Fluffy Gluten-Free Stollen (2024)

Steve's Gluten Free Bread Flour Blend, 3 lbs

This Authentic Foods Steve's Gluten Free Bread Blend is hands down the best gluten-free flour for yeasted bread recipes. With this flour, you can braid, shape, and roll incredible bread, cinnamon rolls, and pizza crust. (Note, it doesn't work in a bread machine.)

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What is the difference between panettone and stollen?

Both are German breads. A panettone is a taller, fluffy bread, and stollen is squatter and denser. Both have soaked dried fruit baked in.

How do you store gluten free stollen bread?

Gluten free bread tends to spoil quickly, so I suggest storing the bread in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If you will not eat the whole loaf within a couple of days, slice and freeze the leftover bread in a zip-style freezer bag.

Is stollen gluten free?

Unfortunately, stollen in stores is not gluten free unless it is made with gluten free ingredients. Look for a label that says the product is gluten free.

Fruits

• ▢ 1 ½ cups dried fruits * see note
• ▢ ¼ cup orange juice
• ▢ 3 tablespoons rum light or dark

Yeast mixture

• ▢ 2 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast * see note
• ▢ ¾ cup warm water no hotter than 110º F.
• ▢ 1 tablespoon sugar

Bread

• ▢ 2 ½ cups gluten free flour blend * see note
• ▢ ¼ cup cane sugar
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
• ▢ ½ cup unsalted butter partially melted
• ▢ 1 large egg
• ▢ ¼ cup orange juice
• ▢ 1 tablespoon orange zest
• ▢ ½ cup nuts I used toasted almonds and pecans
• ▢ 7 ounces almond paste or marzipan * see note

Topping

• ▢ 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
• ▢ 1 ½ cups powdered sugar

The night before

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  For this recipe, if you use just rum, use ¼ cup of rum. I used dark rum.

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  The night before you make this recipe, chop the dried fruits into small pieces. Add the dried fruit to a small bowl. Add the rum and or orange juice. You can use just rum, orange juice, or a combination, as I did. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit overnight to soak up the juice.

Yeast mixture

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  Add the warm water, one tablespoon of sugar, and the yeast to a small bowl or measuring cup. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes until it gets frothy. Be sure the temperature of your water is not hotter than 110º F.

Make the dough

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  Add the egg, ¼ cup sugar, partially melted butter, orange zest, soaked fruit, and nuts to a stand mixer bowl. Put a paddle attachment on the mixer. Mix gently to blend them. Add the yeast mixture and whip the wet ingredients for 30 seconds.

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  Gradually add the flour to the stand mixer. I typically do this by adding the flour ½ cup at a time. Mix on low speed until the flour is mixed in, then increase the speed to medium for 15 seconds.

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  Note that you only get one good rise in gluten free baking. You need to shape your loaves before you rise the dough.

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  Divide your dough in half. Open the almond paste and cut it in half. Spread the dough out on asilicone matin an oval shape. Roll half of the almond paste in a rope. Place the almond paste rope in the middle of the dough as shown.

  

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  Fold the dough over the almond paste. Pinch the ends closed. Stollen has a ridge, so I shaped a ridge in my dough where the end of the dough went over the top of the loaf.

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  If any raisins or dried fruit is sticking out (not flush with the loaf), pull them out or press them in deeper. This will prevent them from burning.

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  Preheat the oven to 200º F and then turn the oven off. This is my favorite spot to rise my dough, especially during the cooler months.

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  Place the loaves onto a baking sheet. You can line the baking sheet withgluten free baking sprayor use parchment paper to line the baking sheet.

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  Cover the loaves loosely with plastic wrap and put them into the warm oven to rise for 45-60 minutes.

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  Remove the loaves from the oven. Remove the plastic wrap and preheat the oven to 350º F.

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  Bake the loaves for 30-35 minutes. The actual baking time can vary depending on the size and thickness of your loaves.

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  Move the baked loaves to a cooling rack.

Topping

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  Melt four tablespoons of butter in a microwave-safe dish. Use a pastry brush to baste the loaves with melted butter while cooling. Dust in powdered sugar.

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  When the loaves are cool, give them another full dusting of powdered sugar. Traditionally, the entire loaf is coated in powdered sugar. (Note I didn't coat the bottom of my loaves.)

1. You can use any type of dried fruit. I used mango, raisins, and goji berries.
2. I tested this recipe with Authentic Foods Steve’s Gluten Free Bread Blend. It is by far the best for making bread that is shaped. You need less of this flour in recipes than in other brands. If you use a different brand, ensure the blend you have works with yeast recipes. Note you will need a lot more flour potentially than what I list. Go by the dough texture and read my step-by-step directions to see the photos of my dough.
3. If your blend doesn’t contain a binder, add one teaspoon of xanthan gum.
4. The rum is optional. You can use all orange juice, all rum, or a combo, as I did. I used dark rum, but light rum is okay.
5. Yeast – double that the brand you use is gluten-free. Red Star Platinum is NOT gluten free!
6. I used the Odense brand of almond paste. It should be in most grocery stores. It is labeled gluten free.
7. I recommend making and eating the stollen within a couple of days. Traditional stollen is aged or cured over a few weeks in a cool place. You can not do this with gluten free…it will mold and go bad quickly. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Slice and freeze leftover bread if you will not eat it in 2-3 days.