This easy sourdough stollen recipe features a sweet sourdough dough filled with golden raisins, almonds, orange zest, and warm Christmastime spices. It’s also stuffed with homemade marzipan and then topped with powdered sugar after it comes out of the oven.
As far as show-stopping Christmas breads go, this one is very easy to make. Even if you make a few mistakes along the way, your sourdough stollen will still look and taste amazing.
Ingredients You’ll Need for Sourdough Stollen
Main Dough Ingredients
- All-Purpose Flour: I used the red bag of King Arthur all-purpose flour for this recipe. You can use any plain white all-purpose flour that contains around 10-11% protein.
- Whole Milk: Whole milk gives the stollen dough a softness and richness.
- White Sugar: White sugar provides just a touch of straightforward sweetness to the dough.
- Sourdough Starter: You’ll need a 100% hydration sourdough starter for this recipe (fed with equal parts water and all-purpose flour).
- Salt: I used Kosher salt for this recipe, but sea salt or plain table salt will also work well.
- Softened Butter: You’ll need one stick (1/2 cup or 113 grams) of softened butter for this recipe. To soften a refrigerated stick of butter, I like to dice the butter into cubes and let the cubes come to room temperature slowly.
Fruit and Nut Mixture
- Golden Raisins: Golden raisins, or “sultanas” in the UK, are typically sweeter than purple raisins and they go great in this bread. They soak up the orange juice and citrus zest and taste wonderful.
- Slivered Almonds: Slivered almonds are relatively easy to find in small packs in the grocery store, and they toast up wonderfully when this bread is baked.
- Ground Cinnamon: Cinnamon will bring a familiar warmth to the fruit and nut mixture that’s inside of the sourdough stollen dough.
- Ground Nutmeg: Ground nutmeg will provide a warm, spicy flavor that many people associate with the Christmas season.
- Orange Juice: You’ll need the juice from two small oranges.
- Orange Zest: You’ll also need the zest from two oranges, and it’s best to zest them with a microplane-style zester if you have one.
- Lemon Zest: You’ll need the zest from one lemon.
- Vanilla Extract: Vanilla brings a touch of complex sweetness to this bread as it soaks into the fruit and nut mixture.
Homemade Marzipan
- Almond Flour: I used a pack of finely ground almond flour from the grocery store (sometimes labeled as “superfine”). Almond flour will blend with powdered sugar and egg white to create a deliciously sweet concoction known as marzipan.
- Powdered Sugar: You’ll use an equal amount by weight of powdered sugar (confectioner’s sugar) and almond flour.
- Egg White: You’ll just need the white from one medium egg for this recipe.
Topping
- Melted Butter: You’ll brush the baked stollens with melted butter directly after baking but before sprinkling with sugar.
- White Sugar: After the butter, you’ll sprinkle your stollens with plain, white granulated sugar.
- Powdered Sugar: After the breads have cooled, you’ll top them with a generous dusting of powdered sugar which will resemble snow on top of the bread.
Note: See recipe card below for full ingredient amounts and quantities.
Substitutions and Additions
- Using water to supplement the orange juice: If your two oranges don’t yield 75 grams of juice, you can use water to make up the difference.
- Using rum as a soaking liquid: If you want to soak your fruit and nut mixture in rum, as is traditional in many recipes, simply replace 42 grams of the orange juice with 42 grams of dark rum or spiced rum (i.e. 42 grams of spiced rum + 33 grams of orange juice = 75 grams of total liquid).
Ingredient Amounts
Starter Feeding
- Sourdough Starter, leftover – 25 grams
- Water – 100 grams
- All-Purpose Flour – 100 grams
Main Dough
- All-Purpose Flour – 400 grams
- Whole Milk – 200 grams
- White Sugar – 75 grams
- Sourdough Starter, active – 200 grams
- Salt – 10 grams
- Softened Butter – 113 grams (1/2 cup)
Fruit and Nut Mixture
- Golden Raisins – 150 grams
- Slivered Almonds – 64 grams
- Ground Cinnamon – 2 grams (1 tsp)
- Ground Nutmeg – 1 gram (1/2 tsp)
- Orange Zest – From two oranges
- Lemon Zest – From one lemon
Homemade Marzipan
- Almond Flour – 100 grams
- Powdered Sugar – 100 grams
- Egg White – 35 grams, the white from one medium egg
Topping
- Melted Butter – 28 grams (2 Tbsp)
- White Sugar – 26 grams (2 Tbsp)
- Powdered Sugar – 30 grams (1/4 cup), or as much as desired
Suggested Timeline
| Time | Step |
|---|---|
| 10:00 PM (Day 1) | Feeding the Sourdough Starter |
| 6:00 AM (Day 2) | Making the Fruit and Nut Mixture |
| 6:10 AM | Mixing the Dough |
| 6:40 AM | Adding the Fruit and Nuts |
| 6:50 AM | The First Rise (Bulk Fermentation) |
| 4:50 PM | Cold Proof in the Fridge |
| 6:00 AM (Day 3) | Making the Marzipan |
| 6:15 AM | Dividing and Shaping |
| 6:30 PM | The Second Rise (Final Proof) |
| 9:30 AM | Baking |
| 10:15 AM | Cooling |
| 11:15 AM | Topping |
How to Make Easy Sourdough Stollen
Step-by-Step Instructions
Feeding the Sourdough Starter
In the evening, remove 25 grams of sourdough starter from the fridge and feed it 100 grams of all-purpose flour and 100 grams of water, mixing until it reaches a pancake batter-like consistency. Cover loosely and let the starter ferment at room temperature overnight (for 6-8 hours) or until doubled in size. In the morning, the starter should be doubled in size and ready to use in your stollen dough.
Making the Fruit and Nut Mixture
Before you mix the sourdough stollen dough, prepare the fruit and nut mixture ahead of time so that it has at least 30 minutes to rest. To a small mixing bowl, add the golden raisins, slivered almonds, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon zest, and orange zest. Then, add the orange juice and vanilla extract. Mix the ingredients together to combine, then cover and let sit until your dough is ready.
Mixing the Dough
To a large mixing bowl add the whole milk, white sugar, sourdough starter, and salt. Stir thoroughly with a spoon to combine. Next, add all of the all-purpose flour and combine to form a very rough dough. When a rough dough is formed, add all of the softened butter on top of the dough and squeeze the butter into the dough with your hands to combine. Then, knead the dough on your countertop for two minutes until the dough holds together but is still rough and cracked on the surface. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
Adding the Fruit and Nuts
After the dough has rested for a half hour, it’s time to add the fruit and nut mixture in thirds. Uncover the dough and flatten it gently inside of the mixing bowl with your fingertips. Add the soaked fruit and nut mixture into the dough in three stages, folding the dough over itself between each addition to trap the fruit inside. Finish by folding the dough several more times to distribute all of the fruit evenly and to further develop the gluten in the dough. Then flip the dough over so that it is seam-side down and smooth-side up in the mixing bowl. Shape the dough into a ball and cover it up with plastic wrap so that the dough doesn’t dry out while it’s rising.
The First Rise (Bulk Fermentation)
Let the sourdough stollen dough rise at room temperature for 6-12 hours, or until it roughly doubles in size. The dough is very heavily enriched and full of fruit and nuts, so it may take a long time to rise, especially if your kitchen is cold.
Note: At a 68°F room temperature, my dough took 10 hours to rise to double in size.
Cold Proof in the Fridge
Once the dough has risen to double in size, transfer the covered dough to the refrigerator and let it rise in the cold environment for 8-24 hours. Take it out of the fridge the next day whenever you’re ready to shape the dough.
Making the Marzipan
The next day, just before you take your dough out of the fridge, prepare the homemade marzipan. In a small mixing bowl, add the almond flour, powdered sugar, and one egg white. Mix together with a fork until the mixture looks like crumbly, wet sand. Squeeze the marzipan dough with your hands so that it sticks together, and then knead it by hand on the counter for 1-2 minutes until the marzipan holds together as a solid dough. Roll the dough into a long log, about 12 inches long. Then, cut the log into two equally sized pieces, around 6 inches in length. Set the marzipan logs aside until your dough has been shaped.
Dividing and Shaping
Remove the cold dough from the fridge and divide it into two equally sized pieces with a bench scraper or chef’s knife. To shape each piece of dough, take a piece of dough in your hands and squeeze the cut side closed and form the dough into a ball. Then, flatten the ball of dough on the counter with you hands.
Roll the flattened ball of dough with a rolling pin so the center is thinner than the ends, and then place a marzipan log near one edge of the dough (cutting off the ends of the marzipan if needed in order to fit). Fold the dough over itself like a taco to fully encase the marzipan inside of the dough. Then, press and seal the edges of the dough to create a classic stollen shape and to keep the dough from opening up in the oven while the bread bakes. Repeat this process with both sourdough stollen loaves.
The Second Rise (Final Proof)
Transfer the stollen loaves onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Cover the loaves with plastic wrap to keep them from drying out while rising, then let the loaves rise at room temperature for 2-3 hours, or until noticeably puffy.
Baking, Cooling, and Topping
30 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C) with one of the racks placed in the center of the oven.
When the oven is preheated and the doughs have risen, slide the sheet pan onto the middle rack of the oven and bake the stollens for 35-45 minutes.
When done, the stollens should look golden brown on the outside and the almonds should be slightly toasted. Take the stollens out of the oven and brush the tops with melted butter using a pastry brush. Then, sprinkle one tablespoon of white sugar on top of each bread. Transfer the stollens to a cooling rack and let them cool for at least one hour before brushing them generously with powdered sugar. Slice into a loaf of sourdough stollen right away to enjoy small slices of Germany’s favorite sweet, spiced, fruity, tangy, soft and crunchy Christmas bread.
Sourdough Stollen
This easy sourdough stollen recipe features a sweet sourdough dough filled with golden raisins, almonds, orange zest, and warm Christmastime spices. It’s also stuffed with homemade marzipan and then topped with powdered sugar after it comes out of the oven.
Ingredients
Starter Feeding
- Sourdough Starter, leftover – 25 grams
- Water – 100 grams
- All-Purpose Flour – 100 grams
Main Dough
- All-Purpose Flour – 400 grams
- Whole Milk – 200 grams
- White Sugar – 75 grams
- Sourdough Starter, active – 200 grams
- Salt – 10 grams
- Softened Butter – 113 grams (1/2 cup)
Fruit and Nut Mixture
- Golden Raisins – 150 grams
- Slivered Almonds – 64 grams
- Ground Cinnamon – 2 grams (1 tsp)
- Ground Nutmeg – 1 gram (1/2 tsp)
- Orange Zest – From two oranges
- Lemon Zest – From one lemon
Homemade Marzipan
- Almond Flour – 100 grams
- Powdered Sugar – 100 grams
- Egg White – 35 grams, the white from one medium egg
Topping
- Melted Butter – 28 grams (2 Tbsp)
- Melted Butter – 28 grams (2 Tbsp)
- White Sugar – 26 grams (2 Tbsp)
- White Sugar – 26 grams (2 Tbsp)
- Powdered Sugar – 30 grams (1/4 cup), or as much as desired
- Powdered Sugar – 30 grams (1/4 cup), or as much as desired
Instructions
Feeding the Sourdough Starter
In the evening, remove 25 grams of sourdough starter from the fridge and feed it 100 grams of all-purpose flour and 100 grams of water, mixing until it reaches a pancake batter-like consistency. Cover loosely and let the starter ferment at room temperature overnight (for 6-8 hours) or until doubled in size. In the morning, the starter should be doubled in size and ready to use in your stollen dough.
Making the Fruit and Nut Mixture
Before you mix the sourdough stollen dough, prepare the fruit and nut mixture ahead of time so that it has at least 30 minutes to rest. To a small mixing bowl, add the golden raisins, slivered almonds, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon zest, and orange zest. Then, add the orange juice and vanilla extract. Mix the ingredients together to combine, then cover and let sit until your dough is ready.
Mixing the Dough
To a large mixing bowl add the whole milk, white sugar, sourdough starter, and salt. Stir thoroughly with a spoon to combine. Next, add all of the all-purpose flour and combine to form a very rough dough. When a rough dough is formed, add all of the softened butter on top of the dough and squeeze the butter into the dough with your hands to combine. Then, knead the dough on your countertop for two minutes until the dough holds together but is still rough and cracked on the surface. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
Adding the Fruit and Nuts
After the dough has rested for a half hour, it’s time to add the fruit and nut mixture in thirds. Uncover the dough and flatten it gently inside of the mixing bowl with your fingertips. Add the soaked fruit and nut mixture into the dough in three stages, folding the dough over itself between each addition to trap the fruit inside. Finish by folding the dough several more times to distribute all of the fruit evenly and to further develop the gluten in the dough. Then flip the dough over so that it is seam-side down and smooth-side up in the mixing bowl. Shape the dough into a ball and cover it up with plastic wrap so that the dough doesn’t dry out while it’s rising.
The First Rise (Bulk Fermentation)
Let the sourdough stollen dough rise at room temperature for 6-12 hours, or until it roughly doubles in size. The dough is very heavily enriched and full of fruit and nuts, so it may take a long time to rise, especially if your kitchen is cold.
Note: At a 68°F room temperature, my dough took 10 hours to rise to double in size.
Cold Proof in the Fridge
Once the dough has risen to double in size, transfer the covered dough to the refrigerator and let it rise in the cold environment for 8-24 hours. Take it out of the fridge the next day whenever you’re ready to shape the dough.
Making the Marzipan
The next day, just before you take your dough out of the fridge, prepare the homemade marzipan. In a small mixing bowl, add the almond flour, powdered sugar, and one egg white. Mix together with a fork until the mixture looks like crumbly, wet sand. Squeeze the marzipan dough with your hands so that it sticks together, and then knead it by hand on the counter for 1-2 minutes until the marzipan holds together as a solid dough. Roll the dough into a long log, about 12 inches long. Then, cut the log into two equally sized pieces, around 6 inches in length. Set the marzipan logs aside until your dough has been shaped.
Dividing and Shaping
Remove the cold dough from the fridge and divide it into two equally sized pieces with a bench scraper or chef’s knife. To shape each piece of dough, take a piece of dough in your hands and squeeze the cut side closed and form the dough into a ball. Then, flatten the ball of dough on the counter with you hands.
Roll the flattened ball of dough with a rolling pin so the center is thinner than the ends, and then place a marzipan log near one edge of the dough (cutting off the ends of the marzipan if needed in order to fit). Fold the dough over itself like a taco to fully encase the marzipan inside of the dough. Then, press and seal the edges of the dough to create a classic stollen shape and to keep the dough from opening up in the oven while the bread bakes. Repeat this process with both sourdough stollen loaves.
The Second Rise (Final Proof)
Transfer the stollen loaves onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Cover the loaves with plastic wrap to keep them from drying out while rising, then let the loaves rise at room temperature for 2-3 hours, or until noticeably puffy.
Baking, Cooling, and Topping
30 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C) with one of the racks placed in the center of the oven.
When the oven is preheated and the doughs have risen, slide the sheet pan onto the middle rack of the oven and bake the stollens for 35-45 minutes.
When done, the stollens should look golden brown on the outside and the almonds should be slightly toasted. Take the stollens out of the oven and brush the tops with melted butter using a pastry brush. Then, sprinkle one tablespoon of white sugar on top of each bread. Transfer the stollens to a cooling rack and let them cool for at least one hour before brushing them generously with powdered sugar. Slice into a loaf of sourdough stollen right away to enjoy small slices of Germany’s favorite sweet, spiced, fruity, tangy, soft and crunchy Christmas bread.