Thanksgiving to Christmas is my favorite time of year. As a homebaker and cook, I thrive on researching, discovering, and venturing to make recipes and traditional dishes from all over the world. Baking and cooking this time of year makes it all so special. Why? The reason is that I always discover how baking the world breaks cultural boundaries, centuries, and social classes. For me, this is the definition of the season, and it just so happens that discovering commonalities through baking the world is the epitome of all things good. Thus, “German Christmas Stollen: Why it’s the Perfect Holiday Bread”.
The Best Bakes are those that Connect…
My favorite foods and bakes are those that remind me of my childhood but can take me to another place, a new place, a place I would have never experienced otherwise and one that has an organic connection to my own world. That kind of connection is what the holiday season is all about, a time of giving, peace, hope, and love. All these components become apparent in my searches and are what I’m blessed to realize when the search and bakes are complete. When I find that one, special recipe that speaks to me on multiple levels and reminds me that we are all interconnected and have the same wants and needs regardless of culture, race, social class, religion, gender, or age. I’m reminded that this time of year emphasizes how much we are all alike.
The German Christmas Stollen is that bread for me this season.
After my second year of baking the German Christmas Stollen, I have learned and appreciated even more of what this bread represents. With the multi-day preparation and all the homemade components (candied fruit peels and marzipan), it feels like home, and it’s not even a food I ate as a child or an adult. I had never eaten stollen before last year and didn’t know what it was. Now, I almost feel like I can’t NOT make it every year. It’s becoming that one must-have holiday bake from my childhood that I never had. That’s how connected I feel to this bread. Oddly enough, it’s not even a bread I can eat in its traditional glutenous form. However, for me it’s the baking, smells, and preparation where I find the connections, not the eating.
Details on Childhood Connections and History of the German Stollen…
Last year, I posted a detailed blog on the history, discovery, and childhood connections of the German Christmas Stollen (i.e. Fruit Loop Syrup and Jelly Orange Slices). Feel free to read it here “The German Christmas Stollen”. So, this year, I just want to reflect on the bread and focus on the visual of the bake in my video. Therefore, to that, take a moment and watch, “German Christmas Stollen: The Perfect Holiday Bread”.
For the recipe, check out The Daring Gourmet: BEST German Christmas Stollen
This is a fun bread to make because of all the homemade components and the many childhood connections. Even during the holidays when we tend to bake and cook traditional foods, we can find ourselves connecting to cultures around the world.
Looking for the homemade ingredients used in this bread bake? Check out my blog posts with video!
Would you like another traditional holiday bread?
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Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please share it. Check out my YouTube Channel as well to see videos of kitchen tips, blog bakes, and dishes. Until next time, go bake the world!