Mohnstollen – Original Poppy Seed Stollen Recipe

This German Poppy Seed Stollen (Mohnstollen), like the Nut Stollen, doesn’t require a long time to mature and can be consumed right after cooling down. It is best consumed fresh. If you like poppy seeds, this is a great recipe to try out, even if it’s not Christmas. You can also try out the Nussstollen – Original Nut Stollen Recipe, similar to this recipe but with nuts instead of poppy seeds.

Ingredients for the pre-dough (Vorteig) ~410g:

• 200 g all-purpose flour (Type 550 in Germany)
• 175 g whole milk – warm (min. 3,5% fat)
• 35 g fresh yeast

1. Make a hole in the flour and add the yeast in the middle.
2. Add the warm milk and mix it well until everything is incorporated. You should get a sticky dough.
   
3. Cover it and let it proof for about 30 minutes in a warm place.
   

Ingredients for the stollen main dough:

• 410 g pre-dough (Vorteig)
• 300 g all-purpose flour (Type 550 in Germany)
• 200 g room temperature unsalted butter min. 80% fat (NOT melted) – you can also use salted butter but you should reduce or even skip the salt below
• 60 g sugar
• 1 egg
• 5 g salt (~1 tsp)
• 5 g Stollen Spice Mix (~1 tbsp)
• 1 sachet Vanilla sugar (8g ~ 2tsp)
• 1/2 lemon peel (optional)

1. Mix everything until combined. Depending on the power of your kitchen mixer, this should take a few minutes. If the butter is not very soft, cut it into small cubes. You can also knead it by hand.
   
2. Do not over-mix it, because the butter will start warming up and combine with the flour, resulting in a dough that breaks apart easily. The dough should look like a ball, a little sticky, but it should easily come off the bowl and hands.
   
3. Let the dough rest for about 30 minutes in a warm place.
   

Ingredients for the poppy seed filling:

• 150 g whole Milk (min. 3,5% fat)
• 175 g sugar
• 75 g butter
• 300 g ground poppy seeds
• 1 egg
• 50 g sweet breadcrumbs (can be replaced with any breadcrumbs or semolina)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• a pinch of salt (~1g)
• 1 sachet Vanilla sugar (8g ~ 2tsp)
• 1/2 lemon peel (optional)

While the dough is resting, let’s make the filling.

1. Bring the milk with the sugar and the butter to boil.
   
2. Add the ground poppy seeds mixed with the breadcrumbs/semolina, cinnamon, salt, vanilla sugar, and lemon peel, and mix everything.
   
3. Turn off the stove, add the egg to the mixture, and incorporate everything. The egg was added later, after the poppy seeds, because the mixture will be cooler and the egg will not cook instantly.
   
4. Let it set aside until the dough is ready.
   

Fruit and nuts mix:

• 100 g almonds (I use ground ones, leave them aside for people with nut allergies)
• 50 g Orangeat (candied orange peel): can be replaced with the peel of an orange
• 50 g Zitronat (candied lemon peel): can be replaced with the peel of a lemon

1. Add them to the dough after proofing, and gently incorporate everything.

Combining everything:

1. After the main dough has rested, add the fruit and nuts mix and gently incorporate everything together. It’s ok if it’s a little sticky but it should easily come off your hands.
   
   
2. From this quantity, you will get 2 big Poppy Seed Stollen, approx. 600g each, baked in long bread or toast tins (the toast ones will make this Stollen look prettier). Usually, the tins used in Germany are about 30 cm long x 10 cm wide x 7-8 cm high. You can also bake them in a Stollen form.
3. Separate the dough into 2 pieces and roll them. Each one should be about 40×25 cm.
   
4. Add half of the filling and distribute it on the entire surface of the dough.
   
5. Roll the dough from each side, from the smaller side (the 25 cm one). Since the baking forms are about 30cm long, when the dough is rolled, it reaches this size and fits perfectly. Both sides should meet in the middle.
   
   
6. Add the rolled dough to the forms. I usually put baking paper in the forms so I can easily take them out. There are also special forms that are non-stick and they don’t need baking paper.
7. Let the dough rest in the forms for another 30 minutes.
   

Baking:

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/374°F (no ventilation).
2. Bake the Stollen for about 45-50 min.
3. Take out the Stollen and let it cool down on the long sides. Regularly change the side so it cools down evenly. It should cool down enough so you can easily apply butter and powdered sugar to it.
   

Finishing (approximate quantities):

• 120 g melted butter
• 100 g sugar
• 1 sachet Vanilla sugar (8g ~ 2tsp)
• powder sugar

1. While the Stollen is still warm (about 50°C/122°F), coat it with melted butter and sugar mixed with vanilla sugar. Let it cool down completely.
   
2. Let the Stollen cool down overnight. The next day, coat it with powdered sugar.

This Stollen is best consumed fresh. You can store it for up to 5-7 days, in airtight packaging, in a cool place. You can also put it in the fridge, well packed in aluminum foil so it is not affected by other smells. Make sure it’s not close to fruits and vegetables so it doesn’t spoil faster.

Poppy Seed Stollen can be frozen, and well packed in aluminum foil. Make sure it’s not close to fish or meat so it doesn’t get their smell. Let it thaw overnight and then it’s as good as fresh to eat.

If you want to try out other Stollen recipes, here’s a selection of the ones I make for my family, in Germany: Nina’s Stollen recipes.

I also make Nussstollen – Original Nut Stollen Recipe.