Julekage - #BreadBakers

“How can a nation be called great if its bread tastes like kleenex?” -  Julia Child. Instead of kleenex-tasting bread make this wonderful bread called Julekage that tastes like all the holidays wrapped up in one slice.

This month the Bread Bakers were tasked with making Breads with Fresh Fruit and no White Sugar. I've had Julekage on my list as something I wanted to make in the holiday season, so I found a way to adapt the recipe to meet the challenge.

In many Scandinavian countries Julekage, which is pronounced yoo-ley-key-yeh, is traditionally served around Christmas time.  It is a flavorful holiday bread that can be filled with dried fruit, golden raisins, and candied fruit or peel and is usually topped with white icing. Unless you are me and forget to put the icing on it - don't worry it is still delicious, and it actually makes it easier to toast without the icing dripping in your toaster.

Since we were not supposed to use white sugar I used a product called Better Baking Blend Coconut & Cane Sugar which is a blend pure, unrefined coconut and cane sugars. It can be used 1:1 for sugar in recipes. We also needed to use fresh fruit in our bread so I peeled and chopped up a Granny Smith apple and added it to the dough. 

This bread was so good hot from the oven with a little Kerrygold butter, and was equally delicious toasted with, once again, my favorite Kerrygold butter. It was so hard to stop at one or two pieces.

If you would like to know more about the Bread Bakers and see what the other bakers made for the Breads with Fresh Fruit and no White Sugar theme please scroll down below the recipe.


Julekage
Printer Friendly Recipe

Ingredients
Dough ~
600g (4 cups) all-purpose flour, divided
30g (3 tablespoons) Better Baking Blend Coconut & Cane Sugar, divided
40g (⅓ cup) chopped almonds
50g (⅓ cup) raisins
25g (2 tablespoons) chopped candied lemon peel
25g (2 tablespoons) chopped candied orange peel
5g (1 teaspoon) salt
(1 teaspoon) grated lemon rind
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon ground ginger

1 package dry yeast (about 2¼ teaspoons)
1 medium Granny Smith apple, peeled and chopped into small cubes
110ml (½ cup) warm water (38℃/100℉ to 43℃/110℉)
90g (6 tablespoons) butter, softened
5ml (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
cooking spray
15ml (1 tablespoon) milk
pinch salt
1 large egg
15g (1 tablespoon) Better Baking Blend Coconut & Cane Sugar

Glaze ~
60g (½ cup) powdered sugar
10ml (2 teaspoons) hot water
¼teaspoon almond extract

Preparation

Dough ~

1. To a large bowl add 600g (4 cups flour), 20g (2 tablespoons) Better Baking Blend Coconut & Cane Sugar, and the next 8 ingredients (almonds through apple) in a bowl; mix to combine.
2. Dissolve 10g (1 tablespoon) of Better Baking Blend Coconut & Cane Sugar and yeast in 110ml (½ cup) warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. 
3. Stir in butter, vanilla, and 2 beaten eggs until well-blended.
4. Gradually add flour mixture; stir to combine. 
5. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes); add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands.
6. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top.
7. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, 1 hour and 45 minutes (dough will not double in size).
8. Punch dough down; let rest 5 minutes.
9. Roll into an 28cm x 25 cm (11 x 9-inch) rectangle on a lightly floured surface. 
10. Roll up rectangle tightly, starting with a short edge, pressing firmly to eliminate air pockets; pinch seam and ends to seal.
11. Place, seam side down, in a 23 x 13cm (9 x 5-inch) loaf pan coated with cooking spray.
12. Cover and let rise 1 hour and 30 minutes.
13. Preheat oven to 190℃ (375℉).
14. Uncover the dough. 
15. Combine milk, salt, and 1 egg; brush lightly over loaf.
16. Sprinkle with Better Baking Blend Coconut & Cane Sugar and bake for 45 minutes or until loaf sounds hollow when tapped.
17. Remove from pan; cool on a wire rack.

Glaze ~
Combine the powdered sugar, water, and almond extract in a small bowl; whisk until smooth.
Drizzle over loaf.

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on this home page.

We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. Our theme this month is Breads with Fresh Fruit and no White Sugar. If you are a food blogger and would like to join us, just send Stacy an email with your blog URL to foodlustpeoplelove at gmail.com.

This month, the Bread Bakers are making Breads with Fresh Fruit and no White Sugar, a theme chosen by Renu of Cook With Renu.

And don’t forget to check out all the amazing breads baked by our talented bakers ~

• Apricot Sour Cream Bread from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Blackberry Blue Cheese Walnut Loaf from Food Lust People Love
• Eggless Whole Wheat Pear Bread from I Camp in my Kitchen
• Hawaiian Sweet Buns from Gayathri's Cook Spot
• Honey Oatmeal Applesauce Bread from the Mad Scientist's Kitchen
• Julekage from All That's Left Are The Crumbs
• Sugar free Harvest Muffins from Cook's Hideout
• Sugarless and Vegan Apple and Carrot Loaf from Cook with Renu
• Vegan Orange Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread from Ambrosia