Swedish - Sweet Coffee Bread

Photo: flickr user Let Ideas Compete

Ingredients

1 cup milk

6 tablespoons butter

2 eggs

2/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 pkgs. active dry yeast

1 teaspoon crushed cardamom or 6 whole cardamom seeds, cru

4 cups King Arthur flour

Preparation

Note: I use a mixer with a dough hook and, instead of greasing the pan, I use a Silpat or parchment paper.

Combine milk and shortening in saucepan and heat until lukewarm (105 to 115 degrees). Pour into mixing bowl. Add eggs, sugar, salt, yeast, crushed cardamom and 1 cup King Arthur flour and beat for 2 minutes with electric beater. Gradually add balance of flour stirring by hand (I use a dough hook) until the dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl. (don't add too much flour or the bread will be too dry)

Place dough on a board knead for 8 to 10 minutes by hand or 5 minutes with the dough hook, let rise in greased bowl until double in bulk, punch down, and divide in half. Now cut each half into 3 pieces, roll each piece into a rope and braid. (If you wish, you may form the loaves without braiding.) Place loaves in 2 greased bread pans (I put a Silpat in the the pan). Brush tops of loaves with egg whites and sprinkle with a mixture of cinnamon and sugar or pearl sugar, let rise until double in bulk, and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes. For a convection oven, It takes about 12 minutes. I