I don't have a recipe for Svenskt Julbrod, but do have two recipes from Our
Daily Bread by Stella Standard published in 1970 -one is Swedish Christmas
Limpor Bread and the other is a Norwegian Christmas Bread.
Swedish Christmas Limpor Bread
Vortlimpor
1 envelope yeast
1/4 c water, lukewarm
1 Tbsp light brown sugar
1 1/2 c white flour, unsifted
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp aniseed
1 tsp fennel, powdered
rind of 1 orange, grated
1/3 c molasses
1 1/2 c beer, ale or stout
1 Tbsp butter
2 c rye flour
Combine the yeast, water and sugar and let stand in a small-bowl until
frothy. Put the white flour in a large mixing bowl and add the salt,
aniseed, fennel, orange rind and molasses. Heat the beer (ale or stout) in
a saucepan to lukewarm and melt the butter in it, then make a well in the
flour mixture and pour it in. Before mixing add the yeast and then beat it
well. Set the bowl in a dispan of quite hot water, cover and let the dough
rise for 45 minutes to an hour. Add the rye flour and beat very hard; it
should be a light elastic dough. If necessary add a spon or so of lukewarm
water. Beat for 4 or 5 minutes then set in a pan of water agin, cover and
let rise until double in bulk. Beat the dough down well, then put it in a
greased brad pan, set in warm water, cover loosely and let rise 1 hour or
more. Put the pan in a cold oven. Set it at 375 F and bake the bread 15
minutes; reduce the heat to 325 F and bake 30 minutes more. This bread has
a fascinating flavor.
Rita's Julekake
Norwegian Christmas Bread
This is a great favorite among the Norwegians, who bake it throughout the
winter.
2 2/3 c milk, scalded
1 c butter
1/3 c Crisco
2 envelopes yeast, rapidmix
8 c sifted flour
1 c sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cardamom
1 1/3 c raisins
8 oz citron
Scald the milk and add the butter and Crisco. Let it stand until it is
lukewarm. Thoroughly mix the undissolved yeast with all the dry
ingredients, including the cardamom, using 2 cups of the flour. Reserve
1/3 cup of flour for the kneading board. Stir in the milk-butter
mixture. toss the raisins and citron through the rest of the flour and add
it to the batter. Mix thoroughly and set the bowl in a dishpan of quite
warm water, cover with a tea towel and let the dough rise 3 hours.
When it is double in bulk and light, knead the dough on a floured board
until it is elastic. Divide the dough and put it in 2 greased bread
pans. Put the pans in a warm place to rise 1 hour. Brush tops of loaves
with warm milk and bake at 350 F 1 hour. Let cool in the pans 1/2 hour.