Julekake Noreweigen Festive Bread

 

Julekake Festive Bread
A Christmas Bread, Julekake is a type of bread which originated from Norway. Usually round in shape, I have made mine in the form of a Bread Loaf. The lean-dough is combined with Red & Green Tutti Frutti Candies to make this bread. A lot of winter spices can go into this bread to really make it Festive, like Raisins, I however, wanted to keep this one fairly simple & sweet.
Do not leave a cookie for Santa next time, leave a slice of this bread! With milk, ofcourse!
Tutti Frutti Candies?
They’re easily available. Check your grocery store or Amazon too. I specifically used only the Red & Green coloured ones, as they are the Christmas Colours. However, if you want to make a more colorful loaf of bread, feel free to add in other colours as well!
This bread isn’t hard to make at all. Here are some helpful pointers, if you’re new to working with yeast:
Water: Only use Warm Water when trying to activate yeast. Both hot and cold water will kill the yeast. Use Lukewarm Water!
Salt vs Sugar: Sugar helps the yeast to activate, to make it frothy and to give a better rise. Whilst, salt is the opposite, it's an anti-agent. Salt should only be incorporated in the dough towards the final stages of it.
Proofing: YES IT REQUIRES PATIENCE! You need to find a warm place, a Switched Off oven is the best place to proof your bread. In areas where it's generally cold or during Winters, it will take longer to proof say about a little bit more than an hour. But during Warm Climate or/and Humid Weather, it will take relatively shorter, close to around 40 minutes.
Let’s get to it now! Here’s how you can make Christmas in a Bread:
Prep Time 30 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Proofing Time 1 hr 30 mins
Total Time 2 hrs 30 mins
Course Breakfast, Evening, Snack
Cuisine Norwegian
Yields 1 loaf of bread
Calories 452 kcal

Equipment

  • Stand Mixer (Optional)
  • oven
  • Whisk
  • Loaf Tin

Ingredients
  

  • 4 cup Refined Flour
  • 1 cup Warm Milk
  • ¼ cup Butter
  • ¼ cup Water
  • 8 gms Yeast (1.5 tsp)
  • ¼ cup Sugar
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • ½ cup Red Candies
  • ½ cup Green Candies

Instructions
 

  • Take a bowl and mix together these wet ingredients: warm milk, butter and water. You can do so in a Stand Mixer as well.
  • On your surface, add 2 cups of flour and your sugar and yeast. Make a well. Alternatively, you can do so in a Stand Mixer as well.
  • Add in your Water-Milk mixture into the well, slowly by slowly and start the process of kneading. Use the heat generated by your palms to knead well.
  • Keep kneading and also start adding your candies, mix of red & green, a bit by bit.
  • If you thin, your dough is becoming too sticky, start adding your flour also (but save at least 1 cup for the end).
  • When your milk mixture and candies all are all in and mixed well, finally add in salt and rest of your flour (1 Cup or how much ever you have left)
  • Knead the dough into a tight ball. The dough will be soft but will dry as it would have that extra layer of flour. You will be able to see a lot of Candies in the dough though.
  • Transfer your dough into a well oiled bowl, cling wrap it and let it proof for 45 minutes. You may proof the dough in a Switched Off Oven.
  • After 45 minutes, deflate the dough by gently pressing it with your knuckles and then transfer your dough into a loaf pan. Spread the day properly, so it takes the shape of the loaf pan.
  • Milk wash it and let it proof for 45 minutes more. (Milk wash is brushing the top of your bread with the amalgamation of bit of Milk and Castor Sugar)
  • When your dough has proofed and doubled in size, bake it at 180 degrees for 15 mins or until done. Put in a Cake Tester or a Toothpick in to check if it’s being done properly. If you think the top is browning too fast, feel free to cover it with aluminium foil.
  • Enjoy your sweet sweet festive bread!

Closing Note

Store in a cool-dry place which is completely covered like a Bread Box. It will go bad faster, if not stored properly.
If you think you are really enjoying making bread at home. Here are few more bed recipes, you can try:
Keyword bread, Christmas, desserts, dough, sweet

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