Soft and Buttery Cardamom Bread (Finnish Pulla)
Soft and Buttery Cardamom Bread (Finnish Pulla) - a braided Nordic loaf topped with pearl sugar. Perfect for coffee, brunch, or the holidays!
- Prep time
- 30 min
- Cook time
- 30 min
- Yield
- 12 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 5 tablespoons whole milk
- 5 tablespoons water
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour ((16.25 ounces))
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ground cardamom (preferably freshly ground)
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons whole milk (warmed slightly)
- 1 large egg (lightly beaten)
- All of the tangzhong (cooled)
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted and cooled)
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon water
- Pearl sugar
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
Instructions
- 1
Make the tangzhong: Whisk milk, flour, and water in a small saucepan until smooth. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until a thick paste forms, about 1-2 minutes. Cool until just warm to the touch.
- 2
Make the dough: In a stand mixer bowl, whisk flour, yeast, salt, sugar, and cardamom together by hand. Add the warm milk, egg, tangzhong and melted butter. Knead on medium low speed 5–6 min until the dough is smooth, elastic and slightly tacky. Cover and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, 1 ½ to 2 hours.
- 3
Shape the loaf: Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a long rope, 16-18 inches long, and gently press the ropes together at the top. Braid the ropes together loosely, pinching and tucking the ends under the loaf to finish. Transfer the braided loaf to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover and let rise until puffy, 45-60 min. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- 4
Make the egg wash and bake: Whisk egg with water, brush over the loaf and sprinkle with pearl sugar. Bake until set and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Brush with melted butter and cover with a tea towel (a non-terrycloth kitchen towel) for 20 minutes. Uncover and cool completely before slicing and serving.