Swedish Easter Bread

Photo: flickr user Let Ideas Compete

Ingredients

1 cup milk

1/2 stick butter

1 pkg. dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups flour

1 egg

12 cardamom pods

Preparation

Scald milk. Add butter to melt. Cool to lukewarm. Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm water. Add remaining ingredients. Add enough flour to be able to handle dough for kneading. Knead about 3 to 4 minutes. Cover with saran wrap in a large bowl and allow to rise 2 to 3 hours.

Remove dough, divide into 1/2 for 2 loaves. Take each half and divide into 3 sections and roll into strips. Now these 3 strips can be braided. Repeat with other half of dough. Place braided loaves on cookie sheet and allow to rise 1 more hour. Brush with egg yolk. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.