Description
This decadent Chocolate-Hazelnut Stollen combines the traditional German holiday bread with a rich twist of cocoa, bittersweet chocolate chips, and toasted hazelnuts. Infused with orange zest and a warm hint of rum or tea, this tender, buttery yeast bread is filled with a luscious hazelnut paste and coated in melty butter and sugar for a festive, indulgent treat perfect for holiday celebrations or any special occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Preferment
- 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (109g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons (65g) water, room temperature
- Heaping 1/4 teaspoon (1g) instant yeast
Soaker
- 3/4 cup (109g) hazelnuts, toasted; chopped
- Zest of 3 large oranges (29g)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (6g) King Arthur Pure Vanilla Extract
- 3 tablespoons (44g) rum or whiskey, cognac, or brewed Earl Grey tea
Hazelnut Paste
- 2/3 cup (98g) hazelnuts, toasted
- 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon (94g) confectioners’ sugar, divided
- 2 tablespoons (10g) Dutch-process cocoa
- 1/4 teaspoon (1.5g) salt
- 1 tablespoon (15g) large egg white
- 2 tablespoons (32g) water, warm (115°F to 120°F), if needed
Dough
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (12g) honey
- 2 teaspoons (7g) instant yeast
- 2 tablespoons (27g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup plus 4 teaspoons (133g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 1/4 cup (19g) Dutch-process cocoa
- 1 teaspoon (6g) table salt
- All of the preferment (prepared earlier)
- 10 tablespoons (141g) unsalted butter, cold
- All of the soaker (prepared earlier)
- 2/3 cup (109g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips
Finishing
- 5 tablespoons (67g) butter, melted
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- King Arthur Snow White Non-Melting Sugar or confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Make the Preferment: The evening before baking, mix the flour, water, and instant yeast in a medium bowl. Cover and let rest at room temperature for 12 to 16 hours, allowing the yeast to ferment and develop flavor.
- Prepare the Soaker: At the same time, combine toasted chopped hazelnuts, orange zest, vanilla extract, and chosen soaking liquid (rum, whiskey, cognac, or brewed Earl Grey tea). Cover and let rest at room temperature for 4 to 24 hours to absorb flavors.
- Make Hazelnut Paste: On baking day or up to two weeks ahead, process toasted hazelnuts and half the confectioners’ sugar in a food processor until finely ground. Add remaining confectioners’ sugar, cocoa, salt, and egg white; pulse until mixture clumps together. If it doesn’t come together, add warm water 1 to 2 teaspoons at a time and pulse until a firm paste forms. Wrap tightly and refrigerate.
- Mix Dough: Morning of baking, whisk water, egg, honey, yeast, and granulated sugar in a stand mixer bowl. Add flour, cocoa, salt, and preferment. Using dough hook, mix on medium-low for 1 minute, then medium-high for 6-8 minutes until dough is smooth and stretchy and pulls away from bowl edges.
- Prepare Butter: Using a rolling pin, pound cold unsalted butter into a pliable flattened block that bends without cracking.
- Incorporate Butter: With mixer on medium-high speed, add cold butter in 1-2 tablespoon increments, waiting 1-2 minutes for each to incorporate completely before adding the next. Scrape bowl as needed.
- Add Soaker and Chocolate Chips: Mix on medium-low for 1-2 minutes until hazelnut soaker and chocolate chips are fully integrated.
- Perform Bowl Folds: Fold dough onto itself 10-12 times to ensure even distribution of nuts and chips. Cover and let rest in a warm spot (75°F-80°F) for 15 minutes. Repeat bowl folds and rest three more times for a total of four folds with 15-minute rests in between.
- Final Dough Rest: After last fold, rest dough covered for 30 to 60 minutes until slightly puffy and supple. Cooler dough may require up to 90 minutes.
- Preshape Stollen: Divide dough into three 300g portions. On a lightly floured surface, press out gently to remove air bubbles and shape into a 4″ x 5″ oval. Fold long sides inward, roll into a 5″ log, sealing edges and squaring ends. Rest seam side down covered for 15 minutes.
- Prepare Hazelnut Paste Logs: Cut hazelnut paste in half, reserve one half for another use. Divide remaining half into three 30g pieces and roll into 5″ logs.
- Shape Each Stollen: Working one piece at a time, stretch dough into 5″ x 7″ rectangle, seam-side up. Place paste log lengthwise on top third of dough. Fold top of dough over paste toward center, pressing to seal, then fold again down towards bottom, sealing bottom edge.
- Proof Loaves: Place shaped loaves on parchment-lined baking sheet seam side down. Cover and rest at room temperature for about 60 minutes until loaves become puffy and supple.
- Preheat Oven: Heat oven to 350°F (175°C) while loaves are rising.
- Bake: Bake stollen for 30 to 35 minutes. Loaves will be soft and delicate but set when done.
- Brush and Sugar Coating: Remove from oven and transfer gently to a cooling rack. Brush generously with melted butter and immediately sprinkle with granulated sugar. Let cool at least 2 hours.
- Final Dusting and Serving: On baking day or next day, dust loaves with non-melting sugar or confectioners’ sugar using a fine mesh strainer. Slice to serve or wrap whole and store up to several weeks at room temperature or freeze for long term. Re-dust before serving if stored more than a day.
Notes
- Use King Arthur flour for best results and precise measurements.
- The preferment and soaker improve flavor and texture, so do not skip them.
- Toasted hazelnuts bring out a richer flavor and crunch.
- Adjust resting time based on dough temperature; cooler dough requires longer rest.
- Hazelnut paste can be made up to two weeks ahead and refrigerated.
- Non-melting sugar helps preserve the traditional coated appearance.
- Leftover hazelnut paste can be used in other desserts or spread on toast.
- Handle dough gently after baking to avoid deflating the delicate structure.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes (plus overnight preferment and soaker resting times)
- Cook Time: 30 to 35 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: German
Keywords: Chocolate Stollen, Hazelnut Stollen, Holiday Bread, German Christmas Bread, Yeast Bread with Chocolate, Cocoa Bread, Festive Bread
