Post by Honeylioness on Jan 10, 2011 9:14:11 GMT -5
Because I am 1/4 Finnish I have been eating, and making, Suomi-nissue or Finnish Coffee Bread most of my life - here are some notes and recipe variations for this very common Finnish bread.
Pulla (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈpulːɑ]) is a mildly-sweet Finnish dessert bread flavored with crushed cardamom seeds and occasionally raisins or sliced almonds. Braid loaves (pitko) are formed from three or more braided strands of dough. The braids may also be formed into a ring. Other types of pulla include small round ones that resemble English scones but have a sugar and butter topping, and larger cinnamon roll buns called korvapuusti. The outside typically has a shiny brown glaze, formed by a coating of egg white, milk or a mixture of sugar and brewed coffee.
Pitko is typically served in thin slices with coffee or at special occasions. Regular small Pulla is served as a whole. Serving pulla with coffee is a very common practice in Finland.
Pulla is also common in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and Northern Ontario, areas in the United States and Canada which have large Finnish populations. There it is also commonly known as nisu, an old Finnish word still in use with the same meaning in some dialects, despite originally simply meaning "wheat."
Cardamom bread is a type of bread flavored with cardamom. Usually baked as a loaf or in a Bundt cake pan, this sweet, aromatic cake is topped with chopped walnuts and vanilla icing, and usually requires about a day's worth of preparation. When the dough has risen, it can be braided to make it more decorative and festive.
Cardamom-flavored bread and buns (Finnish: pulla or nisu; Swedish: kardemummabröd, kardemummabullar) are commonly eaten in Finland and Sweden. Cardamom bread is considered a traditional food among Swedish Americans. Cardamom buns are eaten along with coffee or tea.
Cardamom is a spice used in several Nordic countries in cakes, cookies, and biscuits, including traditional Christmas pastries in the cuisine of Sweden.
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Bread loaf
* 1 cup evaporated milk (not sweetened /condensed)
* 1/4 cup water
* 1 egg, beaten
* 3 tablespoons butter, softened
* 4 cups bread flour
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon crushed cardamom, seed
* 2 teaspoons dry yeast
Recipe Card for Nisu Bread ~ Breads, rolls, biscuits, muffins
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 pound butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk, scalded
1 package yeast in 1/2 cup water
2 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons cardamom
4-5 cups flour
Brush tops with:
1/2 cup milk
3 tablespoons melted butter
sprinkling of sugar
Cream butter & sugar. Add milk, salt, and beaten eggs. Blend. Add yeast. Blend. Add cardamom and flour (just enought to prevent sticking). Turn out on floured board & knead until smooth & elastic. Put into greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover & let rise until doubled in bulk.
Again, turn out on floured board & knead well. Divide into 6 parts and pull each part into a long strip. Braid 2 strips together. Place braids in buttered pan & brush with melted butter. Cover & let rise again until light. Bake at 350 degress until top sounds hollow when tapped. While warm, brush with top mixture.
This recipe, which will take up most of your day, comes from A Symphony of Fine Foods by the Music Parents of Rockport.
Finnish Pulla
Ingredients
* 2 cups milk
* 1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
* 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
* 1 cup white sugar
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
* 4 eggs, beaten
* 9 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup butter, melted
* 1 egg, beaten
* 2 tablespoons white sugar
Directions
1. Warm the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat. Let cool until lukewarm.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Brush each loaf with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.
6. Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 25 to 30 minutes. Check occasionally because the bottom burns easily.
Pulla (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈpulːɑ]) is a mildly-sweet Finnish dessert bread flavored with crushed cardamom seeds and occasionally raisins or sliced almonds. Braid loaves (pitko) are formed from three or more braided strands of dough. The braids may also be formed into a ring. Other types of pulla include small round ones that resemble English scones but have a sugar and butter topping, and larger cinnamon roll buns called korvapuusti. The outside typically has a shiny brown glaze, formed by a coating of egg white, milk or a mixture of sugar and brewed coffee.
Pitko is typically served in thin slices with coffee or at special occasions. Regular small Pulla is served as a whole. Serving pulla with coffee is a very common practice in Finland.
Pulla is also common in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and Northern Ontario, areas in the United States and Canada which have large Finnish populations. There it is also commonly known as nisu, an old Finnish word still in use with the same meaning in some dialects, despite originally simply meaning "wheat."
Cardamom bread is a type of bread flavored with cardamom. Usually baked as a loaf or in a Bundt cake pan, this sweet, aromatic cake is topped with chopped walnuts and vanilla icing, and usually requires about a day's worth of preparation. When the dough has risen, it can be braided to make it more decorative and festive.
Cardamom-flavored bread and buns (Finnish: pulla or nisu; Swedish: kardemummabröd, kardemummabullar) are commonly eaten in Finland and Sweden. Cardamom bread is considered a traditional food among Swedish Americans. Cardamom buns are eaten along with coffee or tea.
Cardamom is a spice used in several Nordic countries in cakes, cookies, and biscuits, including traditional Christmas pastries in the cuisine of Sweden.
*************************************
Bread loaf
* 1 cup evaporated milk (not sweetened /condensed)
* 1/4 cup water
* 1 egg, beaten
* 3 tablespoons butter, softened
* 4 cups bread flour
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon crushed cardamom, seed
* 2 teaspoons dry yeast
Recipe Card for Nisu Bread ~ Breads, rolls, biscuits, muffins
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 pound butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk, scalded
1 package yeast in 1/2 cup water
2 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons cardamom
4-5 cups flour
Brush tops with:
1/2 cup milk
3 tablespoons melted butter
sprinkling of sugar
Cream butter & sugar. Add milk, salt, and beaten eggs. Blend. Add yeast. Blend. Add cardamom and flour (just enought to prevent sticking). Turn out on floured board & knead until smooth & elastic. Put into greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover & let rise until doubled in bulk.
Again, turn out on floured board & knead well. Divide into 6 parts and pull each part into a long strip. Braid 2 strips together. Place braids in buttered pan & brush with melted butter. Cover & let rise again until light. Bake at 350 degress until top sounds hollow when tapped. While warm, brush with top mixture.
This recipe, which will take up most of your day, comes from A Symphony of Fine Foods by the Music Parents of Rockport.
Finnish Pulla
Ingredients
* 2 cups milk
* 1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
* 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
* 1 cup white sugar
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
* 4 eggs, beaten
* 9 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup butter, melted
* 1 egg, beaten
* 2 tablespoons white sugar
Directions
1. Warm the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat. Let cool until lukewarm.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Brush each loaf with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.
6. Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 25 to 30 minutes. Check occasionally because the bottom burns easily.