This delicious egg bread recipe is a tradition in Finland and the first bread I bake each fall to kick of the holiday baking season! It's called pulla bread.
Pulla is a soft, sweet, milk- and egg-based bread similar to a Jewish challah or French broiche, but the cardamom in the dough and the Swedish pearl sugar on top is what differentiates it and makes it solidly Scandinavian.
My mother and grandmother both baked pulla in the traditional way, braided into a log, brushed with an egg wash and sprinkled with Swedish pearl sugar .
I have made it my family tradition to make a pulla braid the first thing I bake each fall when the air has turned crisp and there's a fire in the woodstove.
I shared my family recipe in The Fresh Eggs Daily Cookbook, but wanted to share another version here for everyone to try. I have tweaked this recipe over the years, adding more cardamom, increasing the amount of sugar, then reducing it again, adding more butter, less butter. No matter what I seem to do, the bread is still absolutely delicious.
And you're going to love this.
Traditional Braided Finnish Pulla
Once the milk has cooled, stir in the yeast and let sit for 5 or 10 minutes until the yeast starts to foam and bubble.
Meanwhile, whisk the flour, cardamom, and salt together in a small bowl.
Once the yeast is foamy, pour it into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and add the butter and the eggs.
Mix until combined, then start slowly adding the 3 cups of the flour mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, allowing it to incorporate into the liquid before adding the next 1/2 cup measure.
Switch to the dough hook and continue to beat on medium speed until the dough is smooth and shiny, about 10 to 15 minutes.
If the dough is too sticky, you can continue to add the 1/4 cup of flour, a tablespoon at a time, until the dough forms a cohesive ball and starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
Grease a large bowl and transfer your dough ball to it. Cover it with plastic wrap or a clean dish towel and set in a warm spot to rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
Once the dough has risen, divide it into 3 equal portions with a dough cutter and then roll each portion into a rope about 16" long on a clean, floured surface.
Braid the ropes into a braid, tucking the ends under neatly. Place each braid on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Let the braid rise for another 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Whisk the tablespoon of cream into the egg, then brush the loaf with the egg wash. Decorate with the pearl sugar.
Bake until golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes, then cool on a wire rack. The interior temperature should be 190-200°F.
Wrap any leftovers tightly, store at room temperature, and eat within 2 to 3 days. Reheat in a warm oven wrapped in foil.
Or cut into slices and freeze for longer storage. Pulla does get stale rather quickly, but makes wonderful French toast or bread pudding.
