Author Notes
In search of the breads once baked in my grandmother's kitchen, I've been experimenting with several diffferent breads. I found some old notes for a Finnish braided bread scented with cardamom, I added a few extra egg yolks and dried currants to form this variation. Cardamom is a common spice for Finns and greater Scandinavia. —midnitechef
Continue After Advertisement
Ingredients
- For the bread
-
1/3 cup
butter
-
1 1/3 cups
whole milk
-
3/4 teaspoon
salt
-
2/3 cup
sugar
-
1 tablespoon
dry active yeast
-
1/3 cup
warm water
-
2
eggs
-
3
egg yolks
-
1 teaspoon
ground cardamom
-
5 cups
bread flour
-
2/3 cup
dried currants
- For the icing
-
2/3 cup
confectioner's sugar
-
1 teaspoon
vanilla extract
Directions
-
In a small bowl combine the yeast and water, let stand for 10 minutes until frothy.
-
Meanwhile, warm the milk over low heat until it is steaming. Remove from the heat and add the butter, sugar and salt and stir until dissolved.
-
Pour the milk mixture into a large bowl and beat in the eggs, yolks, 1 1/2 cups of the flour, cardamom and finally the yeast. Cover and let it rest for 30 minutes.
-
Stir in the flour gradually, beating well to incorporate the flour. Add the currants after the first addition of flour. Knead for 8 minutes then coat with oil to rise for an hour or until doubled in bulk.
-
Punch down the dough to release the gases and divide into three equal parts. Start with the first third of the dough, lightly roll into a rope then cut into three. Braid the three pieces and place on a baking sheet. Repeat to the other two lumps of dough. Let the braided loaves rest and rise for 45 minutes.
-
Pre-heat the oven to 350ºF (175ºC) and bake for 30 minutes.
-
Mix the icing sugar and vanilla until well combined to form a sweet sauce. Drizzle over cooled loaves.
See what other Food52ers are saying.