Finnish Pulla Bread

DOUGH
 Place these dough ingredients into breadmaker in this order:
3/4 cup warm milk
2 eggs at room temperature
4 tbsps. butter at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsps. ground cardamon
3 1/2 cups bread flour
1 packet or 2 tsps. instant yeast
2 tbsps. melted butter, slightly cooled
When all ingredients have been placed into the breadmaker, follow directions for making dough.  All I had to do was push the number 9 on my machine.  When the bell goes off, punch the dough down, remove from machine.  Place dough on counter or board dusted well with flour.  Knead the dough a couple of times and then cut in half.  Set aside one half of the dough in a bowl covered with a clean cloth.  Cut the other half into three even parts, roll each piece into a 10" dough stick  (approximately).  Place each stick next to each other, slight dampen the top tip of the middle stick, place the left tip on top of the middle and pinch together.  Repeat with the right stick then tuck under.  Now start braiding.  Wet and pinch the bottom tips the same way the top were done, tuck under.  Place on large cookie sheet.
Repeat all of the above with the second half of the dough and place next to first loaf.
Cover both loaves with a slightly dampen warm clean cloth.  Place in a warm area and let rise until it's double in size, 1/2 hour to 1 hour.
Set oven to 350F degrees.
Gently remove towel.  Brush melted butter all over each dough.  Place in pre-heated oven and bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
Enjoy with or without icing BUT while it's still warm! YUM!

ICING (optional)

1 cup confectioners sugar

1/4 - 1/2 cup of milk

2 tbsps. butter, melted

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Mix all ingredients together but add the milk a little at a time until the glaze is smooth, not pasty, not watery but smooth. Cover and set aside until ready to use.

Dredge icing over each loaf.

Enjoy while it's still warm and with your favorite cup of hot cocoa.

 

This is a favorite Christmas bread to make every year.  My first time having Pulla Bread was decades ago upon our visit with my husband's brother, Tom, and his wife Linda.  Linda is of Finnish decent and made this bread for our meal.  I had never tasted Pulla Bread before and it definitely had that wow factor.  It was so soft and delicious.  I know a lot of the delicious flavor had to do with the Cardamom spice in it.  I found this recipe years ago on the internet and tweaked it by adding the icing.  Back when Linda served hers I believe she served it like a dinner roll which is just as good too!  No matter how you eat Pulla Bread, with or without icing you will want to keep making it every Christmas.  It just has that holiday festive flavor to it.

Merry Christmas to everyone.  Enjoy your holiday and always remember the reason for the season:

Until next time,

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