Authentic Finnish Pulla Food

FINNISH PULLA

Steps:

• Warm the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat. Let cool until lukewarm.
• Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Stir in the lukewarm milk, sugar, salt, cardamom, 4 eggs, and enough flour to make a batter (approximately 2 cups). Beat until the dough is smooth and elastic. Add about 3 cups of the flour and beat well; the dough should be smooth and glossy in appearance. Add the melted butter or margarine, and stir well. Beat again until the dough looks glossy. Stir in the remaining flour until the dough is stiff.
• Turn out of bowl onto a floured surface, cover with an inverted mixing bowl, and let rest for 15 minutes. Knead the dough until smooth and satiny. Place in a lightly greased mixing bowl, and turn the dough to grease the top. Cover with a clean dishtowel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Punch down, and let rise again until almost doubled.
• Turn out again on to a floured surface, and divide into 3 parts. Divide each third into 3 again. Roll each piece into a 12 to 16 inch strip. Braid 3 strips into a loaf. You should get 3 large braided loaves. Lift the braids onto greased baking sheets. Let rise for 20 minutes.
• Brush each loaf with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.
• Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 25 to 30 minutes. Check occasionally because the bottom burns easily.

FINNISH PULLA BREAD

Steps:

• Warm the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat. Let cool until lukewarm.
• Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Stir in the lukewarm milk, sugar, salt, cardamom, 4 eggs, and enough flour to make a batter (approximately 2 cups). Beat until the dough is smooth and elastic. Add about 3 cups of the flour and beat well; the dough should be smooth and glossy in appearance. Add the melted butter or margarine, and stir well. Beat again until the dough looks glossy. Stir in the remaining flour until the dough is stiff.
• Turn out of bowl onto a floured surface, cover with an inverted mixing bowl, and let rest for 15 minutes. Knead the dough until smooth and satiny. Place in a lightly greased mixing bowl, and turn the dough to grease the top. Cover with a clean dishtowel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Punch down, and let rise again until almost doubled.
• Turn out again on to a floured surface, and divide into 3 parts. Divide each third into 3 again. Roll each piece into a 12 to 16 inch strip. Braid 3 strips into a loaf. You should get 3 large braided loaves. Lift the braids onto greased baking sheets. Let rise for 20 minutes.
• Brush each loaf with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.
• Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 25 to 30 minutes. Check occasionally because the bottom burns easily.

DALLASPULLA - AWESOME FINNISH PASTRY

Steps:

• Prepare filling by mixing ingredients into a smooth paste. Refrigerate until needed.
• In a saucepan over low heat, warm the milk and butter to about 40C/104°F.
• In a bowl, crumble the yeast into the warm milk and butter mixture. Add sugar, salt and egg. Mix together well until the yeast is dissolved.
• Add flour gradually until the dough forms a ball. Add more flour only if it's still sticky and add only a little at a time.
• Knead dough for about 5 minutes until smooth and elastic.
• Place a towel over the bowl and let the dough double in a warm, draft-free place for about 30 minutes to 1 hour [warming the oven to ~40C/100F works very well as a proofing box].
• Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface. Gently shape dough into rough rectangle with long side nearest you. Lightly flour dough and roll into a 16-inch x 12-inch (40cm x 30cm) rectangle.
• Spread filling on the dough leaving a 1cm/.5in border on the far edge.
• Beginning with long edge nearest you, roll dough into taut cylinder.
• Firmly pinch seam to seal and roll cylinder seam-side down.
• Very gently stretch and roll to cylinder of even diameter and 18-inch/45cm length; push ends in to create even thickness.
• Using a sharp serrated knife and gentle sawing motion, slice cylinder in half, then slice each half in half again to create evenly sized quarters. Slice 3,8cm/1.5in pieces from the rolls and place into a rectangular pan using a spatula.
• Cover with a towel and allow to rise for about 30 minutes while the oven warms to baking temperature.
• Make icing.
• Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200-225C/390-435F for about 13-15 minutes.
• Cut pulla apart and drizzle icing over the tops.
• Try not to eat them all in one sitting. :).

FINNISH CARDAMOM BRAIDS (PULLA)

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in warm water and let sit for a few minutes.
• Mix milk, 1 cup sugar, melted margarine, eggs, and cardamom together in a bowl until well combined. Add 1 1/2 cups flour and the yeast-water mixture; mix until well combined. Add remaining 3 1/2 cups flour and mix well.
• Turn dough out onto a floured board and knead until smooth. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
• Divide dough into 9 equal balls; roll each ball into a rope. Braid 3 ropes together; repeat twice more so you have 3 braided loaves.
• Put braided loaves on a greased cookie sheet. Brush with coffee and sprinkle with pearl sugar. Let rise for about 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 25 minutes.