Braided cardamom bread
Makes 2 loaves · 2 hours 10 minutes · Baking board
Two braided cardamom loaves topped with pearl sugar. The stainless steel baking board stays cool under the buttery dough and wipes clean in seconds.
Braided cardamom bread is a Swedish sweet yeast dough with milk, butter and sugar, rolled into six strands, braided into two loaves, brushed with egg and sprinkled with pearl sugar. Bake at 200 °C for 20–25 minutes until deep golden.
Ingredients
Makes 2 loaves
- 50 g fresh yeast or 14 g fast-action dried yeast
- 500 ml milk
- 150 g butter
- 85 g caster sugar
- 1 tbsp ground cardamom
- ½ tsp salt
- About 840 g strong white bread flour
- Flour for the board
To finish
- 1 egg
- 80 g pearl sugar
Method
- Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the milk and warm to body temperature, about 37 °C. Crumble the yeast into a large bowl and stir it into a little of the liquid.
- Add the rest of the liquid, the sugar, cardamom, salt and most of the flour. Knead for about 10 minutes in a mixer until smooth and glossy. Cover and leave to rise for 45 minutes.
- Dust the baking board lightly with flour and turn out the dough. Knead briefly and divide into six equal pieces. Roll each piece into a strand about 50 cm long against the cool steel surface.
- Lay three strands side by side, pinch them together at one end and braid loosely. Pinch the end together and tuck both ends under the loaf. Repeat with the other three strands.
- Place the loaves on a baking tray lined with baking paper, cover with a tea towel and prove for about 30 minutes. Heat the oven to 200 °C.
- Brush with beaten egg and scatter with pearl sugar. Bake in the middle of the oven for 20–25 minutes, until deep golden and hollow-sounding when tapped underneath. Cool on a wire rack under a tea towel.
- Scrape the board clean with a dough scraper and wipe it down with a warm, damp cloth.
Why it works
The steel surface stays cool, so the buttery dough sticks less and you need very little flour to roll the long strands. The smooth, non-porous surface scrapes clean easily, and the upturned back edge stops flour from falling behind the worktop.
FAQ
How do you braid a three-strand loaf?
Lay three strands side by side and pinch them together at one end. Alternately cross the outer right and outer left strand over the middle one until you reach the end, then tuck the ends under.
Can you freeze braided cardamom bread?
Yes. Freeze the loaves once completely cool, sliced if you like. Defrost at room temperature and warm for a few minutes in the oven to freshen them up.
How do I know when the braided loaf is baked?
It should be deep golden brown and sound hollow when tapped underneath. With a thermometer, it is done at about 90 °C in the centre.
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