Sourdough Stollen

About This Recipe

This Sourdough Stollen is adapted from a recipe I learned from an Austrian pastry chef at my first job out of pasty school. I learned many great recipes from that chef, including my Sacher Torte recipe which is a top recipe on Google.

If you’re a sourdough baker you know that active sourdough starter enhances both the flavor and texture of bread dough.

If you don’t already have one, I can show you how to make a sourdough starter and how to feed a sourdough starter.

If you don’t have a starter yet, in the meantime, you can go ahead an make this Stollen recipe made with commercial yeast.

Ingredients

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

• Active Sourdough Starter – This recipe was developed using a 100% hydration starter. If your starter has a different hydration you will need to adjust the flour or milk to balance the recipe.
• Bread Flour – High protein bread flour makes a dough with enough gluten to hold in the dried fruits while it rises in the oven.
• Raisins/Orange Peel – You can use any mix of dried fruits. If you use larger fruits chop them into 1/2″ bits.
• Rum – The rum is optional. But remember that alcohol enhances other flavors. You can use apple juice or water in place of the liquor.
• Almond Paste – Use almond paste and not marzipan for the filling. Marzipan has a lot of added sugar and will not give the same result as almond paste.

• Combine the raisins and orange peel with the rum and set it aside for at least 3 hours or overnight.
• Combine the active sourdough starter with the scalded and cooled milk and a portion of the bread flour. Set the mixture aside for 30-60 minutes.
• Add the sugar.
• Add the butter and more flour then switch to the dough hook. (You can mix using a spoon and then knead by hand.)

• The dough will start out quite sticky.
• After kneading 5 minutes the dough should cling to the hook and clear the sides of the bowl.
• Set the dough aside at room temperature to ferment.
• Every hour fold the dough. Total fermentation time will be about 3-5 hours.

• Fold the dried fruits into the dough.
• Use plenty of flour to thoroughly knead the fruit into the dough.
• Place the dough in the refrigerator overnight. The dough can be held in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or you can proceed with shaping and baking the loaves the same day.
• To begin shaping the loaves, divide the dough into 2 equal pieces.

• Roll each piece of dough to a 9″x7″ oval. Spread half the almond paste filling over the dough, leaving a 1″ border.
• Fold the dough over the filling, leaving a 1″ border in the front. Use your fingers to seal the seam of the dough.
• Set the loaves aside to rise for 1 1/2-2 hours.
• The rising time will vary based on the temperature of the dough and the ambient temperature. The dough will not double in size but should be noticeably larger and light to the touch.

• Bake the loaves until the internal temp reaches 190F. Cool 10 minutes then generously brush the entire surface of each loaf with melted butter.
• Generously sprinkle the entire surface of each loaf with superfine sugar. Tightly wrap the loaves in 2 layers of plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature for 2-3 days before serving. At this point the loaves can be frozen for up to a month.
• To serve, brush or scrape away the granulated sugar.
• Sprinkle each loaf generously with powdered sugar.

Work Ahead

Because Sourdough Stollen is even better a few days after baking, this is the perfect make ahead recipe. The fruit mixture can be combined and held at room temperature (covered tightly) for up to 2 days. The dough can be held in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before shaping and baking.

Storage

Sourdough Stollen can be stored, well-wrapped, at room temperature for up to a week. Baked sourdough stollen can be frozen for up to a month. Freeze the loaf with the butter/superfine sugar coating. Remove the coating and sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

More Austrian/German Recipes

• Apple Strudel
• Vanilla Kipferl
• Rumtopf
• Lebkuchen
• White Chocolate Sacher Torte