the 4th set of folds cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 16 hours and up to 24 hours.
Making Marzipan
- In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, add almond flour, powdered sugar. Pulse to combine.
- In a small bowl stir together the egg white, almond extract, and rose water.
- With the processor running pour the egg white mixture through the feed tube and process until the ingredients form a ball and spin around inside the bowl.
Shaping and Baking
- Remove dough from the bowl and roll into a 14-inch oval.
- Remove only one of the marzipan balls from the refrigerator and roll into a long log about 1-inch shorter than the dough oval.
- Place the marzipan in the center of the dough.
- Fold each side over the marzipan.
- Press and seal the ends tightly.
- Lightly press the dough along the sides of the marzipan. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 1/2 – 2 hours. Bake in a preheated 350℉ oven for 40-45 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 190℉ and the bread is golden brown.
Baking and Dusting the Stollen
- Remove baked Stollen from the oven.
- Using a toothpick prick the bread all over many times. (40-50)
- Brush the hot bread with the melted butter.
- Using a sieve, sift a generous layer of powdered sugar all over the top and down the sides. Let cool completely before slicing.
No-Knead Christmas Stollen
Easy No-Knead Christmas Stollen is filled with dried cranberries, sultanas, almonds, and spices with a rich marzipan filling.
Ingredients
Dough
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp yeast granulated
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 4 eggs
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 tsp rum extract
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup golden raisins
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds
- 1/4 cup candied orange rind
- 1/4 cup candied lemon rind
Marzipan
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 egg white large
- 2 tsp almond extract
- 1 tsp rose water optional but delicious!
Powdered Sugar Coating
- 1/4 cup butter melted
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
Bread
-
In a large bowl add flour, yeast, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, dried fruit, and candied citrus peel. Stir together and set aside.
-
In a separate bowl mix eggs, water, rum, and sugar until the sugar has dissolved. Whisk in the melted butter until smooth.
-
Add egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until a mass is formed and no dry flour remains. About 1 minute. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let stand for 10 minutes.
-
Holding the edge of the dough with your fingertips, fold the dough over its self by gently lifting the dough and folding the dough toward the middle. Turn the bowl 45 degrees and fold again a total of 8 times. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes. Repeat the folding and rising 3 more times. After the 4th set of folds cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 16 hours and up to 24 hours.
-
Remove dough from the bowl and roll into a 14-inch oval. Remove only one of the marzipan balls from the refrigerator and roll into a long log about 1-inch shorter than the dough oval. Place the marzipan in the center of the dough and fold each side over the marzipan. Lightly press the dough along the sides of the marzipan. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 2 hours.
-
Remove dough from the bowl and roll into a 14-inch oval. Remove only one of the marzipan balls from the refrigerator and roll into a long log about 1-inch shorter than the dough oval. Place the marzipan in the center of the dough. Fold each side over the marzipan. Press and seal the ends tightly. Lightly press the dough along the sides of the marzipan. Place on a parachment-lined baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 1/2 - 2 hours. Bake in a preheated 350℉ oven for 40-45 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 190℉ and the bread is golden brown.
Marzipan
-
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, add almond flour, powdered sugar. Pulse to combine. In a small bowl stir together the egg white, almond extract, and rose water. With the processor running pour the egg white mixture through the feed tube and process until the ingredients form a ball and spin around inside the bowl.
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If the mixture seems to thin and does not form a ball, add additional almond flour 2 tablespoons at a time.
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Remove from food processor and divide in half. Form each half into a ball and place in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm.
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Try very hard NOT to eat the entire batch. It's that good!
Recipe Notes
- This version uses dried cranberries and golden raisins (sultanas), Dark raisins can be substituted.
- Feel free to soak the dried fruit, candied citrus peel, and nuts overnight in 1/4 cup rum rather than rum extract.
- If you can't find candied citrus peel, or you'd rather not make it, substitute with 2 tablespoons of orange and lemon zest.
- Let the Stollen rest for a day before slicing. Waiting will enhance the flavor of the bread.
- This recipe will make 1 large loaf of bread. The dough can be divided in half to make 2 smaller loaves. Divide the marzipan as well still reserving one of the balls of marzipan for another use.
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