Days before I left for Germany with AirBerlin, I was in the kitchen with my German grandmother baking stollen. Honestly, I think her stollen is my favorite thing about the holidays. Have you ever tasted home-baked stollen before? It is life changing.
Before we departed Dresden for the Erzgebirge Mountains, we made a stop at the Wippler Bakery, where we got up close and personal with what is considered “the world’s best stollen.” If you have never tasted this buttery cake made with dried fruits, nuts, sugar, and spices, let me warn you — it is completely irresistible!
Wippler’s Bakery was created in 1910 and since then it has been run by the same family for three generations, with the forth generation already deeply involved in the business. On the morning we visited, not only were we given the privilege to taste three of their different stollen recipes, we were also taken behind the scenes to see the entire baking process, as well as a quick visit to a small museum filled with Wippler artifacts. Although most of the original tools used to make stollen have been replaced with modern technology, their delicious delicacies are still almost completely made by hand and the work day begins at 1AM.
The tradition of stollen began around 500 years ago at the Saxon Royal Court. While the recipe has changed throughout time to include even more butter, it has remained the most famous German Christmas pastry to this day. There is even an annual festival in Dresden where a 3-4 ton stolen is paraded through the streets and later cut up into pieces and given to everyone in attendance.
There is only one official stollen and those who are honored with this special recognition are given seals to place proudly on their packaging. Wippler is one of a hundred fifty bakeries who have this seal. Christmas is now a year away, however keep in mind for the future that the bakery does offer worldwide shipping from their website.
I love stollen too!! 🙂 I’m so glad you got to experience a real German bakery and see all the ins and outs. 🙂 I went through a fantastic Bread Museum in Germany once and absolutely loved it. Such a quirky idea and surprisingly interesting. 🙂
Isn’t it the best??? Oooh I would LOVE to visit a bread museum, yum!
I’ve never had stollen, but we had a similar experience this Christmas at Simon in Passau, Germany with gingerbread. Germany bakeries are insane.
Ummmmm yum! Gingerbread is so great and yes German bakeries are totally insane in the best way possible.
WOW just gorgeous pics!
Thank you! 🙂
Oh my goodness. This looks so incredibly delicious! Visiting a German bakery just went up a few notches on the bucket list.
Hahaha yay!!!
I love seeing your pictures of my home country! 🙂 It makes me feel closer to home now that I live abroad! I’m not the biggest Stollen fan, simply because I’m not very fond of the candied citrus peel (we call it Citronat) that’s found in so many recipes. But from its looks your Grandmother’s Stollen doesn’t seem to have it! 😉 Making Stollen is a very difficult thing to do, but your grandmother’s looks absolutely divine – I think it’s great that she’s kept this tradition from her old home! 🙂
Hmmm I don’t think I’ve ever tasted it with candied citrus peel in it before? I asked my grandmother and she said she doesn’t use it in her recipe. I think the ones with the seals don’t. I will have to double check. Yes, making stollen is SO difficult and my poor grandmother has horrible arthritis in her hands, but every year she makes two. She’s amazing!!!
I’ve never had stollen. I feel like maybe I’m missing out on something awesome. Let’s meet up and get some!
Miss you, Andi. Lovely photos, as always.
You are so missing out! I promise one day we’ll have stollen together. Miss and love you!
I am kind of a scrooge when it comes to the holidays, but some home made stollen by someone’s grandmother might just change my mood. Looks delicious.
Awww I can’t imagine you being a scrooge! You’re such a sweetie!!!
What a lovely photo of your grandmother and I am TRYING to give up anything remotely sweet, BUT this would be tempting!
Thank you and yes you must try it, but now you have to wait 11 months haha!
Nom nom nom! What a great experience!!
It was unforgettable!!!
How nice to have such a sweet tradition with your Grandmother– I’ve never had stollen but it’s def on my list now!
Yes, I feel so lucky to have this tradition with her.
I can’t recall if I’ve ever eaten stollen. It looks like something I would devour. I’d best go to Germany and try it just to be on the safe side. Your scrumptious pics have made me hungry!
Hahaha yes you best and please report back once you have! I know you’re going to LOVE it!!!
wow that looks and sounds good! i’m going to berlin next month so i’ll try to find it 🙂
It’s usually just made during the holidays, but let me know if you find it!
That stollen looks sooooooo good!
Ugh trust me it was beyond good!
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Oh my gosh, someday I need to try your grandmother’s Stollen bread…..it looks amazing! What an amazing experience to go and see the gorgeous bread made!!! Beautiful, Hugs, Terra
Next year I promise you!!! I know you’ll love it! Big, big hugs sweetie!
Holy cow, what a treat!
Haha yes! 🙂
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