Finnish Pulla

Total Time: 2 hrs 45 mins Preparation Time: 2 hrs 20 mins Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees f)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon cardamom seed, crushed (you can use a mortar & pestle or coffee grinder)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten, at room temperature
• 4 1/2-5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 2 tablespoons sliced almonds, for topping (optional)
• 2 tablespoons coarse sugar, for topping (optional, can use turbinado sugar)

Recipe

• 1 scald the milk in a small saucepan (heat until a ring of small bubbles is visible around the sides of the pan). remove from heat and let cool.
• 2 in a large bowl, whisk yeast into the warm water and set aside for 5 minutes.
• 3 whisk the milk, sugar, cardamom, salt, and eggs into the yeast mixture.
• 4 add 2 cups of the flour and beat with a wooden spoon until smooth.
• 5 beat in the butter and as much additional flour, 1/2 cup at a time, as you can until the dough is stiff but not dry.
• 6 cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes.
• 7 knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth and satiny, about 10 minutes.
• 8 shape the dough into a ball, place into a lightly greased bowl, turn it over in the bowl to grease the top, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. let rise at room temperature 45-60 minutes until doubled in size.
• 9 lightly oil a cool work surface.
• 10 "punch down" or lightly knead the air bubbles out of the dough on the oiled surface.
• 11 divide the dough in thirds and roll each third into a rope about 36 inches long.
• 12 line a large baking sheet with parchment.
• 13 braid the 3 strands on the baking sheet, and pinch the ends. to make the 2 loaves, braid the entire strand and cut in half. set the braids next to each other on the baking sheet.
• 14 cover the braids with a towel and let rise at room temperature about 45 minutes.
• 15 center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 375°f
• 16 combine the beaten egg and 1 tablespoon of milk to make the glaze.
• 17 brush the egg glaze over the bread (a pastry brush works well for this).
• 18 sprinkle with almonds and pearl sugar (optional).
• 19 bake 20-25 minutes until golden. transfer to a rack to cool to room temperature before cutting.
• 20 the bread is best eaten the day it is made, but can be stored 1-2 days covered in plastic wrap.