Stollen is an enriched traditional German Christmas Bread. There are many opinions about the origin of the name. One interpretation seems to be the derivation of “Stulno,” which means “big and mighty.” So, maybe “Stollen” could mean great big party cake? Yeah, let’s go with that…
This formula features our organic whole spelt flour and is naturally leavened with a modified sourdough starter. Parts of the recipe (the Levain and Scald) are made the evening before you execute your final mix. However, there are two things you need to start four days ahead of mixing the final dough:
- Soak your dried fruits and nuts in Rum or Whiskey – you don’t need a lot, just make sure the fruits and nuts are moist
- Introduce butter and honey to your starter
The rum-soaking part is easy. Just don’t forget to take a sip for yourself 😉
As for introducing butter and honey to your starter, you’ll want to do that gradually. Here is a suggested schedule:
- Feed 1: add 2.5% butter and 2.5% honey
- Feed 2: add 5% butter and 5% honey
- Feed 3: add 10% butter and 10% honey
- Feed 4: add 20% butter and 20% honey
Notes: These percentages are to flour weight. Make sure your butter is at room temperature. Treat this as a second starter – a starter build just for this bread.
