This week our recipe was a holiday treat! A lovely loaf of cardamom-scented bread – not too buttery or eggy. Some shaped their loaves into a festive wreath tied with a bow; I opted for small braided loaves – perfect for gift-giving!
The dough mixed up fairly easily and rather than knead it myself – I used my KA for most of the process. I used I wooden spoon until I had added four cups of flour, then used my mixer as I added by tablespoon to get the right consistency. While the recipe called for seeds from cardamom pods, I don’t have a spice mill or a mortar and pestle, so I paid the premium for ground cardamom. I used a teaspoon of the ground and I think it scented the bread nicely without being too overpowering. With the dough hook on my KA, I kneaded the bread on medium speed for ten minutes – never leaving the room as my mixer tends to be mobile at higher speeds. The dough truly came out satiny and lovely. I appreciated the short length of the two rises – it made it easy to make the bread in one leisurely morning or afternoon.
I oiled a large piece of parchment paper and my hands for shaping the breads. No stickiness at all! After the second rise, I brushed my breads with an egg wash and sprinkled slivered almonds and a pretty gray crystal sugar on top. The breads looked pretty and tasted good – just a hint of sweetness and spice. I will definitely make these again for the holidays! For the full recipe and beautiful pictures and directions, please visit http://www.thedailymorsel.com/2012/12/finnish-pulla/comment-page-1/#comment-8594, our host, Erin’s blog.
jennrag 