Finnish Cardamom Pulla Bread – A light and delicious loaf of Finnish cardamom bread! This cardamom bread dough braided into a beautiful loaf and topped with a cardamom wash and almonds. Perfect topped with butter or jam for Easter breakfast or weekend brunch!

Finnish Cardamom Pulla Bread

This pulla bread is just amazing.  It is a lightly flavored sweet bread with lovely hints of cardamom.  I first discovered cardamom back when I started making chai tea lattes and have been trying to find more recipes that use the spice for a while.  Up here, this bread is called Nisu and it’s the bread served at loads of local breakfast places but in Finland where it originated, it’s called pulla.

Now this cardamom bread does take a good amount of work and time to make.  I made it the day before I was planning on serving it but it is worth the work.  This is a traditional treat that is perfect for Easter breakfast or even sunday brunch!

Looking for more breakfast recipes? Check out my Raspberry Star Bread, English Muffins, and Danish Aebleskiver!

Tips on finnish cardamom pulla bread recipe

• This recipe makes just one loaf.  If you you want to make another, just double the recipe!
• The almonds and sugar on top are optional, but taste amazing!
• This bread is wonderful with some butter or jam on a slice.

Yield: 8

Finnish Cardamom Pulla Bread

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Finnish Cardamom Pulla Bread - A light and delicious loaf of Finnish cardamom bread! This cardamom bread dough braided into a beautiful loaf and topped with a cardamom wash and almonds. Perfect topped with butter or jam for Easter breakfast or weekend brunch!

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Additional Time 2 hours 10 minutes

Total Time 3 hours 5 minutes

Ingredients

Pulla Bread

• 2/3 cup milk, warm
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cardamom
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• Pinch of salt
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

Topping

• 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• Sliced almonds

Instructions

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine milk, yeast, sugar, and cardamom.  Using the paddle attachment, beat until the mixture is foamy.  Set aside for 10 minutes.
2. Add eggs in and beat until combined.  Switch to bread hook and slowly add in flour, 1/2 cup at a time.  Knead dough for 10 minutes on medium speed, slowly adding in butter in batches of about 1 tablespoon at a time.  Transfer dough to a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Let rise for 1 hour (or until doubled) before punching down the dough, recovering the dough with plastic wrap, and letting rise an additional 30 minutes to an hour.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface.  Divide dough into 3 evenly sized pieces and roll each out into a 16 inch rope.  Lay out the bread dough ropes side by side and pinch the ends at the top together.  Braid the bread dough ropes together by crossing the bread ropes starting from the right-most rope.  Once braided, pinch the ends of the bread ropes together.  Transfer bread loaf to a lined sheet pan and cover with plastic wrap and let rise 30 minutes.
4. In a small mixing bowl, combine heavy whipping cream, egg yolk, and cardamom.  Use a brush to spread on top of bread and sprinkle sugar and sliced almonds on top.  Once the toppings are on the bread, place in oven and bake for 22-25 minutes.

Nutrition Information:

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 303

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