Stollen

First made in Dresden, Germany around the 1400s, stollen was made and shaped to represent the baby Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes. The bread was made without butter or milk and was a rather tasteless pastry. Still, it was a popular Christmas pastry for its religious significance, and from 1560 onwards, stollen bakers would deliver one or two 36 pound stollen to the Saxon king yearly.

Now, only 150 bakers are allowed to make the official Dresden Stollen, complete with the seal of the city’s famous king August the Strong. However, bakers all over the world have their own spin on both the original and the more modern recipes for the bread, and bake the dessert not only at Christmas, but also year round.

Read more at History of Stollen.