The fluffiest Swedish coffee bread

With its semi-sweet flavor and cloud-like texture, this Swedish coffee bread is a calming, delicious treat to enjoy this finals season. The recipe calls for a simple set of ingredients and doesn’t require any specialized equipment, making it an easy and accessible bread that can be made in just about any kitchen.

This recipe originated with my great-great-grandmother, who immigrated to the United States in the early 1900s from a farming community in southern Sweden. While this coffee bread goes back generations, I always associate it with my own grandmother — as a child, I remember arriving at her house and being greeted by the smell of this sweet bread rising in the oven. Now, as a college student, I have returned to this recipe not only to feel closer to my family, but to share that feeling of home with my friends here in Charlottesville.

While it is not part of the original family recipe, I choose to apply an egg wash to the loaves before putting them in the oven, which gives them a golden-brown sheen and glossy texture. Additionally, while I use 2 percent milk when making this recipe, any other kind of milk or milk substitute is workable.

Prep time: 30 minutes, plus approximately 1 hour for dough to rise

Bake time: 23 minutes

Yields: 2 loaves

Ingredients:

Bread

• 2 cups milk
• 6 tablespoons shortening, melted
• 2 packets of dry yeast
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cardamom

Egg wash

• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon water

Instructions:

1. In a medium-sized pot, heat the milk on medium heat until scalded.*
2. Dissolve the sugar in the scalded milk. Once dissolved, remove the pot from heat and let the milk mixture cool until lukewarm.
3. Pour the milk mixture into a large bowl. Add two cups of the flour and mix until combined. Add yeast, beaten eggs, shortening, salt and ground cardamom seeds, mixing thoroughly.
4. Gradually add the remaining flour, beating well after each addition. Avoid overmixing — the dough should be soft, not stiff.
5. Gently knead dough and place in a greased bowl.
6. Let dough rise for approximately 1 hour or until doubled in size.
7. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, divide the dough into two halves. Split each mass of dough into three strands, then braid together, forming two small loaves.**
8. Prepare the egg wash — in a small bowl, beat the egg and water until combined. Using a pastry brush, apply a thin layer of the egg wash to the top of the loaves.
9. Bake on lower rack of oven for 23 minutes or until golden brown on top.

*For a tutorial on how to scald milk, watch this video.

**If you’re unsure how to braid dough, click here for a tutorial.

Storage: Swedish coffee bread is best enjoyed fresh, but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.

I’ve long seen baking as something that brings people together, and no baked good better embodies this idea than this pull-apart bread with a subtle cardamom taste that invites everyone to enjoy a piece. This comforting treat pairs nicely with coffee or tea, but it is also an excellent option for breakfast or a snack in between study sessions.

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