Finnish pulla-cardamom bread
This sweet cardamom bun dough can be used to make braided loafs, round buns or cinnamon buns.
Ingredients
- 2 cups milk
- 3 tablespoon dry active yeast, 22 grams
- ¾ cup sugar
- 200 grams butter ¾ cup
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 6 cups bread or all-purpose flour. (you might need a bit more)
On top
- 1 egg
- 3 tablespoon pearl sugar
Instructions
- Take out your butter to soften up at room temperature. You can microwave it for up to 30 seconds. It should not be melted, just softened.
- Warm your milk to 108F, 42C if you use dry yeast. 108 F feels a bit warm to the finger but not at all too hot. For fresh yeast, lukewarm is good.
- Dissolve your yeast into the milk. Add the sugar, cardamom, and 1-2 cups of flour. Beat it to make a batter. The warm milk and sugar activate the yeast. Now you can add your salt and egg.
- Add in your flour gradually while mixing the batter at the same time. Once it has become a bit firmer, knead the dough with your hand.
- Once you have some elasticity in the dough, you can add your butter. Keep on kneading.
- Your pulla dough needs to be kneaded for at least 5-10 minutes. You can test if the dough is kneaded enough by taking a small piece of dough in between your fingers and stretching it. If it has enough elasticity, the dough pulls nicely.
- After kneading, you need to let your dough rest and rise. Cover your bowl with a cloth and let the dough rest in a warm place for 20 minutes. To get warm conditions, you can have the bowl in a water bath in the sink.
- Bake the dough to 20-25 round buns by kneading them against the surface in your palm. Or you can make two braided loaves from the dough.
- You make braided loaves by forming the dough into 6 skinny ropes about 15 inches long. Line up three and pinch them together at the top. Braid them and pinch the ends also together. Tuck under the ends if needed. Repeat with the other three ropes.
- Let your buns or loaves rise for at least 30 minutes, up to an hour. They should be about double in size. It is good to keep your pulla covered with plastic wrap or cloth so the surface does not dry up. The dough rises best in a warm place.
- Brush the loaves/buns with beaten egg. If the egg is "hard to handle," you can add a tablespoon of water to it. Sprinkle some pearl sugar on top of the buns
- Bake small round buns at 375-400 (200C) F for about 10-12 minutes, big buns for 12-15 minutes, and braided loaves for 20-25 minutes. The buns should be golden brown on top.
Notes
Raisins can be added, about ½ cup in the dough.
Depending on the flour brand and the flour´s liquid absorbing qualities, you might need a bit more than the recipe says. Don´t put too much, or you will get dry buns.
Instead of dry yeast, you can use 50 grams of fresh cake yeast.
Nutrition
Calories: 300kcal
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