German Stollen-Inspired Bread

Traditionally prepared stollen, depending on the recipe and method, can take more than a day to prepare. This German Stollen-Inspired Bread makes use of the flavours associated with stollen but cuts back drastically on the time it usually takes. Steep the ingredients with rum or make it alcohol-free with apple juice instead.

Stollen is a popular German confection in the form of a loaf or a bread. Authentically, a stollen is prepared with a yeasted type of bread base. In the case of this German Stollen Inspired Bread, I wanted to capture all of the flavours and textures of an authentic stollen, but I wanted to keep it simple and easy by switching out the yeasted bread for a cake-style base instead! Please note, I am not suggesting that this bread is a substitute for the real thing. It is merely inspired by it!

Whenever I bake any type of confection for a series, I want to include recipes that will appeal to everyone. That doesn’t mean that everyone will love every single recipe in the series. What I mean by that is that the series will have something for everyone. In the case of this stollen, I’m trying to appeal to those of us who love a loaf or bread that is loaded with dried or candied nuts and fruits.

I’m going to tell you all about this recipe and how you can make it in your home this holiday season. But first, I want to tell you about what you can expect from Lord Byron’s Kitchen this Christmas. Over the past seven Christmases, I have built a reputation for sharing series-type recipes. The most popular would be my annual 24 Cookies of Christmas, which was fashioned after an advent calendar. But, I have others that are only 12 days, which were fashioned after the 12 Days of Christmas.

Before we get to a list of ingredients and instructions for today’s recipe, let me tell you about this series and more! Welcome, Dear Reader, to my second Christmas series this holiday season! I’m calling this series Lord Byron’s 12 Holiday Breads and Loaves.

Just like every other series that I’ve shared over the years, this one will also see a new recipe shared each day for the next 12 days – even on Saturday and Sunday! You might be asking yourself, how many Christmas recipes could one possibly have or need? Well, I say you can never have too much of a good thing. And, I love having lots of choices. Who wants to prepare the same holiday recipes year after year?

SUBSCRIBE NOW SO THAT YOU NEVER MISS OUT ON NEW RECIPES!

So, welcome, Dear Reader, to Lord Byron’s 12 Holiday Breads and Loaves Series! Even though this is the second series for this holiday season, you can always look back at previous years if you just cannot wait until the next recipe is published. Also, some of my favourite recipe collections from previous years are my 75 Homemade Gifts from Your Kitchen, my 50 Make Ahead Freezer Friendly Christmas Recipes, and my 30 No-Bake Christmas Recipes post.

You really don’t want to miss one of these recipes, so if you have not yet subscribed to Lord Byron’s Kitchen, I encourage you to do so. That way, a new recipe will be emailed to you every day. You won’t have to bother to come looking for it! Like in previous holiday recipe countdowns, I like to mix up the recipes in the series so that there is something for everyone. Are you ready!!??

BAKED GOODS MAKE GREAT GIFTS!

This loaf is so perfect for gift-giving, which is just what I did with it. Not only is this loaf great for giving to a friend or loved one, but it’s so easy to package and transport. It might be just me, but is there anyone else out there who loves to receive kitchen-related products as gifts?

If you’d like to gift this loaf to a friend, here’s what you should do. First, buy a new loaf pan and another kitchen item such as a whisk or a spatula. Bring them home, and wash and dry the loaf pan. Then, bake the loaf right into the new pan.

Once baked and cooled, garnish the loaf in any way you deem suitable. Wrap the loaf pan up in some cellophane, tie a ribbon on it, and attach the whisk or spatula. Now, you’ve got a dessert and a gift all in one! I’d love to get something like that; so thoughtful, right!?

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Dried Fruit – You will need two cups worth and can be any combination of raisins, currants, cranberries, apricots, etc.
• Butter – Make sure your butter is at room temperature!
• Salt
• Baking Soda
• Brown Sugar – For sweetness and flavour.
• Rum – You can substitute this with apple juice if you prefer an alcohol-free bread.
• Boiling Water
• Vanilla Extract
• Lemon Zest and Orange Zest
• Flour – No need for anything special. Just use regular all-purpose flour. I have not tried this recipe with any other type of flour.
• Baking Powder
• Ground Nutmeg, Ground Cinnamon, and Ground Cardamom
• Eggs – Make sure the eggs are at room temperature.
• Slivered Almonds
• Confectioner’s Sugar

HOW TO MAKE A GERMAN STOLLEN-INSPIRED BREAD

Place the dried fruit into a large mixing bowl. Add the butter, salt, baking soda, and brown sugar. Pour the rum and water mixture over the ingredients and stir to combine. Set aside to cool.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and prepare a loaf pan by spraying it lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside. (If using a smaller loaf pan, you will get two loaves. Never fill a loaf pan more than 3/4 full.) Once the dried fruit has cooled, add the vanilla extract, orange zest, and lemon zest. Stir to combine. Add the flour, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom, and beaten eggs to the fruit mixture. Using a spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the date mixture. Next, fold in the slivered almonds. Transfer the batter to the loaf pan.

Bake for 35 minutes. Test to see if the loaf is baked by inserting a toothpick into the loaf. If it comes out clean, the loaf is ready. If not, bake for another 5 minutes and test with a toothpick once again. Allow the loaf to cool in the loaf pan for 10 minutes. Remove the loaf from the pan and sit on a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Once fully cooled, dust liberally with confectioner’s sugar.

SERVING YOUR BREAD

Here’s the thing about breads and loaves – they both come from humble beginnings. Even looking at it, you can tell that it isn’t pretty, it isn’t spectacular, and it surely isn’t show-stopping. But, that certainly doesn’t mean that your bread shouldn’t be served with style!

Like scones and biscuits, I think breads lend themselves quite well to what most people would call English Tea. I like to think of English Tea as an afternoon snack. And, afternoon snacks are terribly underrated! I like to partake whenever time permits. Hot coffee and a slice of this German Stollen-Inspired Bread, or any other sweet treat, is a great break from the 9-5 routine.

With the cooler weather approaching, I can’t think of a better way to serve this bread than putting out a full set of tea. Sure, it might seem I have too much time on my hands, but life is short, folks – enjoy it! Take the tea set out of your cabinet, dust it off, and take a well-deserved afternoon break!

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down to follow me and never miss another recipe!