This Cardamom Bread (Finnish Pulla Bread) is a show stopping bread that is easy to make and tastes as good as it looks. Braided into an elegant loaf and sprinkled with crunchy pearl sugar, this tender and aromatic bread is full of cardamom flavor and perfect for holiday gatherings, Sunday brunch or an afternoon coffee break.
A Quick Look at the Recipe
- ✅ Recipe Name: Cardamom Bread (Finnish Pulla)
- ⏰ Prep Time: 30 minutes (plus 2 hours rising time)
- 🔥 Bake Time: 30 minutes
- 👥 Yield: 1 braided loaf
- 🥣 Equipment needed: Stand mixer with a dough hook, baking sheets
- 👩🍳 Expert tip: Use freshly ground cardamom for the most aromatic flavor
- ⭐️ What makes it special: Soft, buttery and perfectly spiced - a fika favorite!
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Known as pulla in Finland and cardamummabröd in Sweden, this lightly sweet, cardamom-scented bread has been a Nordic favorite for generations. Traditionally served with coffee and often baked for festive occasions, this golden braid with it's pearled sugar topping signals warmth, celebration and togetherness.
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Why You'll Love this Recipe
- ♥️ It's ready in under 3 hours, most of it hands-off rising time.
- ♥️ The soft, supple dough is a dream to work with - no sticking!
- ♥️ The braiding is easy to do but looks really impressive.
- ♥️ The loaf is light, tender and buttery with just the right amount of cardamom flavor.
Love cardamom as much as I do? Once you've mastered this delicious loaf, check out my recipes for Traditional Cardamom Buns, Swedish Cardamom Cake and these Brown Sugar Cardamom Scones.
Ingredients
- Instant yeast - because instant yeast is faster, more reliable and doesn't need to proof, it is always my recommendation, but active dry yeast will work here as well. Increase the amount to 2 ½ teaspoons and proof in the warm milk prior to adding to the recipe.
- Ground cardamom - freshly ground cardamom is preferred here (it's more aromatic and flavorful). If using pre-ground cardamom (which is more concentrated and bit harsher in flavor), consider reducing the amount to 2 teaspoons.
- Whole milk - plant based milk can be substituted here in place of the regular milk.
- Pearl sugar - this sugar is coarse and crunchy and doesn't melt in the oven, giving Scandinavian baked goods their signature sweet, decorative topping. Sanding sugar Turnbinado sugar are good substitutions.
See recipe card for exact amounts and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Glazed Pulla - Brush the bread with the egg wash but skip the pearl sugar prior to baking. After the bread has cooled, combine 1 cup powdered sugar and 1-2 tablespoons of milk or water. Whisk until smooth, adding more milk/water as necessary to create a pourable glaze. Add a splash of vanilla or almond extract if desired. Drizzle in a zig zag motion over the bread. Let the glaze set slightly prior to serving.
How to Make Cardamom Bread
- Make the tangzhong: Whisk milk, flour, and water in a small saucepan until smooth. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until a thick paste forms, about 1-2 minutes. Cool until just warm to the touch.
- In a stand mixer bowl, whisk flour, yeast, salt, sugar, and cardamom together by hand.
- Add the warm milk, egg, tangzhong and melted butter. Knead on medium low speed 5 to 6 minuntes until the dough is smooth, elastic and slightly tacky. Cover and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, 1 ½ to 2 hours.
- Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a long rope, 16-18 inches long, and gently press the ropes together at the top.
- Braid the ropes together loosely, pinching and tucking the ends under the loaf to finish. Transfer the braided loaf to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover and let rise until puffy, 45-60 min. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Beat egg with water, brush over the loaf and sprinkle with pearl sugar.
- Bake until set and golden brown, about 30 minutes.
- Brush with melted butter and cover with a tea towel (a non-terrycloth kitchen towel) for 20 minutes. Uncover and cool completely before slicing and serving.
Expert Tips
- Grinding your cardamom fresh will yield an exceptionally fragrant, flavorful loaf!
- Weigh your flour for best results - I use the "dip and sweep" method of measuring (simply dipping the measuring cup into fluffed but unsifted flour and leveling it off with a knife). This generally produces a cup of flour that weighs 5 ounces (141 grams). The total weight of the flour in this recipe is 460 grams.
- Be sure to braid the ropes loosely and tuck the ends under the loaf at the top and bottom.
Recipe FAQs
Once the bread has cooled completely, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for 2 or 3 days.
Absolutely! Once the bread has cooled completely, wrap the loaf tightly in plastic wrap and then in foil. Freeze for 2-3 months. You can also slice the bread prior to freezing, wrapping the slices in plastic in smaller amounts if you prefer.
Yes! Once you braid the loaf, transfer it to a baking sheet and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Store in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, take the loaf out of the refrigerator and remove the plastic wrap. Loosely cover the loaf with plastic wrap or a tea towel and let rise at room temperature for 1 ½ to 2 hours. Brush with egg wash, sprinkle with pearl sugar and bake as directed.
The tangzhong method (making a quick paste of flour and liquid and adding it to the dough) makes the bread extra soft and help it stay fresh longer. It's a modern technique borrowed from Japanese milk bread that blends seamlessly with this classic Nordic loaf. For more information about tangzhong, check out this article here.
In Finnish, pulla simply means "bun", but it is actually a catch-all word used to refer to any sweet yeasted bread or bun.
What to Serve with Cardamom Bread
Traditionally, Finnish Pulla is sliced thick (with or without additional butter) and served with a strong cup of coffee. It's also delicious with a dollop of jam (try it with my recipe for Swedish Queen's Jam - so good), a slice of mild Nordic cheese, or even lemon curd
While coffee is the most customary drink to enjoy with cardamom bread, you could also serve glögg (mulled wine) or even Cardamom Hot Chocolate for a double dose of cardamom! Leftover bread makes wonderful French toast or bread pudding.
More Scandinavian Bread Recipes to Consider
Looking for more festive Nordic breads and buns? Give these a try:
If you tried this Cardamom Bread (Finnish Pulla) recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Recipe
Soft and Buttery Cardamom Bread (Finnish Pulla)
Ingredients
For the tangzhong:
- 5 tablespoons whole milk
- 5 tablespoons water
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
For the dough:
- 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (16.25 ounces)
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ground cardamom preferably freshly ground
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons whole milk warmed slightly
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- All of the tangzhong cooled
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled
For the egg wash and topping:
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon water
- Pearl sugar
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
Instructions
- Make the tangzhong: Whisk milk, flour, and water in a small saucepan until smooth. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until a thick paste forms, about 1-2 minutes. Cool until just warm to the touch.
- Make the dough: In a stand mixer bowl, whisk flour, yeast, salt, sugar, and cardamom together by hand. Add the warm milk, egg, tangzhong and melted butter. Knead on medium low speed 5-6 min until the dough is smooth, elastic and slightly tacky. Cover and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, 1 ½ to 2 hours.
- Shape the loaf: Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a long rope, 16-18 inches long, and gently press the ropes together at the top. Braid the ropes together loosely, pinching and tucking the ends under the loaf to finish. Transfer the braided loaf to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover and let rise until puffy, 45-60 min. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Make the egg wash and bake: Whisk egg with water, brush over the loaf and sprinkle with pearl sugar. Bake until set and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Brush with melted butter and cover with a tea towel (a non-terrycloth kitchen towel) for 20 minutes. Uncover and cool completely before slicing and serving.
Joleen says
I plan on trying my hand at bread making this year since I am now retired. I have read that weighing the flour is the most accurate for good bread. I saw that you included the weight in your Expert Tips section but could you also make sure you mention it on the recipe card so that it is available when printed? Thanks so much.
Kristi says
Hi Joleen,
Thanks so much for your comment! I will definitely add the ounces to recipe. Thanks for catching that! If you want to use grams, you can always toggle over to the metric measurements on the recipe card itself. That will give you amounts in grams where appropriate. I hope you enjoy the bread! Kristi