Stollen with Cottage Cheese (Quarkstollen)

January 2, 2024 By Olga Babitskaya

Prep Time: 10m

Cook Time: 35m

There is nothing quite like the wonderful aroma of fresh Christmas Stollen drifting through the house during the holidays. Imagine that delightful scent—the sweetness of candied fruit and lemon mingling with nuts and zesty citrus peel creates a truly festive atmosphere.

You might wonder how this homemade bread maintains its freshness for so long, especially since traditional recipes don’t use artificial preservatives.

The answer lies in the ingredients themselves. Historically, Stollen was designed to last. Sugar and fat play a crucial role in keeping the dough soft, while raisins, candied fruits, and marzipan help retain moisture, preventing the loaf from drying out. Additionally, because the fruit is often soaked in alcohol and the baked loaf is doused in rum, it gains a natural antiseptic quality alongside that wonderful flavor.

Once the Stollen comes out of the oven, it gets a generous coating of melted butter and a dusting of powdered sugar while still hot. Repeating this step a couple of times creates a protective seal of fat and sugar. This shell locks moisture inside the bread and keeps the air out, which is the secret to extending its shelf life.

Ingredients

For the Homemade Curd Stollen Dough

• 180 g unsalted butter (82% fat) - essential for a rich texture

• 160 g sugar - for just the right amount of sweetness

• 2 eggs

• 180 g cottage cheese (dry) - the key ingredient for this moist Curd version

• 200-300 g candied fruit (+100 g orange juice for soaking) - a classic festive addition

• 500 g all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 150 g nuts (optional, I used marzipan paste) - or stick to traditional marzipan

• 50-75 g rum - for soaking and flavor

• 50 g powdered sugar

For the Post-Baking Coating:

• 50 g unsalted butter - for brushing the warm loaves

Instructions

1. Prepare the fruit mix: Boil the candied fruit in orange juice and let it cool down (feel free to add 25 g of rum here for an extra kick).

2. Beat the softened butter with sugar, salt, and the dry cottage cheese until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well to form your base dough.

3. Add the flour, baking powder, and the prepared candied fruit (plus nuts if you are using them). Mix everything thoroughly using a spatula or your hands. It is important not to use a mixer at this stage to preserve the texture of the dough.

4. Divide the dough into 3 parts and pat them into circles. If you are using marzipan, place a strip in the middle of the circle and fold the other half over it to form that classic folded loaf shape.

5. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 25-35 minutes (usually around 30 minutes), or until the loaves turn a lovely golden brown.

6. While they are still hot, generously soak the finished dessert with rum, then immediately brush with melted butter and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Repeat this coating step one or two more times over the next few hours to build up that signature protective crust.

7. Once cooled, wrap the loaves tightly in parchment paper. You can enjoy it immediately, but storing it in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks allows the flavors to mature beautifully.