Norwegian Christmas bread (Julebrød)

This cardamom raisin bread is a must have for me at Christmas time. Here in the States it is also commonly known as Julekake, but for me it is simply called Julebrød which translates to Christmas bread.
For years I bought one little loaf either at the Scandinavian Store in Minneapolis or at my local bakery. They are pricey, about $10.00 a loaf. They are small and round and at my bakery they pour sweet icing over the top. This is not what I am used to, so a couple of years ago I decided it was time to start making them myself. And they turned out great! I have adopted the recipe and technique from my favorite blogger Trine who I mention all the time. It entails long kneading time in the Kitchen aid and mixing in the butter in small chunks at the end of the process, as opposed to melting it and pouring it in at the start. This method is simple and yields great results every time. I have never been a great bread baker, but this method really works! This is a big batch recipe. But the breads are great for freezing. I cut them in halves and freeze them individually. Defrost them on the kitchen counter overnight and gently heat them in the oven on very low heat (200 degrees Fahrenheit) for 5-10 minutes and they are just like the day you baked them. Delicious!

A small digital scale showing both grams and ounces will make the measuring a lot more accurate!

Ingredients:
1 kilo all-purpose flour (about 2lbs)
6 deciliter milk (2 1/3 cup), warmed to approx. 90 degrees F.
1 envelope dry yeast
150 grams sugar (approx. 5 oz.)
3 teaspoons cardamom
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
150 grams unsalted butter, cut into small pieces ( approx. 5 oz.)
300 grams raisins (10 oz.)

1 egg for egg wash

Start by soaking the raisins in warm water about 30 minutes or so. Drain and set aside.

Put the first 7 ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix on lowest speed until the dough no longer sticks to the bowl, about 8-10 minutes. You can add a couple tablespoons extra flour if the dough seems sticky. Next, add the pieces of butter a little at a time. with the mixer still on low. Here is a visual of what I consider small pieces;

Let the dough knead until all the butter has been incorporated, another 10 minutes.You can increase the speed slightly as you go. When the dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl reduce the speed and gently mix in the drained raisins. The dough is now ready to proof. I like to transfer the dough to a large pot with a lid, but you can leave it in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rise for 1 hour or longer if you have time. I left my dough to rise for about 2 hours and it looked like this;

Divide the dough into 4 pieces and roll into large balls on a flowered table. Let it rest 10-15 minutes before you shape them into loaves, or you can leave them as balls if you prefer.
Transfer to baking sheets covered with parchment. Put only 2 on each sheet to avoid them rising into each other. Cover and let rise  again for another hour, or until almost double in size.

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

Gently beat the remaining egg and brush over the breads. You can score the tops which I tried, but I prefer the glossy perfect look.

Bake on middle level in the oven about 25 minutes. To avoid the tops becoming too dark, cover with a piece of aluminum foil after about 15 minutes. Oven temperatures can vary. I use a gas stove/oven which tends to require shorter bake times, so just keep an eye on things.
Cool on a rack.

I love a slice with just a small amount of butter or thinly sliced brown cheese if it's available.

Happy Christmas baking!