A Christmas table rarely needs many loaves, just the right ones. Here is what goes with the food, how much you need, and how to avoid baking on the day itself.
Black Month pack The right bread for the food
| On the table | Bread |
|---|---|
| Herring and cured salmon | Rye bread or wholemeal bread |
| Cured meats | Crispbread or thin, wholemeal bread |
| Pâté and liver spread | White loaf or baguette |
| Cheese | Dark malt bread or sourdough |
| Coffee afterwards | Christmas fruit loaf |
Three loaves that lift the table
- Rye bread: Can be baked early, and it goes well with fish. Read how long rye bread keeps.
- Dark malt bread: Dark, spiced and slightly sweet, and it improves after resting a few days. See recipe for Norwegian malt bread.
- Baguette: Crisp and light, and good beside all the salty food. Frozen baguette turns out well in the oven, see frozen baguette in the oven.
How much bread you need
An ordinary loaf gives about 20 slices. For a Christmas table with plenty of other food, 2 to 3 slices per guest is enough. If you are 10 at the table, one light and one dark loaf is usually plenty.
The plan: bake ahead
- A few weeks before: Bake the bread, let it cool completely, and freeze it in the bread bag.
- The day before: Take the bread out of the freezer, and let it thaw in the bag.
- Just before the guests arrive: Slice the bread, and warm the baguette in the oven.
Rye bread and malt bread are best baked a few days before, and they can stay in the bag in the fridge until the meal.
On the table, and afterwards
Slice the bread just before the meal so the slices do not dry out. Put out a little at a time. Whatever is left goes in the bag the same evening, and the bag goes in the fridge. There is more about Christmas bread in Christmas breads and how long they keep.
Bivoks™ bread bag299 NOKCotton and linen with beeswax on the inside. Measures 30.5 × 43 cm, closes with a clip and can go in the freezer.
Frequently asked questions
How many loaves do I need for 10 guests?
Usually two, one light and one dark, when there is plenty of other food on the table.
Can I slice the bread the day before?
It dries out faster once sliced. Better to slice it just before the meal.
Can I freeze the bread in slices?
Yes. Then you can take out exactly what you need. See how long bread can stay in the freezer.
What do I do with the leftover bread?
Put it in the bread bag, and put the bag in the fridge the same evening. Whatever you will not eat over the holidays, freeze.
Baking more for Christmas? See Christmas baking ahead.
Ready for the Christmas table
The Bread duo is one bread bag and one baguette bag in the same pack, for both loaves on the table.
See the Bread duo →- 365-day guarantee