Brigitte's Christmas Stollen

This stollen takes an old-school German approach that skips yeast entirely, using baking powder instead for a denser, more cake-like crumb. The real surprise? Cottage cheese worked right into the dough. It keeps the stollen incredibly moist for days, which matters when you’re baking something meant to sit and develop flavor over the holiday season.

Rum, cardamom, and mace give the dough a warm, aromatic backbone. Four tablespoons of rum is generous enough that you’ll catch its fragrance as the stollen bakes. The currants and sultanas soak up that boozy, spiced dough, turning each slice into something that practically glows with dried fruit.

Working the dough by hand on a cool slab is traditional, and there’s a reason for it. Cold butter and beef drippings need to stay solid while you knead, creating pockets of fat that keep the finished bread tender rather than tough. Work quickly so your hands don’t warm the fats too much.

That final brush of melted butter while the stollen is still oven-hot seals in moisture and gives the powdered sugar something to cling to.

Kitchen Tips

• Drain the cottage cheese thoroughly. Excess moisture makes the dough sticky and hard to shape.
• If the dough sticks, add flour sparingly. Too much and you lose the tender texture.
• The traditional fold lengthwise gives stollen its distinctive hump shape. Press the fold lightly so it holds.
• Stollen improves with age. Wrap tightly in foil and let it rest 2 to 3 days before slicing.

Variations

• Marzipan center: Roll a log of almond marzipan and tuck it inside before folding for a classic Dresden-style stollen.
• Swap the beef drippings: Use all butter if you prefer, though the drippings add a subtle richness that pure butter can’t match.