Cardamom Bread

Not even trying with this photo. Because, it’s too good to waste time taking photos when you could be eating tasty bread.

Poor IZ is laid up with bronchitis. He’s been sick for a week and on enough meds to make me thankful we at least have decent insurance on the prescription front. He’s always had sketchy lungs, but this is his first bout with bronchitis in a couple of years. I thought after struggling to cough and sleep and generally cope with 70 hour weeks on top of an illness he deserved a bit of comfort food.

So, I got up (skipped church!) and baked him 4 loaves of Cardamom bread.

There are times when you just need old fashioned medicine to get over a nasty bug. Time off from work (stop answering emails, IZ!), lots of fizzy water, and homemade bread.

I hope it’s a step up from the salines and golden oreos he’s been existing on for the past week.

Anyhow, I put this recipe up on Evidently 2 years ago, but I’ll post it here too. The recipe makes 3 large loaves, but this time I opted to divide the dough into 4ths; I think I like the smaller loaves better. I’d suggest popping one of the loaves into the freezer to enjoy at a later date, but. . . who are we kidding? I mean, it’s Cardamom bread. If you’re willing to devote the hours it takes to make this stuff, you totally deserve to consume it while it’s hot and fresh. Recipe under the fold.

Yeah, still not trying here.

Cardamom Bread

Ingredients:

2 cups Milk

1 Cup Sugar

1⁄2 cup Butter

1 T Ground Cardamom

3 Eggs

1 1/2 T Active Dry Yeast

1 cup Warm Water

7 1⁄2–8 Unbleached Flour

Egg wash and raw sugar for dusting

Instructions: 

Scald milk, stir in sugar and butter, set aside to cool. Proof yeast with water. Set aside for 10 minutes.

Add milk mixture to yeast, add eggs, cardamom, and 1 1⁄2 cups of flour. Mix with bread hook until incorporated. Let rest 20 minutes. It will get REALLY frothy.

Mix in the remaining flour slowly. I used 1⁄2 cups. Once mixed in, I kneed the dough in the mixing bowl until it comes together. 

Place in a greased bowl, turn dough over, let rise for 1 hour.

Punch down dough, divide into 3-4 sections depending on what size loaves you want. Then divide each section into thirds. Roll out each third into long ropes. Braid 3 ropes, turning edges under. Place braided roll onto parchment paper lined baking sheet. Once braided, let rise on a baking sheet for 40 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350. Rack should be in the middle of the oven. 

Brush the first two loaves with egg wash and dust with raw sugar. Bake for 25 minutes. Then repeat with the next loaves and bake. Enjoy!