This is by far one of the best sweet doughs I ever made. It is a yeast bread laced with cardamom, with a soft texture and it comes together easily. It's the perfect recipe for holiday braided breads.
Baking festive bread is something that's always on my end-of-the-year bucket list. Sadly for them, they hardly ever get made. Blame it on the hectic month of December, which here includes hot days and preparing for summer vacation.
About this Pulla bread recipe
It is a specialty of Scandinavian baking, and is very popular in Finland.
This is a brioche-like dough, enriched with eggs and butter. Easier to make and much more gentle on your stand mixer since it doesn't need to knead it for so long you're afraid it might just explode, as it does with brioche.
I knew this was a great bread, but it exceeded my expectations. It is easy to make, absolutely delicious with a wonderful crumb, and can be used for so many things, from cinnamon or orange rolls to little sandwich breads, to french toast or bread pudding.
What is cardamom?
Cardamom is a spice made from seeds and, in my opinion, has a lemony mint flavor, very unique.
So aromatic and fresh and just plain wonderful. I completely omitted the vanilla and got exactly the cake I wanted.
Buying pods and grinding them yourself is highly recommended. As opposed to buying ground cardamom. The flavor is very different in my experience. Unless you buy super freshly ground cardamom, it loses its flavor and power very quickly.
This is a recipe from Beatrice Ojakangas that I made for a group I was in many years ago.
Now, if you never heard of her it's fine. But if you never made her quick danish dough recipe you really should. Really. No kidding. You should make danish with her recipe, it's amazing.
Back to our bread, I love Scandinavian baked things. They usually have cardamom, which is one of my favorite spices.
I love my simple Cardamom Bundt Cake with that incredible texture, or the very spicy Ginger Cardamom Cookies, one of my favorites for the holiday season.
The butter is melted before adding, very nice, it makes for a silky smooth dough. Then comes an interesting part which involves oiling the work surface in order to work easily when braiding the bread.
This is a round braided loaf, so the three strands have to be very long. But man, that oiled dough is a marvel to work with, the strands get braided in no time, there's no messy adhering of dough to the counter and it's quite easy to maintain the shape of the whole thing.
After all, it's almost Christmas, we want our bread to look pretty. Don't we? Though my braids will always be irregular. It's just my style. or so I tell myself.
This bread is quite a magnificent thing. It comes out of the oven all puffed and golden, the kind of bread that attracts looks.
It makes a good King's Wreath or Easter Bread. They are supposed to be different, but usually, one type of dough works well for both occasions.
I really urge you to try it. It's that good.
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Let me know in the comments below if you made this recipe and loved it and if you had issues so we can troubleshoot together. I love to hear what you think, always. Thanks for being here. It's much appreciated.
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Pulla (Finnish holiday bread)
Ingredients
Bread dough:
- ¼ cup warm water
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 cup whole milk, warm
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour, you might need more
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter, melted
Egg wash:
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon milk
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
Instructions
For the bread dough:
- Put ¼ cup warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl if making it by hand.
- Add 1 teaspoon active dry yeast and mix with a spoon. It will be lumpy and weird. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let stand 3-5 minutes until frothy.
- Add 1 cup whole milk, warm, ½ cup sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon ground cardamom, and 2 eggs. Mix a few times until the eggs are combined.
- Add 1 and ½ cups flour and 1 teaspoon salt. Mix with the spoon. It will be lumpy and rough.
- With the stand mixer: attach the dough hook. At low/medium speed add ½ cup butter, melted, and 3 cups flour, half cup at a time. Stop the mixer, cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 15 minutes.
- By hand: add ½ cup melted butter and 1 and ½ cups flour and mix well with a spoon. Add 1 and ½ cups flour and mix. It will be dry and lumpy.
- Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 15 minutes.
- If using the stand mixer: use the dough hook at medium speed for 6 to 8 minutes, until you have a shiny, satiny but slightly sticky dough. You might use the extra ½ cup flour but don’t be tempted to add more unless the dough is very wet and sticky.
- If kneading by hand, do it on a clean surface, ideally marble counter or similar.
- Knead while adding the rest of the flour by tablespoons until the dough is shiny, slightly sticky but it’s easy to separate it from the counter. It takes a few minutes to start coming together. You should knead for 8-10 minutes.
- Put the dough in an oiled or buttered large bowl (the dough should be able to double comfortably) and turn it onto itself so the whole surface is greased.
- Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a draft-free warm place until doubled, 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the temperature of the place. Alternatively, you can refrigerate it for 8 hours. Once you're ready to shape it, take it out of the fridge and wait 15 minutes or so, it depends on how warm your space is. Don't wait too long since the cold dough is much easier to shape.
- Have ready a buttered or parchment-lined baking sheet.
- When ready to braid, gently punch the dough down and turn it onto the counter or similar surface. Cut the dough into 3 parts and make them into ropes.
- Put three ends together, pinch them down and braid them. Then join the ends to make a wrath. Or make 2 braided logs, not a wreath.
- Transfer the braid to the pan. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise for about 30 minutes, until slightly puffed.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180°).
For the egg wash:
- Mix 1 egg and 1 tablespoon milk and brush the surface of the bread. Sprinkle with pearl sugar if you want, and ¼ cup sliced almonds.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes, until puffed, golden and the bottom sounds hollow when lightly tapped.
- Let cool on a wire rack.
Sara says
Yours looks so beautiful! You definitely didn't need to bow 🙂
Cocoa and Lavender says
Paula, you continue to inspire me to make breads... I am so afraid of yeast! But this one will be made for sure, and maybe today. Right now, I am sitting by the fireside. That alone makes it the perfect bread-baking day. I have yeast. I have cardamom pods. I have flour. Your photos are beautiful - so much so that I can smell and taste the cardamom! ~ David
guineapigfood says
There's nothing wrong with irregular - rustic things are beautiful as well 😉 Great pictures!
Cathleen says
Gorgeous pictures and such beautiful color on your loaf. Picture perfect!
gfcelebration says
Beautiful photography and absolutely delicious looking pulla. Cannot wait to try our version gluten free.
The Wimpy Vegetarian says
Beautiful Paula!!! Just gorgeous!
Lawyer Loves Lunch says
My favorite kinds of wreaths are edible 😉 This looks absolutely beautiful and I love the addition of cardamom.
Shabs says
Wowowo , I am speechless !!! That is one gorgeous looking bread . Such beautiful color on the bread , it looks like a piece of art . Seasons greetings to you Paula :).
yummychunklet says
Your photos look absolutely delicious!
ferda says
Gorgeous bread and beautiful photos.. I am so glad I tried it too, loved it.. Happy holidays..
Tara says
Looks so lovely and my mom was from Finland but never made this!!
Patty says
Gorgeous bread and photos-just lovely!!!
I love all Scandinavian breads and will have to try the danish recipe from Beatrice Ojakangas, I have a few of her baking books and love reading over the recipes, which are always excellent;-)
Cher Rockwell says
Beautiful, Paula. Your crumb looks absolutely perfect!
This bread was holiday table worthy and I am hoping to get a chance to make it again
Cakelaw says
Your bread looks lovely - such a beautiful burnished colour.I just couldn't work out how to make a bow, so I gave up and don'tthink it made a difference.
lapetitemiette says
Wow. great photos. Looks yummy.
Catherine says
I checked out the Danish recipe and now I MUST make it for Christmas. It never ends does it ... make it, eat it, find new recipe, make it, eat it! Thanks for sharing, Merry Christmas!
loavesandstitches says
Beautiful photos! I am so glad you made this bread so we could enjoy seeing it! Merry Christmas!
Cathleen says
Wow, this looks fantastic!! I love homemade bread, but this one is gorgeous!