Stollen is traditionally served during the Christmas holidays. The shape and folds of the dough are said to represent the folds of the blanket of the baby Jesus. Stollen is similar to brioche, but it has a slightly coarser texture and contains more sugar, as well as nuts and candied fruit.

Combine in a medium bowl and let stand until the yeast is dissolved, about 5 minutes:

Add:

Cover this sponge and let it rest in a warm place until light and foamy, about 1 hour.

Beat in a large bowl until light and creamy:

Beat in one at a time:

Add:

Beat in the sponge, then gradually knead in:

Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic but not dry or stiff. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk, 1 to 1 ½ hours.

Toss together in a small bowl:

Transfer the dough to a floured work surface. Knead in the fruit and nut mixture. Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces. Working with one at a time (and keeping the other covered), roll a piece of dough into an oval about 16 inches long, 9 inches wide, and ½ inch thick. Do not roll out to the edges of the oval—the edges should be thicker than the center. Brush the top of the dough with half of:

Fold the oval slightly less than half lengthwise so the long edges of the dough are about ½ inch apart. Tuck the two short ends (about 1 inch on each end) underneath the loaf. Place the stollen on a greased baking sheet. Shape the other piece of dough in the same way. Loosely cover both loaves with oiled plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place (75° to 85°F) for about 45 minutes. The dough does not have to fully double in volume; a three-quarter rise is enough.

While the stollens rise, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F.

Bake the loaves until deep golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes.

Brush the loaves with:

Sift over the top:

Return to the oven for 3 minutes. Sift over the top:

Transfer to a rack to cool.