This yeast bread is buttery and laced with cardamom, with an extraordinarily soft texture. It can be made by hand or with a stand mixer. If you're apprehensive about using yeast, there are step-by-step photos and tips to guide you. It's the perfect recipe for holiday braided bread and, by far, one of the best sweet doughs I have ever made.
Gorgeous holiday braid
Baking festive bread is always on my end-of-the-year list. Though December is a hectic month here, this recipe is absolutely worth it and makes a wonderful gift!
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 for so long that you're afraid it might give up, as it does with brioche.
I knew this was a great bread, but it exceeded my expectations. It is easy to make and absolutely delicious with what can only be described as a fantastic crumb.
Leftovers can be used for french toast and bread pudding.
And the dough itself is very versatile. You can use it for cinnamon rolls, small sweet slider bread, to make a good King's Wreath (for Mardi Gras) or Easter braided bread.
Cardamom
It's unique and, in my opinion, has a lemony flavor with a hint of mint. It is aromatic and fresh, and it is just plain wonderful. Good enough on its own to omit the vanilla, which I feel balances any flavor.
Buying pods and grinding them yourself is highly recommended.
As opposed to buying ground cardamom, as the flavor is different and much more pronounced.
Store-bought ground cardamom loses its flavor and power very quickly, so if you're using it, make sure it's very freshly ground.
Variations & substitutions
- Spices: change the spice, change the flavor.
- Shinier top: brush with just egg yolk (no water) to create a shinier finish.
- Add-ins: throw in ½ cup of seedless raisins, cranberries or chopped almonds.
- Toppings: another traditional one is pearl sugar, like the almond braid.
- Glazed: drizzle a simple powdered sugar glaze, like we do for our Easter bread.
How to Make Sure Yeast Works
- Check expiration date: Replace if expired.
- Visual check: Should be beige to light brown and granular/powdery. Avoid if grayish, clumpy, or discolored.
- Smell test: Should have a mild, slightly sweet smell. Strong or unpleasant odors indicate it's bad.
Proofing test: Mix ½ teaspoon sugar in ¼ cup warm water (comfortable to touch). Sprinkle ½ teaspoon of dry yeast on top and stir gently. Wait 5-10 minutes until you start to see some activity. Fresh yeast will foam and bubble more; instant bubbles less than active dry yeast.
Golden Rule: When in doubt, buy new! It's better to be safe than to have your baked goods fall flat and be inedible.
How to make Pulla bread
This is a straightforward dough, and a stand mixer with the dough hook is recommended for kneading.
But you can knead it by hand (and I still do sometimes). You need counter space and some patience as the dough comes together; it's stickier and more rebellious at the beginning (compared to the regular white dough) due to the butter and eggs.
But the final dough is soft, supple and easy to work with.
Yeast mixture
It acts as a sort of sponge and ensures the yeast is bubbly and working as it should.
Wet ingredients
They're whisked into the yeast. Don't beat it much. You just need to incorporate them well, especially the egg whites.
Dry ingredients + butter
Add them as prompted in the recipe. The flour mixture is added in two parts together with the melted butter.
At this point, you need to make a shaggy dough and let it rest.
Rough dough
It's meant to be that way, so don't overwork it at this point. It needs to rest before we knead it into a smooth ball.
Pulla dough
You can use the stand mixer or knead it by hand.
It comes together well but is slightly sticky and flabby. This is normal and will firm up after it rises and doubles in size.
A dough scraper is a handy tool for kneading it by hand.
Let it rise
Use a clean bowl, cover it and let the dough double in volume. If your kitchen is cold, choose a warm (not hot) room, or it will take too long to proof (rise).
After proofing, the dough will be puffed and almost reach the top of the pan.
Dough balls
For even pieces of dough, use a scale to weigh the dough and then cut three equal pieces. Or eyeball it and you might end up with a more uneven braid.
Braiding
Cut the dough into 3 ropes lengthwise and press them together at one end. Make sure they're not sticking to the surface.
Final rise + egg wash
This step is not to be overlooked or skipped. This final coating adds shine and color to the bread.
Be gentle when brushing the egg mixture so you don't deflate the dough.
Baking
The bread will turn golden brown, puff and dry.
How do you know when it's done? The dough will be firm if you touch it, and the bottom will be colored and sound hollow if you lightly tap it with your knuckles.
I also suggest, especially if it's your first time, lifting it a little in the middle and checking that the inside is dry and fully baked. It should not be wet or have 'cheesy' strands when you lift it.
Alternative shape: a wreath
I used to double the recipe and make a large wreath, joining the edges of the braid and pinching the edges to seal.
You can do it, and it's beautiful for Christmas.
If you double this recipe, the braid will be really large and you have to make very long ropes. And you can, of course, but I also recommend making smaller wreaths with the recipe below.
Kitchen Notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, utensils and equipment needed, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- Baking time: consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as possible, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer (like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend tracking how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- Cooling: allow the bread to cool down completely before slicing it to avoid clumping. You can eat it warm also.
- Storing: it can be kept at room temperature for a few days, covered, or wrapped to avoid dryness. After that my recommendation is to freeze it, well wrapped. Warm slightly in a medium oven before eating.
For more recipes with cardamom, try my simple Cardamom Bundt Cake with that incredible texture or the spicy Ginger Cardamom Cookies.
This is a slightly adapted 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. It's amazing.
Related recipes you might like:
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Holiday Cardamom Bread (Finnish Pulla recipe)
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.
Mardi @eatlivetravelwrite says
So so pretty! I need to make it again and get the braiding right! Oh, and make that danish recipe!
Silvia says
Hola, Paula !
Acabo de sacar el pulla del horno. Lo voy a repetir ! Es exquisito y el paso a paso facilita muchísimo la tarea.
Cariños.
Silvia says
Totalmente de acuerdo con la repetición!
Feliz Navidad, Paula.
Have Apron....Will Bake says
Cardamom is definitely a good thing! Fabulous looking pulla. I love your photos...they're wonderful. I look forward to trying this bread again and again.
Gretchen Noelle @ Provecho Peru says
I had a bit of trouble with the bow and you are right, there is no bow in the book! Lovely job on this wreath!
smarkies says
Those are some lovely photos and your braid does look perfect! Well done on the delicious looking bread!
breaddivas says
Gorgeous photos! I think your braid looks absolutely perfect. Thanks for the link to the Danish braid as that looks yummy too!
Deb says
Just lovely! The Finnish Pulla is a stunner, well done! December is a month with too many recipes to try and never enough time!
Shulie Foodwanderings says
Gorgeous. I guess we both had the same mind set today. 🙂 Was so tempted to make it round, but had to follow the recipe. Beautiful & happy holidays!
Medeja says
Looks great.. I would like it with milk!
meli melo says
Your Finnish Pulla looks great!
Definitely a keeper to make in different times, with different flavors!!!
Happy Holidays!
e / dig in says
as always, i am supremely in awe of anyone who can make bread, paula! your pictures - the bread looks moist and fluffy and lovely.
Teresa says
I think your braid looks lovely. This bread has just the right balance of sweetness, softness, and flavour.
Kat says
Beautiful bread Paula! I'm definitely a fan of Northern Europe's breads (as you know), and cardamom makes them so flavorful. I completely agree about the spice, taking in its scent is an experience in itself.
Andrea_TheKitchenLioness says
Paula, wonderful photography and a gorgeous looking Finnish dessert bread - the wreath looks so professionally done, it is just perfect. The cardamom was a delicious addition to the dough and the toppings of both the pearl sugar and the slivered almonds were just the rught pretty and delicious last touch. Fabulous post!
Savory Simple says
Cardamom and fresh bread together is the best thing I've seen all day.
Lizzy Do says
Yours is PEFECT! I love all your ideas for using this recipe again 🙂
Kathy says
Gorgeous looking bread, Paula! I froze mine to save for Christmas morning…can’t wait to give it a try! Your photos are so lovely! Happy Tuesday!
Julia says
Paula, your bread looks great! I might just need to look into that danish recipe. My husband is a huge fan of good danishes.
Jules Someone says
Gorgeous! I loved this one. I liked that it was flexible enough to rise in the fridge. We'll be making it again!
Susan says
Just gorgeous, Paula! Your post looks like a magazine spread!