Best Norwegian School Bread Recipes

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.

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).