The History of the German Holiday Bread Stollen

1. The History of the German
Holiday Bread Stollen
By: Eva Jeanne Markosky

2. The History of the German Holiday Bread Stollen
Based in Pennsylvania, Eva Jeanne Markosky has experience as an engineering assistant with The
Markosky Engineering Group, Inc. A culinary enthusiast, Eva Jeanne Markosky enjoys cooking and
baking in her free time, and likes to try out recipes from around the world.

3. The History of the German Holiday Bread Stollen
One of the iconic German holiday creations is Christmas stollen, which is technically a yeast bread
that resembles a compact cake. Baked with generous amounts of butter and sugar, stollen typically
contains flavoring elements such as lemon and orange zest, cardamom, currants, and candied fruit.

4. The History of the German Holiday Bread Stollen
Stollen is said to have originated in Dresden in the Middle Ages, with the Bishop of Nauruburg holding
a contest that attracted the best bakers region wide. The winning concept was so much favored by the
the Bishop that he ordered that a certain amount of grain should be stored each year for the creation
of the sweet bread.

5. The History of the German Holiday Bread Stollen
In 1474 the name stollen was codified, with the item to be created of oats, flour, and water for
church-mandated fasting periods. By the 18th century stollen had spread to regions such as
Saxony, and today it is enjoyed around the holidays throughout Germany.