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Finnish Easter Bread
This bread is baked in straight sided round pans
such as souffle dishes, or in 1-pound coffee cans or in a 4-quart
pail.
2 packages active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
3 cups milk, scalded and cooled to lukewarm
7 to 71/2 cups white flour
4 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons crushed cardamom
3 tablespoons chopped candied orange peel
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
1/2 cup chopped raisins
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1 cup butter, melted
Frosting:
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
4 tablespoons cold water (approximately)
few drops almond flavoring
Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Combine 2 cups of the milk and
the yeast mixture. Sift in 2 cups of the flour. Beat until smooth
and elastic, cover, and let rise until light and spongy (about 45
minutes).
Beat the egg yolks and sugar together until light and fluffy; add to
the spongy mixture, mixing well. Add the salt, cardamom, orange
peel, lemon peel, raisins and almonds. Beat in the remaining 1 cup
milk and the melted butter. Add the remaining flour slowly, stirring
until a stiff dough is formed. Turn it out onto a lightly floured
board and knead until smooth. Place in a lightly greased mixing
bowl, turn to grease the top, cover, and let rise in a warm place
until doubled in bulk (about 1 hour).
Grease 3 baking dishes or coffee cans and dust with sugar or grease
one 4-quart-sized aluminum pail. Fill these only half full and let
rise in a warm place until almost even with the rim of the pan (the
dough will rise rapidly). Bake in a moderate oven 350 F. for 60
minutes or until golden brown. Test for doneness using a wooden
skewer or cake tester. Let the loaves cool in the pans.
After the bread is removed from pans they may be decorated with a
mixture of the confectioners' sugar, water and almond flavoring.
Drizzle frosting on the top and sides of the loaves. To serve, cut
the bread into wedges and cut each wedge into thin slices
(crosswise, to form triangular slices). Makes 3 loaves the size of
1-pound coffee cans, or 1 large loaf if you bake it in the pail.
The Finnish Cookbook |
