Sally M's Swedish Coffee Bread

Total Time: 4 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 4 hrs Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk
• 6 tablespoons butter or 6 tablespoons margarine
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 (1/4 ounce) packages active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon crushed cardamom or 6 whole cardamom seeds, crushed
• 4 1/2-5 cups flour

Recipe

• 1 combine milk and butter in a saucepan and heat until lukewarm (105-115f). pour into mixing bowl.
• 2 add eggs, sugar, salt, yeast, cardomon and 1 cup flour.
• 3 beat for 2 minutes with electric mixer.
• 4 gradually add flour, stirring by hand until the dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl.
• 5 place dough on a floured board and knead for 8-10 minutes.
• 6 transfer to a greased bowl and allow to rise until doubled in size.
• 7 punch dough down and divide in half then divide each half into 3 pieces.
• 8 roll each piece into a rope and create two braided loaves, each with three pieces.
• 9 place loaves in two greased bread pans, brush tops with melted butter and sprinkle with a mixture of cinnamon and sugar.
• 10 preheat oven to 350°f.
• 11 allow loaves to rise until doubled.
• 12 bake in oven, approximately 30 minutes.