Norwegian School Bread Recipes

COPYCAT SCHOOL BREAD

Steps:

• Mix together milk and butter and heat either on stovetop or in microwave until warm (about 90°F).
• Stir in yeast and sugar, and let sit until the yeastie-beasties look foamy (mine took about 10 minutes).
• Add cardamom, then flour about a cup at a time and mix with hands or standing mixer and dough-hook until dough pulls off the side of the bowl. #SpoonTip: You may need to add a little more flour here, but the dough should still be super sticky so it doesn't dry out!
• Place dough ball in lightly-greased bowl, cover with a clean towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size-about 1 hour.
• Once the dough has risen, punch it down, knead briefly until smooth, and make an 18-inch "dough caterpillar" to cut into 12 equal pieces.
• Roll each section into a ball and place on parchment paper to rise for about 20 more minutes until dough has "puffed" but not spread.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. While buns are proving, prepare pudding mix as directed, but stir in the 2 teaspoon vanilla as it cooks. Put in fridge to chill.
• Beat egg and brush over the top of the buns, then put in the oven to bake for 15 minutes, or until shiny and golden-brown on top.
• Cut a small round hole in the top of each bun for filling. Feel free to eat the leftover pastry, or use it to attract passing reindeer (as is Norwegian tradition).
• Whisk powdered sugar with enough water or milk to make a thick glaze. Pour glaze into one shallow bowl, and put coconut in another. Dip the top of each bun in glaze, then in coconut, and set aside to dry.
• Finally, spoon prepared pudding into each bun, and feel free to garnish with more coconut or cardamom for decoration.
• Serve warm or at room temperature. Pairs delightfully with hot tea, cocoa, or a passing Norwegian polar bear (as pictured).

NORWEGIAN SCHOOL BREAD (SKOLEBRøD)

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Combine milk and butter and heat in a saucepan over medium-high heat just until milk is scalded (when small bubbles rise uniformly across surface of liquid). Remove from heat and cool until "finger-warm."
• Stir yeast and sugar into lukewarm milk and allow to sit for 10 minutes. The surface should begin to bubble as yeast proofs.
• After 10 minutes, stir in cardamom and flour until dough pulls away from sides of mixing bowl.
• Cover bowl with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Punch down dough when it has risen, remove to a floured surface, and knead until smooth and shiny.
• Use hands to roll dough into a thick 18-inch-long "snake," then cut this length into 20 equal pieces.
• Roll each piece between hands into a spherical bun and place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Cover buns again with towel and allow to rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
• Prepare pudding mix as directed, only reducing milk to 2 1/2 cups. Allow pudding to thicken at room temperature while buns rise.
• Preheat oven to 375 F. Gently press down center of each bun to form a well after they have risen. Fill with 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of pudding (there will probably be some pudding left over). Allow to rise for an additional 10 minutes.
• Brush well-beaten egg onto edges and sides of buns.
• Bake for 15 minutes, until golden brown.
• Remove from oven and allow to cool.
• In a small bowl, mix the confectioners' sugar with the water. Brush the sugar glaze on top of buns, around but not over pudding "eye." Dip into shredded coconut.

NORWEGIAN SCHOOL BREAD

Steps:

• Combine milk and butter in a sauce pan over medium-high heat until scalded. Remove from heat and let sit until it is lukewarm.
• Add the yeast and sugar to the milk and allow to sit for 10 minutes.
• Stir in the cardamom and flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the mixing bowl.
• Cover with a clean towel and let rise about 1 hour, until doubled in size.
• When the dough has finished rising, punch it down, turn out onto a floured surface, and knead until smooth and shiny.
• Roll the dough into an 18" long log and slice into 20 equal sections. Roll each section into a ball and place on a lightly greased baking sheet.
• Cover the buns and allow to rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
• Prepare the pudding mix as directed, except reduce the milk to 2.5 cups. Allow pudding to thicken at room temperature while the buns are rising.
• Preheat oven to 365°F
• Once the buns have finished rising, use your finger to poke a well in the top center of each bun. Scoop 1-1.5 tbsp pudding into each well. Allow dough to rise 10 more minutes.
• Brush a well-beaten egg over the edges and sides of the dough.
• Bake in oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
• Remove from oven and brush the dough with the sugar glaze, being careful to not get the glaze on the pudding. Dip into shredded coconut.

NORWEGIAN CHRISTMAS BREAD

Steps:

• In a bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add sugar, egg, butter, salt, cardamom and 2 cups flour; mix well. Stir in raisins, citron and enough remaining flour to form a soft dough., Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to greased top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour., Punch dough down; divide in half. Shape each portion into a flattened ball. Place in two greased 9-in. round baking pans. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour., Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to cool on wire racks.