Best Dresdner Stollen German Christmas Fruitcake Recipes

DRESDNER STOLLEN (GERMAN CHRISTMAS FRUITCAKE)

Steps:

• Soak the raisins, black currants, almonds, candied citron, and orange peel in the rum. Set aside.
• Get a large bowl, the largest bowl you have. Measure and sift the flour into the bowl.
• Dissolve the yeast in 400ml warm milk.
• Make a well in the center of the flour. Add a pinch of salt to the yeast mixture, stir, then pour the yeast into the well.
• Form into a very dry dough and allow it to rise for 10-15 minutes.
• Cut the vanilla bean down the center and scrape out the vanilla seeds. Add the sugar to the seeds, then add the zested lemon peel, salt, and eggs. Beat together and (once the 15 minute rise is done) knead into the dough.
• Allow the dough to rise another 15 minutes.
• While the dough is rising, knead the remaining 200g of flour into the butter.
• Once the rise is finished, knead the butter into the dough. Allow to rise another 15 minutes.
• Once the rise is finished, preheat the oven to 390°F.
• Quickly work the rum-soaked fruit and nuts into the dough until they are evenly distributed.
• Form the dough into two 30cm (about 1 foot) long loaves. Traditionally, the middle is thicker than the sides. Place the dough onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets and allow to rise until doubled in size (about 20 minutes).
• Bake the loaves for about an hour (you may need to rotate the loaves halfway through). The bread is done when a toothpick comes out clean.
• Coat the bread with the melted butter, then, using a sieve, dust with powdered sugar.
• Allow to cool, then slice.

DRESDNER CHRISTMAS STOLLEN (FORMER GDR)

Steps:

• All ingredients need to be at room temperature.
• Sift flour into a very large bowl, make a well in the middle, keep 1 c flour.
• Mix 2/3 of the handwarm milk with the yeast and add a bit of sugar.
• Pour into the flour well.
• Cover with a damp towel and let rise at a warm, draft-free location for 20 minutes or the yeast foams up.
• In the meantime, mix remaining ingredients (except the last 3).
• Knead the yeast and flour into a dough.
• Add the yeast dough to the fruit-date mix and knead, until the dough doesn't stick to the hands any more (you might need extra flour, but not too much).
• Let rest at a warm location for a minimum of 2 hours, but not too warm, for the fat not to "sweat out".
• Divide dough into 2 equal parts, knead again and form into oval shapes.
• Press down a wooden stick lengthwise the shape, marking the oval into a 2/3 wide part and a 1/3 wide part (don't separate the 2 parts!).
• Flip 1/3 part over the depression onto the 2/3 wide part, so it looks like a long turnover, with the rims not meeting, but the top rim being some way over the middle.
• Preheat oven to about 375°F.
• Let Stollen rest on baking sheet and rise for 30 minutes.
• Bake for about 1 hour at 370°F.
• Tap the top and if it sounds hollow, take the Stollen out immediately.
• Brush with butter and powder very generously with sugar mix.
• After cooling completely, wrap tightly with Saran wrap and let sit in a cool, dark place for 1 week.
• Powder with sugar a second time before serving.
• To serve, cut in 1/2-inch slices.
• Do not add too much sugar, as it will spread the Stollen too flat.
• This is a very work-intensive recipe and not suitable for an unexperienced baker.