Original German Butter Stollen Thuringia Style

This recipe for the original butter stollen Thuringia style is an authentic recipe from Germany.  In the region of Thuringia or Thüringen this special stollen is a local specialty for Christmas. It can be named only “Stollen from Thuringia” if there is a certification based upon very strict qualifications! That’s Germany. You gotta love it because of the traditions! Happy Baking!

Ingredients Original German Butter Stollen

500 g flour, all purpose
100 ml milk, warm
42 g fresh yeast or 1 package dry active yeast
275 g butter, sweet, unsalted
75 g caster sugar
1 package vanilla sugar – 0.5oz – How to make Vanilla Sugar –
1 tsp salt
lemon zest from 1 lemon (organic)
300 g raisins
8 cl dark rum
75 g almonds, chopped
50 g Zitronat – candied lemon and orange peel – How to make Orangeat and Zitronat from Scratch –
25 g Orangeat
50 g butter, sweet, unsalted, melted
2 tbsp caster sugar, to sprinkle
1 cup powdered sugar and 1 tbsp corn or potato starch for dusting

Baking Instructions Original German Butter Stollen

IMPORTANT
All ingredients should be used when having room temperature! Before baking place them for a while on your kitchen counter. If you use raisins baking process starts 24 hours earlier because you soak them in rum!

– Wash raisins, drain them, mix with rum,  and place in a covered container for at least 24 hrs. You may shake the container several times. The rum should be soaked up completely by the raisins.

– When the raisins are done the actual baking will start!
– Place flour in a big bowl, make a deep mold, and add yeast into the mold, followed by the milk. Mix with some flour until you get a soft pre-dough.
– Cover this dough with a kitchen cloth and let rise for 30-90 min. Check if the volume has doubled. The surface should show visibly crackling.

– Meanwhile boil water and pour it over almonds. Let sit for 5 min, then drain thoroughly. Add almonds later to the dough.

– When dough has risen enough, add butter, sugar, salt, vanilla sugar and lemon zest.
– Knead the dough with your hands until it is smooth.
– Cover dough  and let raise for 30 min.

– Add almonds, raisins  and candied peel.
– Form the dough to a Stollen. You might want to add some more flour if needed (if it is too moist).

– Pre-heat oven to 180 C or 355 F.
– Place stollen on a cold baking tray layered with parchment paper.
– Spread cold water on the Stollen surface.
– Reduce temperature to 330 F.
– Bake for about 60 min. Maybe you have to adjust the baking temperature. If the Stollen is too dark, it might be too dry. If it is too light, it might not be done inside.

– When Stollen is done brush melted butter on top, and dust with powdered sugar. Don’t move the Stollen as it is very fragile. Keep it on the baking tray. Next day place a thick layer of the starch-powdered sugar mix on top. Using starch prevents that the sugar turns yellow.

– Let the Stollen sit for some days like 2-3 days). Some say it is best after 1 week. Keep the Stollen in aluminum foil or in a big freezing bag.

Note on Using Candied Lemon and Orange: 
The most US products contain high fructose syrup which we don’t recommend. The German products don’t contain this ingredient. Aside, it’s a very unhealthy product.

VARIATIONS

1. How to Make a Marzipan Stollen:
Use 200 g raw marzipan (without candied peel and almonds) that you cut in stripes or as a thin plate. Combine marzipan with the dough, reduce sugar amount to 50g.

2. How to Make an Almond Stollen (without candied peel).
Use additional 150g almonds (ground) for the dough.

3. How to Make a Sweet Almond Stollen.
For this Stollen you won’t use raisins but soak 300g almonds in rum. When the Stollen is ready don’t add sugar or butter on top, nor dust the Stollen with powdered sugar.

Mixed Candied Peel from Amazon