Rustic Bread

4 c. flour
4 t. kosher salt
2 c. warm water 
1 package of active yeast or 2 1/4 t. of yeast from a jar
 butter or olive oil

Mix water - hot from tap or 110 degrees, with yeast.  Dissolve.  Combine flour and salt in a large bowl or in a stand mixer bowl.  Make a well in the center and add the water/yeast.  Combine in a stand mixer with a yeast hook or by hand until completely mixed.  The dough should not be too sticky.  If it is, add more flour.

Put into a greased, oven-proof bowl into the oven with the light on.  Cover with a towel.  The light from the oven provides enough heat for rising.  Allow to double in size, about 1 1/2 hours.  Punch down and return to oven and repeat.  Remove from oven.  Put a greased, oven-proof pan in a 400 degree oven and let warm up for 20 min.  Add bread mixture to pre-heated pan and cover with a lid.  Bake for 15 with the lid on, then remove lid and continue baking for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from oven, place bread on a cutting board and rub surface with olive oil or butter.  Let cool and slice.

Swedish Coffee Bread

This recipe came from my great Aunt Evelyn Borgeson and is loved by our family!

3 c. water (hot)
1 c. powdered dry milk
3/4 stick margarine or butter
3/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. ground cardamom
2 eggs
1 1/2 t. salt
2 pkg. yeast
8 - 9 c. flour (use part of this for kneading)

Mix hot water and dry milk.  Add butter.  When melted, add sugar that has been mixed with yeast.  Add eggs, cardamom and salt.  Add flour slowly, at least 7 1/2 cups.  Add more if dough is soft, then add 1/2 c. more.  Use the rest for kneading.  Let rise until double.  Punch down and let rise again. Knead dough well; shape into 3 parts.  Cute each part into 3 strips, then braid.  Place in long pan; let rise.  When ready to put in oven, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar/cinnamon mixture (or pearl sugar).  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Cardamom Bread

It wouldn't be a Swedish blog without some Swedish Cardamom bread.  I have the best memories of coming home from school to smell this baking in the oven.  I love eating this with butter, or even better - toasted for breakfast!  Thanks to my friend Marny Danz for contributing her recipe:

Makes 4 loaves.
2 c. milk
2 slightly beaten eggs at room temperature
½ c. butter (1 stick)
1 ½ tsp. ground cardamom
1 c. sugar 7-8 c. flour (I use King Arthur’s bread flour)
1 Tbs. salt
A few Tbs. of melted butter
3 pkg. yeast
Pearl sugar
¼ c. lukewarm water
Slivered almonds

Scald the milk (heat until there are bubbles around the edges). Then turn off the heat and add ½ cup butter, sugar and salt. Mix and cool to lukewarm. Soften yeast in lukewarm water. Add yeast to cooled milk mixture. Add eggs and cardamom. Stir or mix in 6 cups flour and then knead the rest of the flour in (just as much as you need until it is elastic and smooth – about 8-10 minutes of kneading). Grease a large bowl. Put the dough in the bowl and then turn the dough over so the top has some of whatever you used to grease (Crisco or margarine) on it. Cover with a cloth and let rise in a warm place until double in size (usually takes approximately 1 ½ hours). Punch down and form into four braided loaves (tuck ends of braids under each end of each loaf). Grease four 9X5 bread pans and place a loaf in each pan. Melt butter and brush on loaves. Sprinkle with pearl sugar and slivered almonds. Cover with cloth. Let rise until double (they should fill the pans-1 hour or more). Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes (may be a little less time if you have dark pans – cook until they are golden brown). Cool a few minutes and then take out of pans and cool on racks completely before bagging.