Julebrød: Serve with real butter and brown cheese. (Photo: Godt.no)

Julebrød is traditional pastry found in many Norwegian homes around Christmas. It has become an important part of the holiday breakfast table, and below you find the recipe for delicious julebrød with a hint of citrus.

Traditional julebrød contains raisins and orange peel. If you want a freshly baked bread for breakfast, you may bake the dough and let them rise in molds overnight. In the morning, simply brush them with an egg and put them in the oven.

Ingredients (2 breads)

1.8 oz. (50 g) butter

1 cup (2.5 dl) milk

0.9 oz. (25 g) fresh yeast

0.3 cups (0.75) dl sugar

½-teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cardamom

2 tablespoons bitter orange peel

14 oz. (400 g) all-purpose flour

2.6 oz. (75 g) raisins

1.8 oz. (50 g) candied orange peel

1 egg for brushing

Method

Start by melting the butter on low temperature. When butter is melted, add the milk and heat it until it is lukewarm. Please check the temperature by taking a drop on your wrist. It should feel almost equally as your own body temperature.

Mix some of the lukewarm milk with yeast in a small bowl. Make sure everything is dissolved before mixing it with the rest of the milk into a mixing bowl.

Add salt, sugar, cardamom and bitter orange peel and mix. Add flour and knead well for about 2-3 minutes. The dough should be smooth and not stick to the bowl. Adjust with a little more flour if necessary.

Finally, add raisins and candied orange peel, and mix well.

Cover the bowl with plastic and place it in a warm place for at least 40 minutes. When the dough has raised, gently tap the top. Knead lightly before tilting it out on a floured surface. Divide it into two pieces and form them into two small breads. Place them in each 1-liter (0.26 gallon) bread pans covered with greaseproof paper. Cover with plastic or a kitchen towel and let them rest. Let them rise until double in size, about 1-2 hours.

When the breads look large and airy, brush the top with a beaten egg and put them in the oven. Place a baking sheet right over the breads so the crust is not burned. Bake at 374 F /190 C degrees for about 40 minutes.

Let the breads cool before slicing. Serve plain or with real butter and cheese.

TIP: To get soft raisins, leave them in a bowl of water for about 30 minutes. Then squeeze out the water before adding them to the dough.

Text by: Anette Broteng Christiansen, ThorNews

Recipe: Godt.no

Categories: Culinary Surprises, Recipes, Traditional Food