Directions

1. Prepare the fruit

   Place raisins, candied orange peel, candied lemon peel and lemon zest in a bowl. Pour rum or warm water over them and let soak while preparing the dough. This keeps the fruit juicy and prevents dryness.

2. Make the yeast base

   Warm the milk until lukewarm. Mix with the yeast and one tablespoon of the sugar. Let it stand for a few minutes until slightly foamy.

3. Prepare the dough

   Mix flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, vanilla and ground almonds in a large bowl.
   Add the soft butter, egg and the yeast mixture. Knead until a smooth, elastic dough forms.
   The dough should be soft but not sticky — add a tiny bit of flour if necessary.

4. Add the fruit

   Drain the soaked fruit if needed and gently press out excess moisture.
   Knead the fruit mixture into the dough until evenly distributed.

5. First rise

   Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm place for about 1–1.5 hours, until slightly puffed and relaxed.
   Stollen dough does not need to double — a gentle rise is enough.

6. Shape the stollen

   Place the dough on a lightly floured surface.
   Form it into a long oval.
   Press a shallow groove lengthwise into the dough and fold one side over so the classic Stollen shape forms.

7. Second rest

   Place the shaped stollen on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and let it rest for 20 minutes while the oven heats up.

8. Bake

   Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F).
   Bake the Stollen for 55–65 minutes, until golden and firm on top.
   If it browns too quickly, cover lightly with foil.

9. Coat with butter & sugar

   Immediately after baking, brush the entire hot Stollen generously with melted butter.
   Dust heavily with powdered sugar while still warm, creating the iconic “snowy” coating.

10. Cool

    Let the Stollen cool completely on a rack.
    Optional (but traditional): once cooled, wrap it tightly in foil and let it rest for several days — the flavor improves dramatically.