Norwegian Julekake — Soft Tangzhong Christmas Bread

Julekake is Norway’s classic Christmas bread — a lightly sweet, cardamom-spiced loaf studded with raisins, served in thin slices with butter through the whole holiday season. This version uses the Japanese tangzhong method to give it an extra soft, tender crumb that stays fresh for days. It’s the loaf I bake every December, and here’s exactly how I make it from scratch.

Norwegian Julekake with Tangzhong

A soft, cardamom-spiced Norwegian Christmas bread with raisins, made with the tangzhong method for a tender crumb that lasts.

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Rise 1 hour hr 45 minutes mins

Total Time 3 hours hrs

Servings: 3 loaves

Course: Bread

Cuisine: Norwegian, Scandinavian

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Tangzhong

• 4 dl milk (1⅔ cups)
• 80 g all-purpose flour (⅔ cup)

Main dough (added to the bowl with the cooled tangzhong)

• 2 dl milk (Generous ¾ cup)
• 35 g fresh yeast (1¼ oz) or 4 tsp / 12 g instant dry yeast
• 150 g sugar (¾ cup)
• 720 g all-purpose flour (5¾ cups)
• 2 tsp ground cardamom
• 1 egg + 1 egg for egg wash — optional

Added after ~10 min of kneading

• 100 g butter (7 tbsp)

Added once the dough is fully kneaded

• 175 g raisins soak in warm water ~30 min first, if you like

Equipment

• A digital kitchen scale — enriched doughs live or die by accurate flour.
• A stand mixer — this dough needs 15–20 minutes of kneading; a good mixer earns its keep here.
• A dough scraper — makes dividing and handling the soft dough easy.
• Pastry brush — natural bristle for an even egg wash

Method

 

1. Make the tangzhong. Whisk the flour and milk together in a small pot. Warm over medium heat, stirring, until it thickens into a smooth paste — this happens around 149°F / 65°C. It doesn't need to boil. Cool to room temperature.
2. Combine. Add the cooled tangzhong and all the main-dough ingredients to the mixer bowl. You can crumble fresh yeast straight in — no need to dissolve it in liquid first.
3. Knead. Knead on low speed. After 7–10 minutes, add the cubed butter a little at a time. Keep kneading, finishing on high speed for the last 5 minutes — 15–20 minutes total.
4. Check the gluten. Pull off a small piece of dough and stretch it between your fingers. When it stretches into a thin, translucent windowpane, it's ready. If it tears and feels short, keep kneading.
5. Add raisins. Knead the raisins in gently at the very end, just enough to distribute them without tearing them apart.
6. Bulk rise. Cover the bowl with plastic and let the dough rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour.
7. Shape. Divide into 3 or 4 pieces and shape into round loaves. Score around the edge and press the center down so the score opens up as it bakes.
8. Second rise. Let the shaped loaves rise for another 35–45 minutes.
9. Bake. Brush with beaten egg for a glossy, golden finish. Bake at 355°F / 180°C (conventional, top and bottom heat), placed slightly low in the oven, for 40–50 minutes.

Notes

Don’t rush the tangzhong cool-down — adding it warm will kill the yeast and slacken the dough. Let it come fully to room temperature before it goes in the bowl.

A little about julekake

Every Norwegian home has its own julekake. It sits somewhere between a bread and a cake — enriched with butter, sugar and egg, warmed with cardamom, and traditionally dotted with raisins (and often candied peel, though we leave it out). It’s baked as a round loaf, sliced thin and eaten with butter or brown cheese. This one skips the candied peel and leans on raisins and real cardamom instead.

What the tangzhong method does

Tangzhong is a Japanese technique: you cook a small portion of the flour with liquid into a thick paste before mixing the dough. Heating the starch lets it absorb far more liquid than it could cold — so you can build extra moisture into the dough without making it slack. The payoff is a softer, fluffier crumb and bread that stays fresh noticeably longer. It’s the single reason this julekake still slices beautifully three days in.

Make it ahead and store it

Thanks to the tangzhong, this loaf keeps beautifully. Wrapped well at room temperature, it stays soft for three to four days — far longer than a standard enriched bread. For longer storage, julekake freezes perfectly: let it cool completely, wrap it tightly in plastic and then foil, and freeze for up to three months. Thaw it at room temperature still wrapped, and a few minutes in a warm oven brings back that fresh-baked softness. I often bake several loaves at once and freeze the extras for the holidays.

Frequently asked questions

Can I make julekake without candied peel?

Yes — this recipe already leaves it out. Traditional julekake often includes candied peel (sukat), but plenty of Norwegian homes skip it and let raisins and cardamom carry the flavor. If you love candied peel, stir in about half a cup with the raisins.

Why use the tangzhong method for julekake?

Tangzhong lets the dough hold more moisture, which gives you a softer, fluffier crumb that stays fresh for days. For a bread that’s traditionally eaten over a long holiday season, that extra staying power makes a real difference.

Can I use active dry or instant yeast instead of fresh?

Yes. Replace the 35 g fresh yeast with about 4 tsp (12 g) instant dry yeast. Add it straight to the flour — no need to activate it first.

My dough feels sticky after adding the butter. Is that normal?

Completely normal. The tangzhong holds extra moisture on purpose, so the dough will feel soft and slightly tacky. Resist adding more flour — that softness is what gives you the tender crumb.