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At Christmas time we used to make what we called a stulle?? It is quite honestly an ancient Germanic Yule log from pagan antiquity. This recipe is ancient. This thing would cover a complete oil cloth covered table. If the table is large you may need a double batch. A few of the ingredients have been updated but it is as close to the original as can be had now.

Sift many times 6 cups of flour. Add a handful of sugar to the flour or 1/2 cup of honey to the liquid ingredients.

Scald two cups of milk. Add 1/4 pound butter to the scalded milk. Set it aside to cool.

Put yeast into 1/2 cup of lukewarm water stirring with a tooth pic until all of the yeast is dissolved.

When the butter-milk mixture is lukewarm stir in the yeast, honey, unless sugar has been added to the flour earlier, a teaspoon of salt and mix slowly for a minute or two.

Slowly ad the flour stirring constantly until the mixture makes a very soft dough consistency. You may not need all of the flour but it will take most of it if not all. Let it rise once in a well greased bowl in a warm area then push it gently back down.

Flour the oil table cloth. Put the lump of dough in the middle of the table. Flour the rolling pin. Begin carefully and gently rolling out the dough towards the end of the table. When touching the dough keep your hands floured. The kitchen needs to be moist so the dough won't dry out. Keep lightly flouring the cloth and pin. This process will take considerable time.

When you have reached the edge of the table two people can now lift the cloth and place it on a clean hard floor. The other person may need to hold two opposite sides as you continue to roll the dough out towards yourself towards the edges of the cloth. Don't forget to lightly flour. The softer the dough the more area you will gain without as many holes. If you get a few holes just patch them with skirting pieces of dough. Remember to not flour around the holes as the patches won't stick.

When you are satisfied with a very thin dough grease up your hands with butter. This is the fun part!! No comments please!! LOL Spread the butter all over the dough.

Next sprinkle mostly cinnamon then some ground cloves, and nutmeg on top of the butter until it is generously covered. Next sprinkle a layer of brown sugar and then white sugar over that. Then a generous layer of finely chopped black walnuts and raisins. If you have a bakers dough cutter it may help with the next process.

Now get a bunch of buddies and line them up along one end of the cloth and begin carefully rolling one end into a roll. Keep it tight and even with no space in the layers. Roll SLOWLY till you reach the other end. You should have a substantial 3 to 5 ft long log. Leave it on the floor. Take your bakers dough cutter or sharp knife and cut into 5 to 6 inch pieces. They can fit into greased loaf pans or simply placed on greased cookie sheets leaving room to rise.

Sprinkle with milk and then white sugar. Let them rise until about double in size. Bake at 350 until golden brown on the top. The caramel will ooze out of the ends, GOOD STUFF!!! It takes a day to make this and a few buddies to help but they will gladly do so for a generous helping. "Fr�hliches Weihnachten" dave

Oh my gosh! Dave, I have got to try that recipe! stulle?? My family will love it. This could become a Christmas tradition for us if I can get all the younger members to help with the lifting and rolling. My mother used to make cinnamon rolls every Christmas morning and that tradition stopped years ago when the family got so huge. Maybe I can start it up again with your "stulle".

For dumplings can I use the Spaetzle recipe, boil the dumplings then fry them in bacon grease till golden brown?

Its a lot of fun Phyllis. You can also hide a coin or a charm or two in it. Good conversations have been had over the time that it takes to make the stulle. Singing also. Kling glocken kling or Nun danket or K A F F E E trink nicht zo viel kaffee or whatever. When it gets down to the careful rolling up of the dough the guys need to keep their mind on what they are doing instead of horse play or thinking about their saturday night date. In the working together to roll up the dough a uniformity of not only the dough is brought about but also a oneness of spirit. It does bring people together which is so needed in families these days. Kids will probably think that it is corny until they try it and then will look forward to it the next year. We have lost so much in todays relationships. For us mystical souls it can be a simple yet magical time!!! dave

"Have fun Phyllis...........will you be wearing your cloak and carrying a cocktail while you cook?"

Absolutely, Francine! Hey! we never did ask Beetle to fly us to the moon! Wonder if he is game for that?

Awww! Dave - this is so beautiful. What a wonderful way to bring the family back together in tradition and spirit! Thank you so much. Will you join us the first time to make sure we do it right? I will have some Hohl Blauer Bock Urtyp on hand, and maybe some Apfelwein also.

Hey Francine, the cocktail while you cook sounds like a winner!! dave

All righty, then! Let us all get together and make one fine Stulle! In your castle, Francine? My kitchen is not big enough. And Dave will make sure we do it right.

Francine, shall we take Dave with us to the moon? Want to come with us, Dave?

I need to get a little witchy with you guys here. Just before you roll the stulle go out into the woods and put your hands on either side of a large tree. Wait for a time until you feel your hands tingle. Then go to work. This is an ancient healing touch but also a "connection" to your product. You can taste it!! Don't knock it till you try it!!! dave