Stollen is the Christmas bread that improves with waiting. Butter, fruit and spices need time to settle. Once it is cut, though, you need to stop it drying out.
Black Month pack How long stollen keeps
| Stollen | Keeps for |
|---|---|
| Home-baked with butter, uncut and cool | 6 to 8 weeks |
| Home-baked with quark | About two weeks |
| Shop-bought, in an unopened pack | See the date on the pack |
| Cut, in the bread bag in the fridge | Best in the first few days |
| In the freezer | 2 to 3 months at good quality |
The times are a guide. Plenty of butter and fruit means longer, little fat means shorter.
Before you cut: let it mature
- Let the stollen cool completely. If it is warm, steam collects in the wrapping.
- Brush with melted butter and dust with icing sugar as usual.
- Wrap it tightly in baking paper and foil.
- Keep it somewhere cool, ideally 10 to 15 °C, such as a pantry.
- Wait two to three weeks before cutting it.
If you have no cool room, put the wrapped stollen in the bread bag in the fridge. It will mature a little more slowly there.
Once it is cut
- Cut from the middle: Cut the stollen in half and slice from the centre. Then push the two halves together so the cut faces protect each other.
- Put it in the bread bag: Close with the clip and keep the bag in the fridge. The dry fridge air does not reach the bread.
- Take it out in good time: Butter sets in the cold. Leave the stollen out for about an hour before serving.
- Check the length: The bag measures 30.5 × 43 cm. Cut an extra-long stollen in two.
How to freeze stollen
Stollen freezes well. Cut it into slices or halves, put them in the bread bag and freeze. Thaw them in the bag at room temperature. Dust with fresh icing sugar after thawing, because the old sugar soaks into the bread. See also how long bread can stay in the freezer.
Bivoks™ bread bag299 NOKCotton and linen with beeswax on the inside. Measures 30.5 × 43 cm, closes with a clip and can go in the freezer.
Frequently asked questions
Does stollen have to mature before eating?
Butter stollen tastes rounder after two to three weeks. Quark stollen needs less time and can be eaten after a few days.
Can stollen go in the fridge?
Yes, in the bread bag. Uncovered in the fridge it dries out. The butter firms up in the cold, so take it out about an hour before serving. If you have a cool pantry, the bag can stay there too.
Why did my stollen turn dry?
Most often it was cut from the end and left open, or it was baked too long.
What can I do with dry slices?
Toast them lightly in a pan with a little butter. They taste good again.
Want to know more about Christmas breads? See Christmas breads: the types and how to store them.
Take care of your cut stollen
Put the cut stollen in the Bivoks™ bread bag and keep the bag in the fridge or the freezer.
See the bread bag →- 365-day guarantee
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- Closes with a clip
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- Reusable for 12+ months