• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Tara Teaspoon logo

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Recipe Index
    • Easy Dinners
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas Cookies
  • Cookbooks
    • Delicious Gatherings
    • Live Life Deliciously
  • Newsletter
  • Shop
  • About Me
    • Contact Me
    • Ask Tara
    • Privacy Policy Version 2022
    • Disclosure Statement
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Recipe Index
    • Easy Dinners
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas Cookies
  • Cookbooks
    • Delicious Gatherings
    • Live Life Deliciously
  • Newsletter
  • Shop
  • About Me
    • Contact Me
    • Ask Tara
    • Privacy Policy Version 2022
    • Disclosure Statement
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    TaraTeaspoon » Holidays + Celebrations » Easy Christmas Recipes » Christmas Side Dishes

    This page contains affiliate and sponsored links. See my full disclosure.

    Published: by

    Pulla Bread - Finnish Cardamom Bread

    Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe Jump to Comments
    Pulla Bread or Finnish Cardamom Braid

    Sweet cardamom bread called Pulla Bread is a staple in Finland. Soft and aromatic, it has a sprinkling of pearl sugar and almonds.

    These braided loaves of sweet cardamom bread are soft and light and disappear fast.

    Pulla bread on slate with red napkin

    You’ll find it by many different names: Pulla Bread, Nisu, Finnish Bread, Finnish Coffee Bread, Voisilmäpulla (ok, maybe we both don’t use that one!) and Cardamom Bread, but whatever you call it, I guarantee it will be a favorite.

    Jump to:
    • What is Nisu and is it the same as Pulla?
    • This Cardamom Bread Recipe (Legacy and confessional)
    • From a Christmas discovery to a tradition, this cardamom Pulla Bread is now made 100 loaves at a time!
    • Finnish bread with Pearl Sugar
    • How to braid Pulla Bread
    • How to make soft light Pulla Bread
    • Cardamom bread in Scandinavia
    • Finnish Pulla Bread Recipe:
    • Pulla Bread - Finnish Cardamom Bread

    What is Nisu and is it the same as Pulla?

    Pulla is a slightly sweet, cardamom-scented bread eaten with coffee or tea in Finland (so popular it’s like the coffee and donuts combo here).

    There are certainly several variations on the traditional, often it’s made into rolls instead of braids or speckled with raisins.

    Here, if I dare say, is the most divine recipe—it might just become a holiday, no, a weekly tradition!

    It’s soft and uniquely flavored with the signature sprinkling of sugar and almonds on top.

    Nisu is the older reference for this Finnish yeasted bread. Food52 has a great story about the history of the word from a Finnish descendant, who tells us Pulla is simply the all-encompassing word for the sweet bread typically served with coffee.

    Sliced pulla bread with coffee

    This Cardamom Bread Recipe (Legacy and confessional)

    My sweet friend Emily shared her family recipe for this Finnish bread with me. It’s truly the softest, most beautiful Pulla bread I’ve ever seen, and the best I’ve tasted.

    This Scandinavian bread has been a Harris family staple since my friend Emily’s dad made it for her mom when they were first married. The best part—he made it out of boredom on his two-week Christmas break from law school!

    After finding the recipe in a cookbook he had from his time living in Finland on a church mission, he surprised his wife with braided loaves of bread and an apartment scented with sweet cardamom.

    cutting cardamom bread dough on a board

    From a Christmas discovery to a tradition, this cardamom Pulla Bread is now made 100 loaves at a time!

    Emily's mom, Jean, now bakes the bread every Christmas to give away, and of course, eat.

    One year she made over 100 loaves! The bread, warm out of the oven, is so tempting the Harris kids enacted a “Pulla Bread tax.” Stating that some of the loaves from each batch had to stay home to be eaten. Fair enough!

    Emily’s favorite memory is of a particularly snowy December night when the roads hadn’t been plowed yet. Dad pulled her and her brother through the neighborhood on their Radio Flyer sled to deliver the loaves. It’s THAT worth it!

    More than one of their friends have confessed to eating entire loaves themselves, even hiding the special delivery from their spouse. Clearly, you should make this bread and see what all the fuss is about!

    pulla bread with pearl sugar close up

    Finnish bread with Pearl Sugar

    Sliced almonds and Swedish Pearl Sugar add to the elegance and taste of the cardamom scented bread. Sprinkled on just before baking, the almonds get lightly toasted and add a crunch to the few special bites of crust.

    Swedish Pearl Sugar, found online or at some grocery stores, is a gorgeous sugar that doesn’t melt when baked, and stays a vibrant opaque white color. It’s granulated sugar that has been processed into tiny pieces and polished to resemble pearls! It resembles snow on top when Pulla Bread is made in the winter.

    How to braid Pulla Bread

    See just how to create the beautiful braided loaves.

    On a board or lightly floured surface, divide the entire recipe of dough into 3 pieces.

    pulla bread dough cut into 3 pieces

    Divide those three pieces into 3 small pieces each. For a total of 9 pieces.

    cutting pulla dough into small pieces

    Roll the balls into long ropes, about 1 ½ inches in diameter. You'll have 9 ropes.

    rolling pulla bread dough into ropes

    Once the balls are rolled into long ropes you can braid them to make 3 large loaves. Or, cut them each in half and braid them to make 6 small loaves. The small loaves are perfect for gift giving.

    Cutting the pulla bread dough ropes

    You'll need several baking sheets if you are making 6 loaves. A simple braid is the most traditional way to prepare each loaf.

    simple braided cardamom dough on a cutting board

    Tuck the ends of the braid underneath the loaf and pinch to secure. You won't see that part!

    securing braided pulla dough

    Place loaves on parchment lined baking sheets. They can be spaced two or three inches apart. Repeat with all the remaining ropes.

    Let the loaves rise in a warm place with greased plastic wrap on top.

    Braided pulla bread loaves on baking sheet

    Use a soft pastry brush to brush each loaf with the salted egg wash mixture. This will help the sugar and almonds stick as well as give the loaves the signature coffee-brown color.

    brushing braided loaves with egg wash

    Sprinkle the loaves with sliced almonds and pearl sugar. The more the better, I say!

    Bake and enjoy!

    adding almonds and sugar to braided bread

    How to make soft light Pulla Bread

    This braided cardamom bread gets its rich and tender texture from plenty of eggs.

    Eggs act as a leavening agent in breads, helping them bake up light and fluffy, as well as a tenderizer for the crumb. The fats from the egg yolks help tenderize and lighten the bread. While not as egg-rich as Challah or Brioche, Pulla has enough eggs to create a softer, dense but still light, yeast bread.

    Eggs also contain the emulsifier lecithin. Lecithin is often added to bread to make the texture soft and smooth. Eggs do the trick!

    Finnish Pulla Bread is more similar to Brioche by recipe. Challah is a Jewish bread and is made kosher, so there is no dairy. Brioche, being the French bread that it is, has both eggs and plenty of butter.

    Fats, especially butter, add flavor to bread.

    Butter makes the crumb very tender and extends the shelf life of bread. This is a bonus since I love leftover Pulla Bread lightly toasted the next day with a drizzle of honey.

    Cardamom bread in Scandinavia

    Cardamom is a typical spice found in southern Indian cooking and curries, but over the centuries of spice trade it made its way to Scandinavia and is the star ingredient in Finnish and Swedish baking.

    Heralding back as far as the Vikings who were said to have encountered the spice in what is now Turkey, cardamom is one of the most significant imports for Scandinavia.

    Finnish Pulla Bread Recipe:

    feature image of cardamom pulla bread

    Pulla Bread - Finnish Cardamom Bread

    Tara Teaspoon
    This braided bread is a staple in Finland. It's a slightly sweet cardamom bread, and can be devoured warm, or sliced when cool. The recipe makes 3 large loaves or 6 small loaves.
    4.60 from 27 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 25 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Total Time 3 hrs 45 mins
    Course Baking
    Cuisine Finnish
    Servings 6 small loaves
    Calories 989 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 pkgs instant dry yeast (2 scant tablespoons)
    • ½ cup warm water
    • 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons warm milk
    • 1 cup granulated sugar
    • 3 teaspoons salt
    • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
    • 5 large eggs
    • 8 cups all-purpose flour plus more if needed
    • ½ cup unsalted butter melted
    • Swedish Pearl Sugar
    • Sliced Almonds

    Instructions
     

    • In a small bowl dissolve yeast in warm water; let stand 5 min. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine 2 cups of the warm milk, granulated sugar, 2 teaspoon salt, cardamom, 4 eggs and 4 cups flour. Add the yeast mixture and stir for 1 min.
    • Stir in the melted butter and add the remaining flour, about ½ cup at a time while the mixer is on low speed. Dough should pull away from the bowl when enough flour is added. Let dough knead for 5 minutes on low. Cover and let rise until double in bulk, about 1 hr.
    • Turn mixer on low again and knead dough for 30 seconds. Remove from bowl to a floured work surface. Divide dough into 3 balls.
    • Starting with one ball, divide it into 3 smaller balls for a total of 9. Roll each into a long rope, 14-to-15-inches long, about 1½ inches in diameter. Cut these ropes in half to make enough for 6 small loaves (18 ropes), (or leave them long to make 3 large loaves.)
    • Pinch the ends of the 3 ropes together and begin to braid. At the end of the braid tuck the tips under the loaf and pinch to secure. Transfer loaf to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining balls of dough.
    • Loosely cover loaves with greased plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place until almost doubled in size, 45 min to 1 hr. Heat oven to 375ºF.
    • Whisk together remaining 1 teaspoon salt, 1 egg and 2 tablespoon milk. Brush each loaf with egg wash and sprinkle with Swedish pearl sugar and sliced almonds. Bake until deep brown and cooked through, 18 to 20 min. Cool slightly and eat warm. Bread will keep airtight for up to 3 days.

    Notes

    The nutritional analysis is a program estimate for 1 small loaf.
    Pulla Bread is a staple in Finland. Soft and aromatic with cardamom, the loaves get a sprinkling of traditional pearl sugar and almonds to make it special. 
    • The Harris family makes this recipe into 6 small loaves. The perfect size for gifting. Simply divide the dough into 6 pieces instead of 3 and make the braid ropes half the length. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1loafCalories: 989kcalCarbohydrates: 166gProtein: 26gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 204mgSodium: 1265mgPotassium: 365mgFiber: 5gSugar: 38gVitamin A: 829IUCalcium: 145mgIron: 9mg
    Want to watch videos to show you how to cook?Check out our Youtube and try this recipe and more.

    Delicious bread and quick-bread recipes

    • Soft and Fluffy White Bread Recipe (Japanese Milk Bread)
    • One Banana Banana Bread
    • World's Best Bran Muffins
    • Super Soft Cinnamon Rolls (Tangzhong Method)
    • Whole Wheat Walnut Pumpkin Bread
    • Sweet and Super Moist Gluten-Free Cornbread
    • Homemade Soft and Sweet Cornbread
    • Orange Streusel Rhubarb Muffin Recipe
    Tara in kitchen making salad

    About Tara Teaspoon

    I’ve been in the food publishing business for over 20 years, creating recipes & food-styling for magazines, books, television & advertising. Order my new cookbook & stick around for amazing things to eat.

    Find out more!

    Recipe courtesy of The Harris Family. Food Styling Tara Teaspoon. Floral design by Emily Harris. Photography Ty LaMont Mecham

    « Chicken Spinach Casserole with Mushrooms and Phyllo
    The Best Frosting For Cookies »

    Filed Under: Bread, Christmas, Christmas Side Dishes Tagged With: almonds, baking, bread, christmas, pearl sugar, pulla bread

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Debbie Widdison says

      January 06, 2015 at 3:46 pm

      Love your site! I just saw you on chanel 5 for the first time. Love your ideas! Looking forward to more. Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
      • Tara says

        January 07, 2015 at 11:26 pm

        Thanks so much Debbie! I'm thrilled you'll be visiting for recipes. Let me know if you ever have any requests!

        Reply
    2. Mary Bench says

      July 17, 2018 at 10:22 pm

      This bread is out of this world!!! I can attest to that personally!

      Reply
    3. Brittany Smart says

      July 19, 2018 at 4:06 pm

      Wow this is gorgeous bread!

      Reply
    4. Z Johnson says

      December 01, 2018 at 3:50 pm

      Tara, I love your blog, your Instagram, YouTube and when you are on Studio 5.

      Is there a substitute for the Swedish Pearl Sugar?

      Thanks again for sharing your amazing talents with all of us.

      Merry Christmas.

      Reply
    5. fran says

      January 04, 2019 at 8:49 pm

      Tara, i love your blog but cannot get your Pulla bread to print, any suggestions?

      Reply
      • Tara says

        January 07, 2019 at 1:33 pm

        Oh my goodness that recipe hasn't been updated to the new format! I'm so sorry, I'll fix that this week! Thanks for letting me know. In the meantime I'm afraid you may have to copy and paste it to print it. I'm so happy you like my blog. Thanks! And please let me know if you ever have other questions or needs!

        Reply
    6. Julie says

      November 19, 2019 at 7:35 pm

      This was so easy to put together and it has a stunning presentation. My family was soooo impressed with my baking skills - I didn't tell them how easy it was to make 😉 Thanks Tara for yet another great recipe.

      Reply
    7. caren p magill says

      November 26, 2019 at 7:23 pm

      Wow, your photography is outstanding and that bread is a must-try. Sounds like you've had a very interesting career.

      Nice to meet you!

      Reply
    8. Anna says

      November 28, 2019 at 12:16 pm

      Such a beautiful bake! Love that fluffy and light texture, and there is nothing more satisfying than baking your own bread! Nicely done!

      Reply
    9. Sharon says

      November 30, 2019 at 5:57 pm

      This pulla bread is so pretty! A wonderful and delicous centerpeice for the holiday table.

      Reply
    10. Elaine says

      December 01, 2019 at 7:14 pm

      I haven't heard that about cardamom bread before - thank you for sharing. It is really exciting to learn a bit more about the cuisine in Finland. Delicious-looking bread for sure!

      Reply
    11. Danielle says

      December 01, 2019 at 9:06 pm

      I love when the bread turns out nice and soft, and I really enjoy when it's aromatic. So I am sure this recipe will be just perfect for me to make this holiday season!

      Reply
    12. Sophie says

      December 01, 2019 at 10:13 pm

      This looks so good. I love cardamom
      In everything. ThaNk you for the recipe.

      Reply
    13. Gunjan says

      December 02, 2019 at 12:32 am

      Love this bread. It’s so perfect for the holidays.

      Reply
    14. Aleta says

      December 02, 2019 at 4:48 pm

      This bread is absolutely gorgeous! I love all the flavours, and can imagine how happy my family will be on Christmas when I gift them each a loaf!

      Reply
    15. Alena says

      December 03, 2019 at 9:23 am

      Love the meaning behind pulla bread! Reminds me of challah bread that my family makes - so yummy!

      Reply
    16. Mary says

      February 24, 2020 at 11:11 pm

      This post is fabulous! I made this beautiful bread and it was so easy and delicious with your great instructions. Thank you!

      Reply
    17. PhebeAnn says

      May 04, 2021 at 3:59 pm

      If I wanted to cut the recipe in half, should I reduce to 2 eggs, or 3?

      Reply
      • Tara Teaspoon says

        May 04, 2021 at 4:09 pm

        Halfing eggs is always tricky. For the best results I'd use 2 1/2 eggs. For the half, simply whisk together 1 egg until smooth and use half the liquid. You can also try using 3 medium eggs instead of large eggs for ideal results in a half recipe. Its just a matter of extra moisture in the bread and I want it to be successful for you.

        Reply

    Let us know how it went! Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    search this website

    I’ve been sharing my original ideas for years. What began as a passion, turned into a career as magazine Food Editor at Martha Stewart and then Entertaining Director at Ladies’ Home Journal. All in all, I’ve shared recipes, cooking tips, and DIY ideas with more than 24 MILLION people. Make that 24 million and one. Thanks for stopping by Tara Teaspoon!

    Delicious Gatherings

    Delicious Gatherings cookbook cover

    follow on social

    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Calling all brownie lovers!

    Here's a quick guide to your favorite treat.

    I've compiled all my best tips and baking secrets onto one page. And it's 100% FREE!

    Enter your name here, and I'll send my Brownie Tips Sheet right to your inbox.

    Live Life Deliciously Recipe Sharing Group!

    In this group, we share dinner, dessert, snack, and lunch recipes. Any and all recipes are welcome (with a few rules). Let's make cooking and baking at home fun!

    Join Our Group

    Media Kit

    Footer

    Helpful Links

    • New Posts
      • Recipe Index
    • Cookbooks
      • Delicious Gatherings
      • Live Life Deliciously
    • About Me
      • Ask Tara
      • Videos
      • Contact Me
        • Privacy Policy Version 2022
        • Tara Teaspoon Disclosure Statement

    Popular Recipes

    • Cookbook
    • Easy Dinners
    • Grilling and Smoking
    • Chicken and Poultry
    • Baking
    • Halloween
    • Chocolate

    Recent Posts

    • Chicken Parmesan Cups
    • The Best Classic Gingerbread Cookies
    • Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Chocolate Chips
    • Peppermint Hot Chocolate Cookies
    • No-Fail Neapolitan Pizza Recipe

    Copyright © 2023 Tara Teaspoon on the Brunch Pro Theme