Description
A traditional coffee bread, perfect for a weekend treat. Slightly sweet and dense, this bread is a labor of love.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 8 g (0.02 lbs) active dry yeast
- 2 cups (500 ml) milk, heated and then cooled to room temperature
- 3/4 cups (165 g) sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 8 green cardamom pads, toasted, seeded, and ground
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 8 cups (1230 g) white AP flour
- 1/2 cups (90 g) melted butter
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2-3 Tbsp. sugar
- 1/2 cups (90 g) raw almonds, chopped
Instructions
- Heat the milk in a small saucepan on medium-high heat. Before the milk comes to a full boil, remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- In a small bowl, whisk together 4 Tbsp of the warm milk and yeast until dissolved.
- In a large bowl, combine the yeast mixture, remaining milk, sugar, salt, cardamom, eggs, and 1 cup of flour to make a runny batter. Beat until smooth.
- Add 2 more cups of flour and mix well until the dough is smooth and glossy.
- Stir in the melted butter until the dough is glossy, then gradually add the remaining flour until a stiff dough forms.
- Gather the dough into a ball; do not overwork.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, cover with a bowl, and let rest for 15 minutes.
- Knead the dough for 5-10 minutes, until smooth and satiny.
- Coat a large bowl or Dutch oven with vegetable oil; transfer the dough to the bowl, turning to coat. Cover with a towel and let rise in a draft-free area (e.g., an unheated oven) until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Punch down the dough a few times and let rise again until doubled, about 30 minutes.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 3 portions, then divide each portion into 3 more (9 total). Shape each into a 16-inch long log.
- Braid 3 logs together into a loaf, pinching and tucking the ends underneath. Repeat with remaining dough to make 3 loaves.
- Place loaves on baking sheets lined with parchment paper, cover with a tea towel, and let rise for 20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).
- Finely chop almonds (or pulse in a food processor).
- Brush the loaves with a beaten egg, and sprinkle with sugar and almonds.
- Bake at 400°F (204°C) for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Serve warm. Store leftover loaves uncut in an airtight container for a few days, or freeze.
Notes
- For optimal cardamom flavor, lightly toast the seeds in a dry pan before grinding.
- If you don’t have raw almonds, substitute with chopped walnuts or pecans.
- To prevent sticking, use parchment paper when baking and store the cooled loaves in an airtight container.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Baking
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Finnish
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/3 loaf
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 25
- Sodium: 200
- Fat: 20
- Saturated Fat: 10
- Unsaturated Fat: 8
- Carbohydrates: 60
- Fiber: 4
- Protein: 8
- Cholesterol: 100