This recipe is one of the best parts about Christmas. It takes a bit of planning and a whole day of baking, but it’s the coziest food memory I have. My Oma used to bring foil-wrapped loaves of this traditional Christmas bread every year. This is the 6th year I’m making it and the 3rd year making it with my friend, Nancy. That’s why we call it the “Stollen Workshop” now. We split up the ingredients and we both get our mixers going.
Every year I think I have the recipe and technique perfected, but each year I write a few extra notes to make next year even better. This year I subbed in dried tart cherries instead of sweet cherries and we both enthusiastically approved of the small change. We also switched to a dough hook a bit sooner in the dough-making process and that worked well, too. The dough is dense and heavy with a pound of rum-soaked fruit and nuts per batch.
I haven’t made or eaten a single Christmas cookie (I know!) but hopefully that will change this week. At least I have 4 loaves of this beautiful bread to pass out to friends and family.
Wishing you the merriest of holidays, my friends!