Traditional German recipe: Dresden “Christstollen”

Ce gâteau-brioche allemand que l’on sert comme dessert au Réveillon de Christmas vient d’une très ancienne tradition (500 ans) de Dresde. Il s’appelait autrefois « Striezel » et devait représenter les langes dans lequel l’Enfant-Jesus avait été enveloppé à sa naissance.

The ingredients

You will need 500 grams of flour, 250 grams of butter, 1/8 liter of warm milk, 1 egg, 3 tablespoons of sugar, 1 envelope of vanilla sugar, 50 grams of lemonade, 50 grams of orangeade, the zest of one lemon, 200 grams of finely chopped almonds, 125 grams of currants, ½ teaspoon of fine salt, 40 grams of baker's yeast, 1 tablespoon of rum, a pinch of cinnamon.

Preparation :

In a large bowl, pour the flour, add the egg, milk, sugar, softened butter, vanilla sugar, zest, cinnamon, yeast and salt. Mix everything well. Add the chopped almonds, lemonade and orangeade as well as the raisins (previously macerated in rum for 24 hours).

Knead well to obtain a soft but firm dough. If necessary, add a dash of warm milk. Form the dough into a ball.

Cover the ball of dough and let it rise for two hours in a warm place.

Then, on a floured board, form an elongated loaf and roll it out with a rolling pin. Then fold one half over the other. Brush the dough with a little cold water. Let it rise a second time.

Brush the dough with a little melted butter and bake at 190°C for about 40 minutes, until golden. Remove from the oven and brush with a little melted butter mixed with icing sugar.