Swedish Coffeebread Food

BREAD MACHINE SWEDISH COFFEE BREAD

Steps:

• Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle; press Start.
• When the dough cycle has finished, divide into three equal portions. Roll each piece into a rope 12 to 14 inches long. Lay the three ropes side by side, then braid together. Tuck the ends underneath, and place onto a greased baking sheet, cover loosely with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in bulk.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Brush the braid with beaten egg white and sprinkle with pearl sugar. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.

FINNISH COFFEE BREAD (TRADITIONAL)

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in warm water in a large bowl.
• Stir in milk, sugar, salt, cardamom, 4 eggs, and 2 cups of flour.
• Stir until dough is smooth.
• Add 3 cups of flour and stir well.
• Stir in melted butter or margarine.
• Stir in 2-3 cups more flour or until you have a stiff dough.
• Turn dough out onto a floured bread board and cover with inverted bowl.
• Let rest for 15 minutes.
• Knead dough until smooth and satiny (8-10 minutes).
• Place dough in large lightly greased bowl, turning to grease top.
• Cover with plastic wrap and/or towel.
• Let dough rise in a warm place until doubled (1-2 hours).
• Punch dough down.
• Let dough rise again until almost double (30 minutes- 1 hour).
• Turn out onto floured board.
• Divide dough into thirds, working with only one third at a time.
• Divide (one- third of dough) into three parts.
• With your hands roll each part into one 18"strand.
• Braid the three stands together to form one braid, tucking ends under.
• Place on lightly greased cookie sheet.
• Let rise 20-30 minutes until puffy.
• Repeat with other two parts (each one-third of original dough).
• You will have three braids when finished.
• Brush braids with beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar.
• Bake in 400°F oven for 20-30 minutes or until braids are light brown.

SWEDISH COFFEE BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in milk, butter, sugar, eggs, cardamom and salt; beat until smooth. Gradually add 8 cups of flour; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. , Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. , Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide into nine equal portions. Shape each portion into a 14-in. rope. For each loaf, braid three ropes together on a greased baking sheet; pinch ends to seal. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes. , In a small bowl, combine flour and sugar; cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle over braids. Bake at 325° for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Combine glaze ingredients until smooth; brush some over loaves. Bake for 5 minutes. Brush with remaining glaze; bake 5-10 minutes more. Remove from pans to cool on wire racks.

SWEDISH COFFEE BRAIDS (BREAD)

Steps:

• Soften yeast with 1/4 cup warm water and 1/2 tsp sugar and set aside.
• In mixing bowl combine scalded milk, sugar, salt and Crisco, cool to lukewarm, and add yeast and 1 of the eggs.
• Gradually add flour to form a soft dough.
• Knead in remaining flour until smooth and satiny, about 5-8 minutes.
• Cover and let rise until double.
• Divide dough in two and on a floured surface with a rolling pin roll out each dough to about 12x9 size.
• Brush with melted butter, and sprinkle with cinnamon, sugar and chopped walnuts.
• Starting with 12-inch side, roll up jelly roll style seal seams and ends and place each roll seam side down on cookie sheet (greased).
• Take scissors (or knife) and snip part way through each bread roll one inch apart in a tractor tread style.
• Cover and let rise again.
• Brush both bread rolls with another beaten egg and sprinkle nuts over both.
• Bake at 350°F for about 25 minutes.
• Allow to cool slightly and if desired ice with favorite icing recipe.

SWEDISH CARDAMOM BRAIDS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the milk, butter, sugar, egg yolks, cardamom, salt and 3 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough., Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour., Punch dough down; divide in half. Divide each half into three portions. On a lightly floured surface, shape each portion into a 16-in.-long rope. Place three ropes on a greased baking sheet and braid; pinch ends to seal and tuck under. Repeat with remaining dough. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. , Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks. Brush warm loaves with butter. Combine the pecans, sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over loaves.

SWEDISH COFFEEBREAD

Steps:

• In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water, let stand for 5 minutes.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine warm milk, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, salt, vegetable oil and beaten egg, mixing well.
• Stir in yeast mixture.
• Add 3 cups of the flour, mixing well. Gradually add remaining flour, one cup at a time. When the dough begins to leave the sides of the bowl, turn it out on a lightly floured surface. Gradually knead in remaining flour until dough is smooth and elastic.
• Place dough in a greased bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place until dough doubles in size.
• Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Gently punch dough down and divide into thirds. With each dough portion, roll out dough on a lightly floured surface. Using a pastry brush, brush dough with softened butter. Combine 1/2 cup sugar and 1 TBSP. and 1 tsp cinnamon. Sprinkle cinnamon mixture on dough (reserve remaining mixture for the other two dough portions). Roll up dough, jelly roll style. Pinch dough at both ends and along the long seam to seal. Form dough into a circle and place seam side down on a greased cookie sheet. Using scissors, cut 1" slices all around the dough ring, only cutting 2/3rd of the way down. Then fan out each alternating slice. Cover and let rise until almost doubled. Repeat procedure with two remaining dough balls.
• Bake in a preheated oven for 25 - 30 minutes. When coffeebread is first removed from the oven, using a pastry brush, brush with melted butter.
• YIELDS: 3 COFFEEBREADS (or Swedish Tea Rings) OPTIONAL: Icing: Mix together 2 cups powdered sugar, 3 TBSP. milk, 1 tsp. vanilla. Drissle over cooled coffeebread. Can also be served with cream cheese.

SWEDISH SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy; beat in vanilla. Sift together cornstarch and flour and add to butter mixture. Mix or knead until smooth. On waxed paper, roll dough into a square 1/4" thick, then cut into 1 1/2" squares with pastry wheel or knife. Bake on buttered cookie sheets in a 350°F. oven about 10-12 minutes, or until golden.