Finnish Coffee Bread (Viipuri Twist

• Vegetarian

• Refrigerated

  • 2 Eggs

• Baking & Spices

  • 3/4 tsp Cardamom, ground
  • 5 1/2 cups Flour
  • 1/2 tsp Nutmeg, ground
  • 3/4 tsp Salt
  • 2/3 cup Sugar
  • 4 1/2 tsp Yeast

• Dairy

  • 1/4 cup Butter
  • 2 cups Milk

• Liquids

  • 1 tbsp Water

Found on simplefood365.com

Description

Ingredients

• 5½ to 5¾ cups flour
• 4½ teaspoons yeast
• ¾ teaspoon ground cardamom
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 cups milk
• ⅔ cup sugar
• ¼ cup butter
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, divided
• 1 tablespoon water
• 2 teaspoons sugar

Directions

• Combine 2-1/2 cups of flour with the yeast, cardamom and nutmeg in a large bowl. Try to resist the smell - I dare you!
• Warm the milk, sugar, butter and salt over medium heat, stirring constantly until warm, about 120 degrees.
• Pour the milk mixture over the dry ingredients, stirring to combine.
• Add one egg. Beat for two to three minutes to incorporate the egg.
• Stir in more flour a half-cup at a time until the dough becomes stiff enough to work with and no longer sticky.
• Lightly flour the countertop then turn the dough out onto it. Sprinkle a little bit of flour over the top of the dough and knead it for about five minutes, until smooth.
• Grease a glass bowl, then put the dough in the bowl. Turn it around to grease the entire dough ball.
• Cover it with a tea towel and set it in the microwave, the oven or somewhere away from drafts to rise.
• Punch the dough down after about an hour and a half, or when the dough has doubled in size.
• Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into three equal pieces.
• Work with one piece at a time to make it manageable. Cut the piece into thirds.
• Roll each one-third section into a long rope.
• Align the dough ropes so they are parallel. Attach all three together at one end by pressing those ends together.
• Braid the dough carefully, handling it gently so you don’t break the ropes.
• Press the other ends together and fold it under so you have a braided loaf.
• Repeat this with the other two sections of dough so you have three braided loaves.
• Let the loaves rise again until nearly double, typically a half-hour to 45 minutes
• Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes.
• Before you remove the bread from the oven, whisk together the second egg, the teaspoon of water and the two teaspoons of sugar. Brush the egg wash on the hot bread loaves when they come out of the oven.