Finnish Bread

This is a delightfully rich and sweet Finnish style bread, and is a holiday staple from our childhood.  Our mom would make this bread for friends, neighbors, and our teachers as Christmas gifts, and of course she would always make some for us to enjoy over the holiday season.  We always enjoyed warmed up, with butter, for breakfast.

Finnish Bread Ingredients

For this delicious Finnish bread recipe, you will need 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast, warm water, scalded milk, sugar, salt, cardamom, eggs, white flour and melted butter.  There is also a glaze on top which consists of egg, sugar in the raw and optional sliced almonds.

Interesting Cardamom Fact:  According to the Herbal Society Blog, cardamom is not native to Scandinavia but there is a long history of countries like Finland using it, dating back to the 1300s.  There are a few theories as to how cardamom made it to Scandinavian countries and became such a staple in their baking.  The spice is native to southern India, some hypothesize that it was brought to Scandinavia via the Vikings. There  is also some evidence it may have traveled from Africa and was traded to the Scandinavian countries around that time. Either way it is interesting that a spice not native to Finland has become such a staple in the country’s baking traditions.

How to Make the Bread

Making the Dough

First, dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup of warm water in a large mixing bowl.  Add a pinch (about 1/4 tsp) of white sugar to the yeast and water.  It will begin to bubble up.

Next, measure 2 cups of milk (whole is preferred) and scald in the microwave (about 2 1/2 minutes).  It will have a light film on top, once it is scalded. Then set it aside to cool.  Now you can melt the butter in the microwave and let it sit aside to cool as well.

Once the yeast is bubbly and the milk is cooled, add the milk to the mixing bowl with the yeast. Add sugar, salt, cardamom, and 2 cups of the flour.  At this point, stir to combine.  Next, gradually add 3 cups of flour add one cup of flour at a time, mixing to combine. You can use a mixer with a dough hook, which is easiest, or mix it the old fashioned way with a wooden spoon.  Once the flour is fully incorporated, add the cooled, melted butter.  Once the melted butter is incorporated, add the remaining flour, one cup at a time. Mix until all of the flour is combined.

Resting, Kneading, and Rising

Now turn out dough out onto a floured pastry cloth or floured surface and cover it up with the inverted mixing bowl.  Let the dough rest for 15 minutes.  This is a great time to clean up the mess you have made so far!

Knead the dough until smooth and elastic.  Then place in a greased mixing bowl and cover with a light-weight dish cloth. Put the bowl somewhere warm to rise for one hour.

Once the dough doubles in size, turn it out onto the floured surface.  Then, with one fist, punch it down and turn it over.  Put it back in the bowl to rise for 30 more minutes.

Dividing and Forming the Loaves

After it has risen, turn the dough out onto the floured surface.  Then, with a large, dull knife or pastry cutter, divide the dough into thirds.  Take one third of the dough and again divide it into thirds.  Roll each section into a long piece about 16 inches.

Next you braid the three rolled pieces together into a loaf.

Transfer the loaf onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (and a light coating of olive oil spray).  Then repeat this process with the other sections of dough, resulting in 3 braided loaves total.  Finally, cover the loaves with the light-weight dish towels to rise again for 20 minutes.

Making and Adding the Glaze

While the loaves are rising, preheat your oven to 400°.  You can also assemble the glaze ingredients during this time.  Beat one egg in a small dish.  Put sliced almonds and sugar in the raw or other coarsely ground sugar each in a small bowl.

Once the loaves have risen, brush each one with the beaten egg.  Then sprinkle the sliced almonds and finally the coarse sugar on the top of each loaf.

Bake for 25- 30 minutes each until golden brown on top.  Enjoy warm with butter!

Serving Suggestions for the Finnish Bread

• The dough strips are almost never totally even, but don’t worry about it!  You can take pieces from one and add to another to even them out.
• If you are baking at altitude, rising times will be slightly less.
• Great holiday gifts for neighbors!
• We love it sliced, warm with butter.  Awesome with coffee as well (try this Spiced Vanilla Creamer for a special treat!)
• Try slicing it thick and using for French Toast. Extra yummy.

Finnish Bread

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• Author: Gnarly Roots
• Total Time: 2 hours 55 minutes
• Yield: 3 loaves 1x

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Description

This is a delightfully rich and sweet breakfast bread perfect for holiday celebrations.

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Ingredients

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• 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 2 cup milk, scalded and then cooled to about lukewarm
• 1 cup or less sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cardamom
• 4 room temperature eggs, beaten
• 8–9 cups sifted white flour
• 1/2 cup melted butter

For the Glaze

• 1 beaten egg
• 1/2 cup sliced raw almonds (optional)
• 1/2 cup sugar in the raw or other coarsely ground sugar

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Instructions

Making the Dough

1. First, dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup of warm water in a large mixing bowl.  Add a pinch (about 1/4 tsp) of white sugar to the yeast and water.  It will begin to bubble up.
2. Next, measure 2 cups of milk (whole is preferred) and scald in the microwave (about 2 1/2 minutes).  It will have a light film on top, once it is scalded. Then set it aside to cool.
3. Now you can melt the butter in the microwave and let it sit aside to cool as well.
4. Once the yeast is bubbly and the milk is cooled, add the milk to the mixing bowl with the yeast.
5. Add sugar, salt, cardamom, and 2 cups of the flour.  At this point, stir to combine.
6. Next, gradually add 3 cups of flour add one cup of flour at a time, mixing to combine. You can use a mixer with a dough hook, which is easiest, or mix it the old fashioned way with a wooden spoon.
7. Once the flour is fully incorporated, add the cooled, melted butter.  Once the melted butter is incorporated, add the remaining flour, one cup at a time. Mix until all of the flour is combined.

Resting, Kneading, and Rising

1. Now turn out dough out onto a floured pastry cloth or floured surface and cover it up with the inverted mixing bowl.  Let the dough rest for 15 minutes.  This is a great time to clean up the mess you have made so far!
2. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic.  Then place in a greased mixing bowl and cover with a light-weight dish cloth. Put the bowl somewhere warm to rise for one hour.
3. Once the dough doubles in size, turn it out onto the floured surface.  Then, with one fist, punch it down and turn it over.  Put it back in the bowl to rise for 30 more minutes.

Dividing and Forming the Loaves

1. After it has risen, turn the dough out onto the floured surface.
2. Then, with a large, dull knife or pastry cutter, divide the dough into thirds.
3. Take one third of the dough and again divide it into thirds.  Roll each section into a long piece about 16 inches.  Next you braid the three rolled pieces together into a loaf.  Transfer the loaf onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (and a light coating of olive oil spray).
4. Repeat this process with the other sections of dough, resulting in 3 braided loaves total.
5. Finally, cover the loaves with the light-weight dish towels to rise again for 20 minutes.

Making and Adding the Glaze

1. While the loaves are rising, preheat your oven to 400°.  You can also assemble the glaze ingredients during this time.  Beat one egg in a small dish.  Put sliced almonds and sugar in the raw or other coarsely ground sugar each in a small bowl.
2. Once the loaves have risen, brush each one with the beaten egg.
3. Then sprinkle the sliced almonds and finally the coarse sugar on the top of each loaf.
4. Bake for 25- 30 minutes each until golden brown on top.  Enjoy warm with butter!

Notes

• The dough strips are almost never totally even, but don’t worry about it!  You can take pieces from one and add to another to even them out.
• If you are baking at altitude, rising times will be slightly less.
• Great holiday gifts for neighbors!
• We love it sliced, warm with butter.
• Try slicing it thick and using for French Toast. Extra yummy.

• Prep Time: 2 hours 30 min
• Cook Time: 25 min
• Category: Baked goods