Julekake : Norwegian Christmas Bread Recipe
Christmas Bread has never been easier. This simple kneading method produces a very sweet, buttery bread with very little hand work! See the recipe note and FAQ section for substitutes, serving and storage instructions.
Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups (500g) bread flour (or all-purpose flour)
- 1 cup (90g) unsalted butter diced (at room temperature)
- ½ tsp (3g) ground cardamom (you can also add 1/2 tsp nutmeg)
- 2 medium eggs
- 1 ½ cup (300ml) Milk (at room temperature)
- ⅓ cup (70g) granulated white sugar
- 1 tsp (7g) instant yeast
- 1 tsp (7g) coarse sea salt
- ⅓ cup (70g) chocolate chips
- ¼ cup (60g) dried cherries
- ¼ cup (50g) black raisins
Instructions
- Knead the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer, add milk, flour, yeast, cardamon, salt, one egg and sugar. Knead the dough with a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook on low speed for 5 minutes or until combined. (If you don't have a stand mixer, simply use a large mixing bowl and mix the dough with a spatula or wooden spoon.)
- Add the diced butter and beat for an additional 5 minutes or until the butter is completely incorporated. At this stage the dough should be a little elastic and smooth.
- Add the dried cherries, chocolate chips and raisins to the dough and mix for a maximum of 1 minute.
- 1st Rise: Transfer the dough to a greased mixing bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a closed oven to rise for 1 hour until doubled in size.
- Remove the dough from the oven, punch down the dough (to degas bread dough) and place it on a lightly floured surface. Roll it into a ball.
- Shape the Julekake: Divide the dough into two equal parts. Roll each piece into a ball and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- 2nd Rise: Cover the balls, place in a closed oven and allow them to rise for another hour or until they have doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 360°F (180°C).
- Brush the dough with egg and score with a sharp knife.
- Bake: Bake for 35-40 minutes or until darker golden.
Notes
The temperature when I made this Julekake: 62 Fahrenheit (17 Celsius).
Flour: Both bread flour and all-purpose flour works in this recipe.
Yeast: If you don't have instant dry, you can use fresh or active yeast. But remember to mix the active yeast with the milk before kneading, and allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes. If you use fresh yeast, you need to triple the amount.
Rising Time: The rise time can be longer or shorter depending on the temperature of your home. Adjust it by adding more fermentation time or a small amount of yeast in the dough.