Vortbrod - Swedish Christmas Beer Bread

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• Ready In: 4 hrs
• Yields: 2 loaves

Ingredients

• 1 7⁄8 ounces fresh yeast
• 1 1⁄3 cups  porter
• 1  cup dark beer
• 1 7⁄8 ounces butter
• 1⁄4 cup  rapeseed oil
• 1⁄2 cup molasses
• 1⁄2 tablespoon  ground bitter  orange peel
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons ground ginger
• 1  tablespoon ground cloves
• 1⁄2 tablespoon ground cardamom
• 1  tablespoon salt
• 5 2⁄3 cups flour (rye and wheat)
• 1 1⁄3 cups raisins

Directions

1. Dissolve the yeast in a big bowl with porter, beer, oil and molasses.
2. Melt the butter with the spices and salt. Let it cool a little (it shouldn't feel hot when you put your finger in it) before adding to the yeast mixture.
3. Mix in the raisins and flour a little at the time and work the dough slowly (by hand or y machine) until it's soft and elastic.
4. Let the dough rise in the bowl to twice its size under a cloth.
5. Turn on the oven to 200 C / 400 F / Gas mark 6.
6. Make 2 loaves of bread, put them in an oven pan and let rise under a cloth for 1 hour.
7. Bake for about 50 minutes, but lower the temperature to 150 C / 300 F / Gas mark 2 after 15 minutes.
8. Let the loaves cool on a wire tray under a clean cloth.