Best 4 Authentic Norwegian Bread Recipes

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In the heart of Norway's culinary traditions lies a delectable array of bread recipes, each reflecting the country's rich history and diverse regions. From the iconic Lefse, a versatile flatbread showcasing the versatility of potato, to the hearty Lompe, a staple of traditional Norwegian cuisine, these recipes offer a tantalizing journey through the flavors and textures that define Norwegian bread. Discover the secrets behind the iconic Kringle, a sweet pastry often enjoyed during festive occasions, and delve into the rustic charm of the Flatbrød, a crisp and versatile bread that pairs perfectly with a variety of toppings. With step-by-step instructions and expert tips, these recipes promise to bring the authentic taste of Norway to your kitchen.

Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!

NORWEGIAN CHRISTMAS BREAD (JULEKAKE)



Norwegian Christmas Bread (Julekake) image

Julekake, a Norwegian Christmas bread, is a holiday favorite that's easy to make at home.

Provided by Carroll Pellegrinelli

Categories     Bread

Time 3h25m

Number Of Ingredients 9

1/2 cup water
2 packages rapid rise yeast
1/2 cup margarine (or butter)
2 cups milk, plus more for brushing loaves
8 cups flour, divided
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
2 cups mixed candied fruit​

Steps:

  • Gather the ingredients.
  • In a large bowl, mix the yeast with warm water to dissolve. In a saucepan, gently heat the margarine or butter with the milk until the margarine melts.
  • In a large bowl, combine 4 cups of the flour with the sugar, salt, and ground cardamom.
  • Add the yeast and margarine mixture, and combine with an electric mixer. Beat until the batter falls in sheets from beaters.
  • Stir in the candied fruit and gradually add the remaining flour.
  • Knead the dough until smooth and elastic, about 6 to 8 minutes.
  • Shape the dough into a ball and place in a greased bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place (80 to 85 F) until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
  • Punch down the dough and place on a pastry board.
  • Shape into 2 loaves and place each in a greased 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan.
  • Brush the tops of loaves with milk.
  • Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 45 to 50 minutes.
  • Bake at 375 F for 30 to 40 minutes or until lightly browned.
  • Serve and enjoy.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 368 kcal, Carbohydrate 73 g, Cholesterol 2 mg, Fiber 2 g, Protein 6 g, SaturatedFat 1 g, Sodium 225 mg, Sugar 29 g, Fat 6 g, ServingSize One loaf, UnsaturatedFat 0 g

NORDIC WHOLE-GRAIN RYE BREAD



Nordic Whole-Grain Rye Bread image

Scandinavian rye breads look nothing like the slices that clamp together the sandwiches at your neighborhood deli in New York. Made from whole grains and naturally risen, they are chewy, fragrant and deliciously dark. With butter and cheese, or as the base for avocado toast, they are amazingly satisfying. The taste and texture are addictive, and many enthusiasts also appreciate that rye bread contains more fiber and less gluten than wheat. This recipe, with a small amount of yeast, is quicker than the truly ancient version, which takes at least three days. Don't worry if the dough seems runny and sticky: That is typical of rye bread, which needs lots of water to soften the grain.

Provided by Julia Moskin

Categories     breads

Yield 2 large or 3 medium loaves

Number Of Ingredients 9

1/3 cup/85 grams buttermilk, skyr or yogurt, at room temperature
2 cups/250 grams medium rye flour
½ teaspoon/2 grams active dry yeast
2 cups/340 grams cracked rye berries or coarse rye meal
1 cup/170 grams sunflower seeds
4 cups/400 grams medium rye flour
4 teaspoons/20 grams kosher or coarse sea salt
3 tablespoons/40 grams malt syrup or molasses (not blackstrap)
½ teaspoon/2 grams active dry yeast

Steps:

  • On Day 1, make the starter: In a medium-size bowl, mix 3/4 cup warm water with the buttermilk or yogurt. Whisk flour and yeast together, add to the buttermilk mixture and use your hands to mix together until sticky and moist; add more warm water as needed. Cover tightly and set aside at cool room temperature overnight, or up to 24 hours.
  • Also on Day 1, soak the grains: Mix 4 cups cold water with the rye berries (or meal) and sunflower seeds. Cover and set aside at cool room temperature overnight, or up to 24 hours.
  • On Day 2, make the bread: Drain the soaked grains in a colander. Measure 35 ounces/1,000 grams of the grains and place in a deep bowl. Add 14 ounces/400 grams of the starter and mix well. (Any remaining starter can be saved to use with other bread recipes.) Add the flour, salt, malt (or molasses), yeast and 2 cups water. Mix dough firmly by hand to combine. The dough should be grainy, but quite runny and wet, almost like a thick batter. To achieve that texture, add cold water, 1/4 cup at a time, mixing after each addition. To test: When a walnut-size piece of dough smeared on the rim of the bowl slides slowly and smoothly down the inside, like a snail leaving a trail, the dough it is wet enough.
  • Thickly butter 3 medium or 2 standard-size loaf pans. Divide the dough evenly among the pans, filling them about half full. Cover and let rise at room temperature until dough almost fills pans, about 2 hours. (Dough will not rise more during baking.)
  • Heat oven to 450 degrees. Bake loaves for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 360 and bake until firm and glossy brown, 80 minutes to 2 hours more depending on size and moisture content of loaves. Let cool completely in the pans before turning out. Bread freezes well, and lasts for at least a week at room temperature, wrapped in paper.

NORWEGIAN CHRISTMAS BREAD



Norwegian Christmas Bread image

When my husband became a minister for a church in an area populated with Norwegians, my father-in-law was delighted because I had easy access to recipes he enjoyed as a child. This is a traditional Christmas bread, but I make it for any holiday we get together. -Deborah Petersen, Princeton, New Jersey

Provided by Taste of Home

Time 55m

Yield 2 loaves.

Number Of Ingredients 10

1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (110° to 115°)
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
3-3/4 to 4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup diced citron or mixed candied fruit

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.

Nutrition Facts :

TRADITIONAL NORWEGIAN FLATBREAD- FAST & NO MACHINE REQUIRED!



Traditional Norwegian Flatbread- Fast & No Machine Required! image

This came from "Cooking the Norwegian Way", I'm posting it as written except for the buttermilk bit, but I'm sure it's open for variations. The footnotes recommend trying it with only white, wheat, or rye flour. 2/3 cup cornmeal can be subbed for 2/3 cup flour. You can also use real milk or buttermilk, original recipe called for 3/4-1 cup buttermilk. This is fast and doesn't require 10 different rise/punch cycles or a bread machine! The description on the page says "Flatbread is the oldest form of bread in Norway. Traditionally, families baked enough flatbread at one time to last half a year." Baking time accounts for about 10 minutes per circle, you get about 9 circles as written.

Provided by the80srule

Categories     Breads

Time 1h55m

Yield 9 flatbreads, 9 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 7

1 1/3 cups whole wheat flour (1 1/3. NOT 1/2. I hate this new website!)
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (1 1/3. NOT 1/2. I hate this new website!)
1/4 cup vegetable oil (or canola or sunflower)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4-1 cup plain unsweetened soymilk (or almond, rice, etc.)
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Steps:

  • First, make your vegan buttermilk by placing the lemon juice in the soymilk and letting it sit for 10 minutes.
  • Combine the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, oil, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Mix well.
  • Slowly add just enough "buttermilk" to make a stiff dough.
  • Knead dough for 30 seconds on a well-floured surface, such as a board or tabletop.
  • Roll a medium-sized handful of dough (about 1/4 cup worth) into a ball and then pat it down into a flat circle. Be sure to cover the remaining dough so it doesn't become too dry.
  • With a floured rolling pin and on a well-floured surface, roll dough into a very thin 10-inch circle. (If dough is sticking to the surface on which you are working, dust it with more flour.).
  • Place flatbread on an ungreased cookie sheet. (I would recommend using a 10" pie pan instead.) To make all your flatbread pieces the same shape and size, score the dough circles with a knife, making triangles, X's, squares, or whatever shapes you prefer. (After baking, the flatbread will be broken into pieces along the scored lines.).
  • Bake at 350F for 8 to 10 minutes. Flatbread should be crisp and slightly brown around the edges. Cool on a wire rack and repeat with remaining dough.
  • Break flatbread into pieces and serve plain or with desired topping, such as cheese, dips, or lingonberry preserves.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 192.7, Fat 7, SaturatedFat 0.9, Sodium 280.1, Carbohydrate 28.3, Fiber 2.5, Sugar 1, Protein 4.9

Tips:

  • Use fresh and high-quality ingredients. This will make a big difference in the taste of your bread.
  • Make sure your yeast is active. If you're using dry yeast, proof it in warm water before adding it to the dough.
  • Knead the dough well. This will help to develop the gluten in the flour, which will make the bread chewy and elastic.
  • Let the dough rise in a warm place. This will help it to double in size.
  • Bake the bread in a preheated oven. This will help to create a crispy crust.
  • Let the bread cool completely before slicing it. This will help to prevent it from crumbling.

Conclusion:

Norwegian bread is a delicious and versatile bread that can be enjoyed on its own or with a variety of toppings. It's a great choice for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. By following these tips, you can make authentic Norwegian bread at home that is sure to impress your family and friends.

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