Dairy Free Jule Cake

Dairy Free Jule Cake
based on a recipe from Ann Byrd

This is my quick update on a traditional recipe -- I'll try to edit the directions more soon:

Soften the yeast in:
2 T yeast
1/4 c. warm water mixed with
¼ c honey

Then:

2 c warm water **
1 c. coconut oil
1 ½ t. salt
1 c. sugar
2 eggs, beaten
7-9 c. flour
4-8 oz. dried candied fruit peel
¼ c. raisins (optional)

Melt the coconut oil, if solidified, for a few seconds in the microwave or on the stovetop; add the warm water, sugar and salt. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add in the beaten eggs, and the softened yeast mixture. Beat in about 3 cups of flour and stir until the flour is fully incorporated into the liquid. Add the remaining flour by the cupful until you can turn the dough out onto a floured counter or board to knead it. 7 cups is the standard for the original recipe, but due to substitutions to make this recipe dairy free, I ended up adding an additional two cups to make a workable dough on a very humid day. Knead in enough flour to make a dough that you can braid, but try not to add in too much flour. This is supposed to be a delicate bread, but will remain rather sticky because of all the oil and sugar.

Once you have a dough that is a consistency that you will be able to braid, return it to a large greased bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until double in size. This dough takes longer to rise than most breads. *Divide into portions and braid. Place braids on greased baking pans. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise again until double in size.



*Depending on how many loaves you decide to make, divide the dough into equal-sized pieces. (Dividing the recipe into 4 pieces makes about 4 standard loaf size braids, so that is what I will proceed with from here.)

Working with one of the four pieces - then divide it into three equal pieces. Form each piece into a log about a foot long and lay them next to one another - parallel - on the board.  Gather the left ends of the 3 logs and pinch them together; finish braiding the 3 logs together and pinch the ends firmly and tuck under the loaf. Place on a greased cookie sheet and form the other 3 loaves in a similar fashion.

2 medium sized loaves should fit easily on a standard cookie sheet. Don't overcrowd the baking sheets. Cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until nearly double. When the loaves have risen, place the baking sheet/s in a pre-heated oven (350 degrees). Baking time and temperatures may vary depending on the size and hotness of your oven. This bread burns easily, so keep an eye on it! Let your nose guide you. Breads are done when they are golden brown and should be 190 degrees.


You can glaze this bread just before baking with:
1 egg white
2 t. water

I do not glaze my Jule Cake before baking.

Traditionally, this bread was decorated with candied cherries on top as well.

Jule Cake is best served warm; you can also put a powdered sugar icing on the top before slicing. It's delicious with butter (for those who can eat it) or with your favorite dairy free butter substitute.

For:
2 or 3  large braids - (You can make these larger loaves, but it is harder to judge doneness for them. Standard tapping on the bread does not work to check doneness for it and I don't have a baking time for them - it will probably be closer to 40-50 minutes and you might want to bake only on the top rack since the bottoms tend to over- brown. If you opt to make these larger loaves, the logs for braiding will be about 18" long. If you use both racks in your oven, switch pan positions about halfway through the baking time.

or

4 braids medium (roughly equivalent to a standard loaf)
Bake for 25-35 minutes at 350 degrees. If baking on two baking sheets, switch positions halfway through baking to keep the bottoms from burning and to make sure the tops brown nicely.

or

6-8 small braids (the logs for braiding will only be about 8-9 inches long)
Bake 15-25 minutes for the small


For the icing:
-a cup or so of powdered sugar mixed with
-a few teaspoons of orange juice or water to make a medium glaze that you can drizzle over the warm breads. Add the juice (or water if you prefer) slowly, stirring to get the lumps out.


**I tried making this recipe first with an equal amount of coconut milk; it makes a very moist dense flavorful coffee cake, not at all like the original Jule Cake. It was good, but not what I was used to and it was very difficult to judge when it was done.