DURING the Christmas season, we bake. We bake rich, show-offy treats for big parties and once-a-year gatherings. But we also bake for the quiet moments, the times that will become treasured memories. And there’s nothing better to offer with that early morning cup of coffee you pour for a visiting relative or to slip into a hungry child’s hand than a slice of panettone or stollen -- fragrant, yeasty holiday breads that are festive just to look at and sweetly satisfying to eat.
These European classics, though available in commercial versions, have an understated elegance when updated and made from scratch with homemade candied citrus peel, spirit-soaked dried fruits, and festive touches such as glacé cranberries. Although their different shapes and textures suggest otherwise, panettone (tall and light) and stollen (long and dense) are made from a basic butter- and sugar-enriched yeast dough. Panettone typically contains candied orange peel and raisins; traditional stollen had candied lemon peel and dried cherries as well. The extra fruit and sometimes even a layer of marzipan, plus added milk and flour, contribute to the compact shape of classic stollen versus the loftier panettone.
Candied citrus peel, glacé cranberries and spirit-soaked fruits are easy to make, but require some advance planning as well as, for the peel, overnight drying time. For mixed peels, select two or more varieties of the wonderful citrus in the farmers markets this season -- California navel oranges, Meyer lemons, pink grapefruits and pomelos. Look for the most vibrant colors.
Carefully remove the skins, keeping the pith attached, and blanch the peels three times in boiling water to remove bitterness. Simmer different varieties of citrus rind in different pots of simple syrup (so that the flavors remain distinct) until they are semitransparent, one to two hours, and dry overnight. Pomelo rinds, which are porous, cook more quickly than other citrus peels, and should be done in about an hour. Meanwhile, for making stollen, simmer handfuls of firm, bright cranberries in another pot of simmering syrup.
Plumping the dried and candied fruits in spirits for a half-hour or hour allows the flavors of the fruit to infuse the spirits and permeate the dough. Don’t omit tiny touches such as fresh vanilla bean and two varieties of raisins for the panettone, or more than one kind of peel for the stollen -- the elegance is in the details.
To make the panettone, mix, knead and allow the bread its first rising while the fruit soaks, then punch down the dough and add the rum-soaked raisins and candied orange peel. Bake the panettone in free-standing panettone liners (like large muffin-tin liners) instead of pans.
A fragrant combination of orange, Meyer lemon, grapefruit and pomelo rind is fantastic for the stollen, but any combination is wonderful. While the fruit soaks, mix and knead the dough, then work in the dried and candied fruits and let the dough rise. Meanwhile, roll marzipan (sweet almond paste) into ropes, two for each loaf of stollen. Shape the risen dough into two large ovals, place the ropes in the middle of each oval and fold the dough’s edges over the marzipan. Taper and pinch the ends and allow the dough to rise again before baking.
Delicious when freshly baked, these citrusy sweet loaves are also delightful if the flavors mellow for several days. Either way, they’re beautiful gifts worth keeping around this holiday.
food@latimes.com
FAQs
Although their different shapes and textures suggest otherwise, panettone (tall and light) and stollen (long and dense) are made from a basic butter- and sugar-enriched yeast dough. Panettone typically contains candied orange peel and raisins; traditional stollen had candied lemon peel and dried cherries as well.
What is the panettone law in Italy? ›
By law an authentic panettone must contain 20 percent of its weight in fruit and 16 percent in butter. The origin of panettone is unknown, but many agree that the cake was first made in Milan as early as the 15th century, perhaps in the kitchens of the Milanese duke Ludovico Sforza.
What does Stollen mean in German? ›
Stollen (German: [ˈʃtɔlən] or German: [ʃtɔln]) is a fruit bread of nuts, spices, and dried or candied fruit, coated with powdered sugar or icing sugar and often containing marzipan. It is a traditional German Christmas bread.
What does panettone mean in Italian? ›
The word panettone derives from panetto, a small loaf of bread. The augmentative suffix -one changes the meaning to 'large bread'.
What is a Stollen in English? ›
Meaning of stollen in English
Stollen is a bread-like fruitcake made with yeast, water and flour, and usually with zest added to the dough. This example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license. Marzipan (or almond paste) may also be used as a cake ingredient, as in stollen.
Why do Germans eat Stollen? ›
Christmas Stollen, also called a Christstollen in Germany, is a traditional pastry dating from the 14th century. Stollen loaves were made in Germany during the Christmas season to sell at fairs and festivals and to honor princes and church leaders.
Why is panettone so expensive? ›
Panettone tends to be a little more expensive than most other baked goods, mainly due to the amount of time that goes into making each one. A traditional panettone is usually a lengthy procedure, however, a cheap mass-produced alternative will take shortcuts in the baking process which will be reflected in its taste.
Is it OK to eat panettone? ›
Panettone is delicious for breakfast, as a snack or a bite with tea, or after dinner with a glass of sparkling or dessert wine. Panettone keeps exceptionally well, and some say it improves with age.
Is panettone a bread or cake? ›
Instantly recognisable for its tall, domed shape, panettone is more a bread than a cake, its sweet dough studded with candied fruits and raisins. Popular worldwide, it's usually pinpointed for its two main associations: with Christmas and with Italy.
Why is stollen so expensive? ›
Expensive ingredients like almonds, nuts, raisins, orange peel, essence of rose and rum were imported. Because the coronation occurred during the Christmas season, the bakers shaped the loaves to resemble a baby in swaddling clothes in respect for the Christ Child. Ask any baker: Stollen is a labor of love.
8 great wine and other matches for Stollen
- Coffee. ...
- Schnapps. ...
- Spätlese, auslese or beerenauslese riesling. ...
- Dark rum. ...
- Pineau de Charentes* ...
- Cognac and other oak-aged brandies such as armagnac or Spanish brandy. ...
- Marsala dolce. ...
- Amaretto.
In Germany, fruitcakes (known as Stollen) don't quite resemble their American counterparts. Fruitcake vs. Stollen: Flattened with a chewy crust, Stollen is often baked more like a traditional loaf of sourdough bread.
What alcohol is in panettone? ›
First there's the panettone, made with slow-fermented sourdough, premium raisins and red wine Montepulciano d'Abruzzo cream filling. Then there's the actual wine, an easy going Montepulciano d'Abruzzo red of the Abruzzo region's prized Montepulciano grape.
Do you put butter on panettone? ›
Panettone can be eaten in a variety of ways. It's commonly sliced and enjoyed as is, but it can also be toasted, buttered, used in desserts like bread pudding, or even paired with savoury dishes.
What is a panettone without fruit called? ›
Actually, panettone has a very important rival, which is pandoro. Pandoro comes from Verona and is a sweet yeast bread without candied fruits and raisins. It is taller than panettone and has a 8-pointed star section.
What is the German version of panettone? ›
Two of fruitcake's closest relatives are especially beloved this time of year: Italian panettone and German stollen. The first hails from Milan and the latter is a culinary symbol of Dresden, but you'll find fine examples of both in Denver's western suburbs, of all places.
What is another name for stollen? ›
Stollen is sometimes referred to as ChristStollen, Weihnachtsstollen or Winterbrot. Why ChristStollen? Because the loaf is said to symbolize the swaddled Christ Child. This sweet raisin bread was first recorded in 1330 at a monastery near Leipzig in Naumburg (near Leipzig).
Is stollen German or Dutch? ›
As a traditional German fruitcake with a profound history, it's no wonder that there are as many variations of stollen as there are people who make it. This version includes a rich filling of almond paste (or marzipan), which adds to the decadence of the bread-like cake.
Is panettone the same as babka? ›
From there they have diverged. All have a rich, yeast-risen, tender crumb; panettone's texture is more like cotton candy with its long, airy strands that literally melt in your mouth, whereas babka and brioche tend to be a bit denser and somewhat chewier, with a high ratio of butter and eggs to flour.
