Julekake - Norwegian Christmas Bread

Total Time: 4 hrs Preparation Time: 3 hrs Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• 2 compressed yeast cakes, softened in
• 1/4 cup water, lukewarm
• 1 pint milk
• 1 cup butter or 1 cup lard or 1 cup shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, well beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 7 cups flour (more as needed)
• 1/2 lb raisins or 1/2 lb sultana
• 4 ounces citron, sliced
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons milk or 3 tablespoons water

Recipe

• 1 for the glaze: mix ingredients together and brush over bread before baking.
• 2 soften yeast in water; add milk.
• 3 blend in 3 cups of flour and beat until smooth.
• 4 cream the shortening, sugar and salt toether; add to this the beaten eggs and cardamom.
• 5 add to batter along with remaining flour.
• 6 knead until smooth, adding more flour as necessary.
• 7 dust fruit with a little flour and add to dough.
• 8 cover and let rise until doubled; punch down and let rise again until doubled.
• 9 divide dough into three portions and shape into loaves.
• 10 place in greased bread pans and dust lightly with flour.
• 11 cover and let rise until doubled.
• 12 lightly brush tops of loaves with glaze.
• 13 bake at 350f for 50 to 60 minutes, or until golden and done.
• 14 remove from oven, cool briefly in pan, then turn out onto cooling rack.