Pulla- Finnish Coffee Bread

Pulla

Finnish Coffee Bread

For the dough

1 cup of milk
1 ounce of yeast
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 tbsp of cardamom 
3/4 tsp of salt
1 egg
3 1/2 cups of flour 
2 1/2 ounces of margarine room temperature 


Place the milk in a pot on the stove. Bring the temperature of the milk up to "hand temperature" or slightly warm to touch. 
Once the milk has been warmed pour it into a mixing bowl and add the yeast, sugar, salt, cardamom, and egg.  Mix the ingredients together until dissolved. 
Gradually add the flour, one cup at a time until all of the flour has been added. 
Using your hands incorporate the margarine into the dough.  If the dough sticks to your fingers continue to add more flour.  The dough should not stick to your fingers (see video below). 

For the filling          

2 1/2 ounces of margarine

1/3 cup of sugar

1 tsp vanilla sugar

1 tbsp cardamum 

Mix the cardamum, vanilla sugar and sugar together in a bowl. 

Punch down the dough and remove it from the bowl and shape it into a circle. 

Roll the dough out into a rectangle roughly 30x45 cm. 

Spread the margarine all over the dough. 

Sprinkle the sugar mixture on top. 

Roll the dough into a long tube shape. 

Cut the tube into V shapes. 

Slice off one V shape at a time. With the small narrow part of the V on top, press straight down to make the shape. I wouldn't worry too much about how it looks because they will be eaten rather quickly! 

Place them on a baking sheet and let them rise again for another 20-30 minutes.  Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit. 

Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with pearl sugar. 

Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes.  When you begin to smell the wonderful smell check the Pulla to see if the inside is not doughy.

Remove from oven and let cool. 

I hope that you enjoy this recipe! It is one of my favorite things to bake.  Making Pulla takes a lot of effort but it's worth the work.  Be sure to share with friends and family over a cup of fresh coffee.  The recipe posted here was modified and translated from the May 2016 Pirkka magazine.  Be sure to subscribe to the blog! 

~The Finnish Ms. 

5/2016 Pirkka magazine