German Christollen Bread

This beautiful, yummy bread showcased itself well at our Christmas Eve celebration. It was a first time recipe for me and it turned out fabulous. Christollen is traditionally served during the Christmas season in Germany and the slight folding of the dough symbolizes the baby Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes. Brilliant! Cooking with Rosie's tutorial was extremely helpful, but as with almost every new recipe I tweaked it here and there to make it my own, or rather to accommodate for the ingredients I had on hand. :) See my recipe below...

Traditional German Christollen Bread

as made by me

Homemade Candied Fruit Peels

4 oranges

2 lemons

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

Christollen Bread

1 1/2 cups raisins

3/4 cup golden raisins (or currants)

4 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice

4 1/3 cups unbleached flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 1/2 tsp yeast

3/4 cup half and half

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup candied fruit peels

1/4 cup slivered almonds

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

Glaze or frosting of choice

Fruit Peels: Grate the peel from the oranges and lemons in a large saucepan and cover with water. Boil over medium heat for 20 minutes. Drain and set aside. In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water. Boil until the mixture reaches 230 degrees F on a candy thermometer, or when a small amount dropped in cold water forms a soft thread. Add the boiled peels and simmer on low heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Drain. Spread the peel pieces out on parchment and let dry for several hours.

Bread: 

1. The night before soak all the raisins in the orange juice.  
2. The day of dissolve the yeast in 1/3 cup warm half and half. Let rest for 15 minutes. 
3. Combine flour and salt in bowl and make a well in the center.
4. Melt 1 1/2 sticks of butter. Stir in the sugar, eggs, remaining milk until well combined. 
5. Pour this mixture and the yeast mixture into the center of the flour mixture. Stir together with a fork. When the dough becomes thick, use your very own clean hands to incorporate the rest of the flour. 
6. Knead the dough for 5-8 minutes on a lightly floured surface. Transfer to an oiled bowl. Cover and let it rise for 2 hours in a warm place. 
7. Punch the dough down and add the raisins, candied fruit, and slivered almonds. Work them into the dough with your hands. Cover and let rise another 2 hours. 
8. Preheat the oven to 400* F. 
9. Gently transfer the dough onto a working surface. Shape it into a long log, then gently flatten it a bit. Then take the long side and fold it over to create a crease. 
10. Bake at 400* for 15 minutes. Cover with tinfoil, reduce the heat to 350* and bake for another 40 minutes. 
11. Drizzle remaining 1/2 stick melted butter on top. Cover with your favorite glaze or frosting. I just did a simple powdered sugar & milk glaze. 
12. Slice into it and enjoy!! 

Happy cooking to you...