Stollen, the Butter Ban, and Advent

Yesterday, we bought a walnut stollen from Sterntaler Bakery. It is absolutely the best stollen I have ever had in my entire life. (The other one I had was horrible. I got it at Cost Plus during Nativity week and had decided never to waste my money on stollen again.) This Sterntaler Bakery stollen is amazing. I wouldn't have bought it if the baker had not given me a sample. All I can say is WOW!!!! It is so yummy as to be nearly indescribable. The walnuts, spices and sugar are made into a moist (not gooey) paste and baked in a light yet substantial bread that has the perfect flavor, texture, and density. (See picture) It slices well, and the slices are easliy cut into thirds (they don't fall apart) for little hands to grasp.

But here is the interesting thing to an Orthodox Christian. According to the packaging...

Prior to around A.D. 1380 stollen was "a rather dull pastry as the catholic church's dogma forbade the use of butter and milk in its baking. Lord Ernst of Saxony appealed to the Pope to lift the so-called "butter-ban." The Pope eventually gave in and declared that milk and butter could be used in baking stollen. He declared this could be done with a clear conscience, with God's blessing, and by making a financial contribution to building the new Dresden cathedral."

As soon I read this aloud to my wife she said, "Are you going to call them and tell them about their mistake." I said, "Probably, but I need to confirm it first."

So I set out to confirm our suspicion, that the "butter ban" was nothing more than the Christian practice of eating no meat or dairy food in the few weeks leading up to Christmas. (This annual abstension from all meat and dairy food used to be normal for all Christians, but over time, most Christians abandoned the ancient practice. Only the Orthodox still keep the fast.) I looked at the history of Stollen on the official Dresden Stollen website but there was no mention of Advent in the article there. The text on the official site like the text on the packaging made the "butter ban" seem like a 365-days-a-year ban. But I knew my wife and I had to be right about the butter ban only being in place during Advent.

This was confirmed for me by Linda Stradley at What's Cooking America. Here is what she said:

"Stollen is thought to have originated in Dresden in the 1400s. However, at that time the Catholic Church, as part of the fasting rules in preparation for Christmas, forbade the use of butter during Advent. Thus, the stollen of the middle ages was a somewhat tasteless pastry.
In 1650 Prince Ernst von Sachsen at the request of bakers in Dresden, successfully petitioned Pope Urban VIII to lift the restrictions on the use of butter during Advent. The restrictions were lifted only in Dresden and thus began a baking tradition that continues to this day."

So, the nit-picky Orthodox Christian part of me has been satisfied, but here is the best thing about this Stollen: They sell it not only during Advent, when I can't eat it, but during Nativity week, and Theophany-tide as well!!!! This is extremely joyous for me because even though my family ate much panettone during Christmas, we didn'tget to enjoy the best panettone. The best panettone is sold by Trader Joe's and ALWAYS sells out before December 25. But now we know of something better than the best panettone. Now we can buy Stollen from Sterntaller Bakery and know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the best possible pastry is on the table for Christmas. In fact, next year it will be given as Christmas presents.

Nevertheless, this joyfullness will be tempered with a little bit of sadness. A thorn among the roses. Every time I eat stollen I will be reminded that the once great and faithful Rome began abandoning Orthodox fasting on account of stollen.