A dense, fruit-studded German Christmas bread from Dresden, baked in an oval loaf and dusted heavily with powdered sugar over a coat of melted butter. It began in the 15th century as a plain fasting bread of just flour, yeast, and water, since Catholic Advent fasting rules barred butter and milk; in 1491 Pope Innocent VIII's "Butterbrief" let Dresden's bakers use butter in exchange for a fee, and the bread grew richer over time into today's version studded with raisins, candied citrus peel, almonds, and spices. Regional versions vary, from Saxony's fruit-and-nut-heavy loaves to Nuremberg's richer, more cake-like dough, and some are filled with a marzipan center; beyond the holidays, sliced stollen also appears as a breakfast bread or dessert component, and its dried fruit and spice flavors work in savory stuffings as well.