Christmas Sourdough Stollen You Need To Try!

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What screams Christmas more than a traditional Christmas sourdough recipe? Well, I guess Christmas cookies and other Christmas bread recipes, but if you have not ever tried Christmas sourdough bread, you are TOTALLY missing out! Please read further to learn about how to make a traditional Christmas sourdough stollen recipe from Germany. If you like sourdough bread, you’re in for a treat!

 

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What Is Sourdough Stollen?

So, you may be wondering what is sourdough stollen.

 

Stollen is a German Christmas bread that many households bake during Christmas time. 

 

It’s filled with candied fruits (or dried fruits), baked in incredible aromatic spices, and covered with a very thick coat of powdered sugar.

 

YUM!

 

Does this sound familiar to you? If it does, you may have seen Christmas stollen at your local Aldi grocery store around Christmas time 😉

 

(Also, FYI, you may have heard sourdough stollen called Christstollen or Weihnachtsstollen.)

 

Although it originated in Germany, it’s become very popular in other parts of the world (even here in the United States).

Many people prefer to buy this bread, but it’s not too difficult to bake (it does take some time, however).

 

 

What Is Sourdough Stollen?

Well, sourdough stollen is different from regular Christmas German stollen bread because it is leavened with sourdough starter instead of yeast. As a result, sourdough stollen does not rise as quickly, but it is still OH SO DELICIOUS!

 

Also, did you know that sourdough bread is actually traditionally OLDER than bread made with commercial yeast? In other words, sourdough bread has been around for a VERY LONG TIME!

 

According to this Taste of Home article, sourdough bread is made with a starter that naturally ferments over time. This creates a natural yeast and the unique, acidic sourdough flavor that many of us love!

 

Please read further to find out how to make easy sourdough stollen bread. But first, a little history lesson about this festive German Christmas bread.

 

German Stollen History

The original sourdough stollen recipes were pretty bland compared to the stollen recipes we find today. Originally, people baked stollen with flour, oats, and water.

 

However, Christmas stollen was baked for the first time using flour, yeast, water, and oil. This was during the Council of Trent in 1545.

 

Now, you may be wondering why they used oil instead of butter.

 

Well, the reason for this is that, during the time of advent, Catholics were not allowed to use butter since they were fasting during the lent season. The problem with using oil is that it resulted in bland and hard bread that did not taste too great for a lot of people.

 

As a result, there were many requests to the pope to have this changed. After being denied several times, it was eventually granted for people to use butter, but they had to pay a fine.

 

Isn’t that crazy?

 

Thank goodness, however, eventually people were permitted to use butter without a penalty or fine. This resulted in the development of a richer German Christmas bread that many people enjoy eating today … not just in Germany but all over the world!

 

Today, there are SEVERAL ways to make stollen. At Aldi, I have seen flavors such as marzipan, cherry, and butter almond.

 

More specifically, here are some of the popular variations of German stollen:

 

• Marzipanstollen (Marzipan)
• Mandelstollen (Almond)
• Mohnstollen (Poppy seed)
• Butterstollen (Butter)
• Nuss-Stollen (Nuts)
• Quarkstollen (Quark (Dairy))

 

Don’t they all sound incredibly delicious!?

 

Other Christmas Recipes from Around the World

 

• Swiss Christmas Cookie Recipes You’ll Need to Try This Year!
• 5 Fantastic Christmas Spiced Cake Recipes You’ll Love
• 5 Christmas Rice Recipes You’ll Love!
• Intriguing Christmas Coffee Drinks Everyone Should Try!
• Christmas Lunch Menu Ideas from South Africa

 

 

Ingredients for Sourdough Stollen

Here is a list of some of the most popular ingredients for a homemade Christmas sourdough stollen recipe:

 

(Remember a typical sourdough stollen recipe does not use yeast … it uses sourdough starter instead).

 

• All-purpose flour
• Sourdough starter
• Sugar
• Rum
• Milk
• Salt
• Dried fruit (i.e. raisins, cranberries)
• Candied orange and/or lemon peels
• Eggs
• Butter
• Cinnamon
• Powdered sugar

 

How to Make Sourdough Stollen

Here are the basic steps for how to make an authentic homemade German Christmas sourdough stollen:

1. Mix together all-purpose flour, sugar, sourdough starter, and milk.
2. Knead the newly formed dough.
3. Allow the dough to rise by putting it in a large covered jar. Let it grow to about double its original size (about 12 hours).
4. Soak candied peels and dried fruit in rum in a bowl. Leave it in the bowl to soak.
5. In a large bowl, add and then mix together the risen dough, sugar, salt, flour, and milk.
6. Knead the dough.
7. Cover the dough and set it aside in a warm place. Let the dough rest for about 1 hour.
8. Uncover the dough and knead some butter into it.
9. Let the dough rest for about another 15 minutes.
10. Uncover the dough and punch the center.
11. Pour the soaked dried fruits into the newly created hole (make sure to drain the excess liquid first).
12. Knead the soaked fruit into the dough so that it is evenly distributed (you can knead the dough on a floured surface).
13. Roll the dough into a rectangular shape until it is about 1 inch thick.
14. Put the dough again into a covered container and let it double in size (about 6 hours).
15. Fold both ends of the dough toward the middle to form what looks like a burrito.
16. Pinch and tuck the ends to make it look smooth.
17. Using the end of your hand, press down the center of the dough to create a hump on each side of your hand.
18. Cover the dough again and let it rest in a warm place for about one more hour.
19. Uncover the dough and place it in a warmed oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 45 minutes (or until it is golden brown).
20. Using a toothpick, poke small holes into the stollen.
21. Brush the bread with melted butter.
22. Sprinkle the stollen with lots of powdered sugar.
23. Let the stollen cool.
24. Slice and EAT!

 

Video on How to Make Sourdough Stollen

Ok, so some of you visual learners out there need a video to help you see what it is like to bake Christmas sourdough stollen.

 

For this reason, I’d invite you to take a look at this WONDERFUL Youtube video below by Foodgeek:

 

 

Now, doesn’t that look SOOO delicious? Mouthwatering!

 

Tips for Your Sourdough Stollen

Here are some useful tips for your homemade sourdough stollen:

1. Make your own candied peels (they taste a WHOLE LOT better).
2. Keep freshly baked stollen tightly wrapped for 2-3 weeks. This will ensure that the dried fruit soaked in rum will have enough time to flow into the bread. (Don’t worry … the alcohol will keep the bread preserved).
3. Freeze the stollen for longer storage.

 

What to Eat with Soughdough Stollen

Depending on your preference, you can eat any of these sourdough stollen recipes with the following:

 

• Honey
• Jam
• Butter

 

Sourdough Stollen FAQs

Here are some answers to frequently asked questions related to sourdough stollen.

 

Why is stollen so good?

Stollen tastes so good because it is moist, sweet, flavored with rum-soaked dried fruits, and baked with aromatic spices.

 

What does stollen bread mean in German?

The literal meaning of stollen is “post” or “boundary stone”. As mentioned previously, it’s a German Christmas bread that you make with spices, dried or candied fruit, powdered sugar, and sometimes nuts and marzipan.

 

What is the most popular stollen in Germany?

The most popular variety of stollen in Germany is the Dresdner stollen, which is specially made according to Dresdner standards.

 

Now, if you’re ever in Dresdner, Germany during Christmas time, you HAVE TO go to the Dresden Stollen festival.

 

There, you will witness a horse-drawn carriage take a GIGANTIC stollen bread through the streets to the Christmas market (Striezelmarkt) where it is cut into smaller pieces and handed out to the crowd.

 

Here, take a look at the video below by AP Archive to learn more about this exciting Christmas event in Germany:

 

 

Final Thoughts On Sourdough Stollen

And that’s a wrap! I hope I’ve inspired you to bake (or at least buy) your own German Christmas sourdough stollen this holiday season! It’s a great Christmas treat either for you or your family. Also, it makes a great gift for your neighbors and friends!

 

Have you ever had sourdough stollen? If so, please let me know your thoughts on it in the comments below!

 

If you’ve never had it before, please let me know if you’ve ever had any of the other Christmas stollen varieties. I’d love to hear from you!