Finnish Pulla Recipe – my mom’s recipe for a traditional Finnish bread scented with fragrant cardamom! Perfect for special mornings, gatherings, holidays or afternoon tea.  Cozy and delicious! 
 
A traditional recipe for Pulla- a slightly sweet, Finnish Cardamon Bread that tastes and smells heavenly. Perfect for mornings or afternoon tea. | www.feastingathome.com. #pulla #pullarecipe #coffeebread #morningbread #finnishbread #finnishrecipes

I love you. It will end. Leave something of sweetness and substance in the mouth of the world.

Anna Bell Kaufman
Today is a very special day for me…it is what would be my mother’s 85th birthday.   I thought I would share something special that she loved to bake which is very dear to my heart. It is called Pulla!
Pulla is a buttery Finnish sweet bread, scented with cardamom, perfect for special mornings, gatherings or afternoon tea. It is traditionally topped with Pearl Sugar as you see here.
 
 
A traditional recipe for Pulla- a Finnish Style Cardamon Bread that tastes and smells heavenly. Perfect for mornings or afternoon tea. | www.feastingathome.com
 
My Finnish mother used to make this on special occasions like birthdays and holidays or when guests would stay with us. I will never forget how the house would smell when she would open the oven door and take the freshly baked Pulla out.
 
It smelled… happy.
 
A traditional recipe for Pulla- a Finnish Style Cardamon Bread that tastes and smells heavenly. Perfect for mornings or afternoon tea. | www.feastingathome.com
 
Several weeks ago, I stumbled over her old Pulla recipe, written partly in Finnish. To see her handwriting again, brought back so many memories.

She came from Finland, a beautiful country, both modern and old. The countryside is filled with tall, white-trunked birch trees, red houses, saunas, and many many lakes. Three-quarters of the country is still covered by forest, and there over 100,000 lakes.

In summer, the sun barely sets. The days are long and sparkly and bright, the air effervescent and light. It feels charged with something magical.

In contrast, winters are extreme – long, dark and very cold.  My Egyptian father only lasted one winter there before pleading with my mom to move to warmer like California. She would always say, to live there you must be strong.

The Finnish have a word for this,  it is called “sisu”.

There is no exact translation, but my understanding is… it is a strength and perseverance that comes from the deepest part of ourselves.  My mom had this.

Lea Hallonen (Rizk) Feasting at Home Blog, Finnish Pulla Recipe
Here she is, happy as a clam, sitting on her sister’s steps in her hometown of Souenjoki, where they are known for growing strawberries,  during our last visit there together.
 
I think of that last trip we took together often.  I drove her around the whole country, visiting her family and friends for almost a month when she was 82.  Truthfully, there were times she drove me crazy – she was a total backseat driver, I nicknamed her Miss Daisy.

But what I wouldn’t give to be in that car again listening to her crackly voice. I can’t express enough how taking that time to be with her was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I thought I did it for her, but in fact, I see now how all along, it was a gift for me.

A little story about her:  Lea Halonen was born in 1927,  and grew up on a little farm in Sounjenjoki. During the war with Russia, Russia took over part of their country. Her family, like most families there, took in the many refugees, even though food and resources were extremely scarce.
 
She remembers those years as being very lean and feeling very hungry most of the time, eating mainly potatoes in winter. After high school, she left for Sweden, where she got her nursing degree.
 
In her 30’s, still unmarried,  she left for Nigeria (Africa) on a boat, to be stationed at a small Seventh Day Adventist hospital where she became a midwife. It was a tumultuous time there in Nigeria. After being there for 5 years, she took a little vacation to Egypt with her friend Sarah. It was there that she met my dad, and where Sarah met Abraham. They were assigned by the church to be guides. Something clicked in those 3 days, as they took them around to visit the pyramids and the Nile.
 
She went back to Nigeria to work – and they continued to keep in touch writing letters for two years before my dad proposed to her. She left Nigeria to marry my father in Cairo. But Egypt, back then, was not as accepting of her nursing skills- women were supposed to “stay home”.
 
She lasted a year before she convinced my dad to move to the more progressive country of Finland. My dad had never imagined a winter like that, had never experienced ice or snow- it was shocking! The cold and language were huge barriers. He was a minister by trade, so it made things difficult.
 
So they decided to move somewhere warm, where they could both speak English. They landed in Los Angeles, where I was born. My mom was 40 at that time.
 
Cardamon Pods
 
The star ingredient in Pulla is cardamom seeds. In this recipe, you can use the seeds, or if pressed for time, ground Cardamom is a great substitute. It is a very ancient spice originating in Southern India where it still grows wild. It is most commonly used in savory Indian dishes and curries.
 
Over a thousand years ago traders carried cardamom along the spice routes from India and eventually made its way through Constantinople brought by the Vikings to Scandinavia where it became very popular among the Finnish and Swedish in baking bread and pastries.
It has a very warm pungent aroma, a little like eucalyptus. There are several kinds of cardamom pods , two I am familiar with, the green cardamom pods and dark brown pods. My mom always used the green cardamom pods because she said they had better flavor. I never tested this theory, but I’ll take her word for it.
During one of her lasts visits to Spokane, she was too tired to make pulla but insisted on making it anyways….so I became her hands. She was stubborn about certain things….adamant!
No cutting corners. “No” to using the ground cardamom I had in my cupboard and “no” to using my stand mixer with the nifty dough hook, and “absolutely not” to using my efficient coffee bean grinder to grind the tough cardamom seeds.
This would be done her way, totally old school. But in the end, worth it.
What seemed like a mountain of cardamom pods needed to be cracked and the tiny seeds extracted. This took a substantial amount of time and patience.
I found it’s easier to slice the pods in half lengthwise with the tip of a sharp knife. After slicing about 40-50 of them, scrape the tiny dark seeds out. It takes a lot of pods to make 1 Tablespoon. You could do this ahead. Or use ground cardamom, I won’t tell or judge.
Then, after I thought all the hard work was done, there was more. Grinding the cardamom seeds with a mortar and pestle.
This seems easy, but I assure you it is not. They are the toughest little seeds and it takes serious muscle power to grind them down. And she of course wanted them crushed down to the consistency of fine sand, making sure to carefully examine my work. It was no easy task.
At the time, I never imagined that someday I would miss the way she would order me around the kitchen. But I do.
My mom loved Pulla so much she named one of her cats Pulla.  Actually, her full name is Rusina Pulla. She’s a light-colored calico with dark spots all over her. Rusina means raisins. Raisin Pulla. It was strangely fitting!

Anyways, so after all the work with the cardamom seeds, the rest is easy.  And like I said, feel free to use ground cardamom.

You’ll make a soft dough and let it rise until doubled. If using active dry yeast, this may take 2 hours. Fast-acting yeast will cut that time in half so I usually opt for that.

Oil the dough, and cover. Place in a warm spot ( 85F) to rise. I like to turn my oven to low and place the dough on top of the stove.

Once the pulla has just about doubled, shape into rolls or 2 loaves or make two traditional Finnish braided loaves like this.

My mom would often add sliced almonds and raisins and roll up the dough into small sweet rolls. Those were good too. To make the braided loaf, divide the dough in half, then into 3 balls each, and make long “ropes” out of them. Braid them and tuck the ends under. Let rise for another 1 – 1/2 hour.

Brush with an egg wash, or milk and sprinkle pearl sugar over the top.

You can also bake the braided roll in a loaf pan for easier slicing, tucking the ends under.

how to make Finnish Pulla Bread
Bake the Pulla at 375 F until cooked through and golden ( Internal temp of 200F).
A traditional recipe for Pulla- a slightly sweet, Finnish Cardamon Bread that tastes and smells heavenly. Perfect for mornings or afternoon tea. | www.feastingathome.com. #pulla #pullarecipe #coffeebread #morningbread #finnishbread #finnishrecipes
This can range anywhere from 30-50 minutes, depending on size.
If baking in a loaf pan, bake at 350F for roughly 40 mins, and you may need to cover with foil, to prevent over-browning lightly.
Slice, toast, and butter.
A traditional recipe for Pulla- a Finnish Style Cardamon Bread that tastes and smells heavenly. Perfect for mornings or afternoon tea. | www.feastingathome.com
This is really delicious in the morning with your coffee…and the leftovers make excellent french toast!
You can also make Pulla into rolls!
A traditional recipe for Pulla- a slightly sweet, Finnish Cardamon Bread that tastes and smells heavenly. Perfect for mornings or afternoon tea. | www.feastingathome.com. #pulla #pullarecipe #coffeebread #morningbread #finnishbread #finnishrecipes

However you choose to make Pulla, you will love its flavor. The nice part is you can wrap it up tightly and freeze for when you need something cozy and warm.

A traditional recipe for Pulla- a slightly sweet, Finnish Cardamon Bread that tastes and smells heavenly. Perfect for mornings or afternoon tea. | www.feastingathome.com. #pulla #pullarecipe #coffeebread #morningbread #finnishbread #finnishrecipes

Every time I make Pulla now, I feel her in the kitchen with me. We make it together- even still. 

Love and cheers. Sylvia

PS. This poem below found its way to me shortly after my mother passed away… and it reminded me of the pulla I had in the freezer, the last batch we made together.   I found it profoundly beautiful…and I especially love the last paragraph.

Cold Solace by ANNA BELLE KAUFMAN

When my mother died, one of her honey cakes remained in the freezer.

I couldn’t bear to see it vanish, so it waited, pardoned, in its ice cave behind the metal trays for two more years.

On my forty-first birthday I chipped it out, a rectangular resurrection, hefted the dead weight in my palm.

Before it thawed, I sawed, with serrated knife, the thinnest of slices —Jewish Eucharist.

The amber squares with their translucent panes of walnuts tasted — even toasted — of freezer, of frost, a raisined delicacy delivered up from a deli in the underworld.

I yearned to recall life, not death —

the still body in her pink nightgown on the bed,

how I lay in the shallow cradle of the scattered sheets

after they took it away,

inhaling her scent one last time.

I close my eyes, savor a wafer of sacred cake on my tongue and try to taste my mother, to discern the message she baked in these loaves when she was too ill to eat them:

I love you.

It will end.

Leave something of sweetness

and substance

in the mouth of the world.

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Pulla (Traditional Finnish Cardamom Bread)

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A traditional recipe for Pulla – a buttery Finnish Cardamom Bread that tastes and smells heavenly. Think of this as Finnish Coffee bread- perfect for mornings or afternoon tea. This makes 2 extra-large braided loaves, feel free to halve the recipe. Allow 3 hours rising time (30 mins hands-on time)

Ingredients

Units

***Makes 2 loaves -feel free to halve.

  • 14–20 cardamon pods (or sub 2–3 teaspoons ground cardamon)
  • 2 cups whole milk, soy milk or half and half
  • 3 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3 extra large eggs
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 6 –7 cups all-purpose flour, more for the counter
  • 1/2 cup soft butter
  • 1 egg (for egg wash)
  • coarse sugar for sprinkling

optional additions: raisins, sliced almonds,  coarse sugar (pearl sugar). Feel free to sub other dried fruit and other nuts! You can sub turbinado sugar instead of pearl sugar.

Instructions

  1. If using whole cardamom pods, crack open the pods and lightly toast the seeds in a dry skillet for 45-60 seconds, stirring over medium heat until fragrant. Grind down to the consistency of sand with a mortar and pestle. You could do this step ahead, or use ground cardamom.
  2. Heat milk to lukewarm,  not over 110F.   Add a pinch of sugar and stir in yeast and let stand for 7 minutes. Check that yeast is dissolved and frothy indicating it is active.
  3. In a stand mixer or large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until sugar is dissolved.  Add the frothy milk and yeast, cardamom, and salt and beat until smooth.
  4. Mix in 2 cups of flour cup by cup, mixing until smooth and no lumps.
  5. Add the softened butter and mix well – the dough will get beautifully glossy. Continue adding the flour, a 1/2 cup at a time, mixing to incorporate, adding flour until stiff enough to knead, yet still soft about 6 cups. Knead using a dough hook or by hand, adding a little more flour as needed until the dough pulls away from the edges, and is satiny, about 5 minutes.  (The key here is to use as little flour as possible.) Alternatively, kneed by hand on a well-floured surface, for  6- 7 minutes,  adding a little flour at a time, dough will be slightly tacky but not sticky.  At this point, if you wish, you could knead in some raisins and almonds. Shape into a ball.
  6. Place in an oiled bowl, turning to coat the top,  cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm area (80F)  until it doubles in size. (I like to turn my oven on at the very start at the lowest setting, then turn it off, letting the dough rise inside, or place it on top of the stove.)*** Having a warm spot for it to rise is imperative here.
  7. After it has doubled,  divide it in half. This will make two extra-large loaves. (Or make rolls see notes)
  8. To make 2 braided loaves, divide each half into 3 pieces.  Roll each piece into long ropes about  1 1/2- 2 inches thick. Braid the 3 ropes and tuck under the ends. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (or in lightly greased, or parchment-lined loaf pan-see notes).
  9. Beat the egg with a tablespoon water. Brush the loaves with the egg wash.  Sprinkle with pearl sugar over the top and sliced almonds if you like.
  10. Let rise again until doubled. Place in a preheated 375-degree oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until skewer or toothpick pulls out clear (or internal temp is 200F) and the top is nicely golden.
  11. Pull it out of the oven and let sit for 10 minutes. Slice and slather with butter.

Notes

Instant yeast will cut the rising time in half.

Store the pulla, covered tightly on the counter. Or freeze (sealing well)  for later.

You can also place this in the fridge to rise overnight or until doubled-  then shape and bake in the morning ( following steps 7-11) 

This makes two large braided loaves. Or use loaf pan loaves. You could easily halve this recipe!

To make rolls: visit this Cardamom roll post

I often divide the dough in two, make one braided loaf, and make rolls out of the remaining dough.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 slice
  • Calories: 188
  • Sugar: 5.3 g
  • Sodium: 212.9 mg
  • Fat: 5.5 g
  • Saturated Fat: 3 g
  • Carbohydrates: 29.4 g
  • Fiber: 1 g
  • Protein: 4.9 g
  • Cholesterol: 35.5 mg

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Comments

  2. I loved reading about you and your mother and I am happy that whenever you think about her, she is with you again. I have not had Pulla for about 40 years but will make it this week using your mother’s recipe. Thank you. p.s. I use to go orienteering with a lot of Finnish and Swedish and Estonian people here in Canada and “sisu” was something that many of us developed in this sport and carried with us throughout our lives. Thank you for the reminder.

    Reply

  3. I just loved your article. Somehow, I believe through your words that your mom was a lovely person and it would’ve been fantastic to know her. I love the way you carry her into your heart and your acts. Thanks for this extract of life and Finland (that I adore) and the sweet moment you gave us, not just because of the delicious pulla recipe. Which, by the way, I really hope to have the chance to prepare soon!

    Reply

  4. I have been familiar with Pulla since I dated a Finn woman 30-35 years ago. For a while she worked at a Finn bakery where she was taught to braid the pulla with 4 rather than 3 strips . I recently found a recipe in a bread machine book. Tried it yesterday, the texture of the pulla was fantastic but the flavour was not as I remembered, that recipe called for only 1 to 2 teaspoons of ground cardamon .
    It made one loaf that I placed on parchment paper and diagonally
    on the pan .End result was a loaf 22″ long, about 8″ wide and 4″ high. I will definitely try your recipe next time. I’ll be sure to let you know how I do. I am sure the extra cardamom will give it the flavour I remember.

    Reply

  5. I followed the instructions but the bread was dense and heavy what could of happened , I did not kneed it for 10 minutes I have arthritis and difficult to use my hands

    Reply

  6. Pulla is our family’s Christmas breakfast tradition. While I have not yet made your mother’s recipe it is similar to mine, and so I am sure it is delicious! I look forward to trying it.

    Reply

    1. Rudy Either will work. What is nice to do…is to braid it, then bake it in the pan- very pretty!

      Reply

  9. Sylvia I am of 109% Finnish blood and this recipe looks great! Can’t wait to try it. I had my mom’s recipe but someone got rid of my recipe book. I’ve been looking for a pulla recipe that uses “cake” yeast as I’ve never used fresh before. I’m hoping that it will work for me. Where have you bought your cardamom seeds? I’ll let you know how mine turns out.

    Reply

    1. thanks Jennifer! Yes, let me know. I buy whole cardamom pods in the bulk section of higher-end grocery stores, or co-ops.

      Reply

  10. My father was 100% Finnish and my grandmother and grandfather. My grandfather died very young and my grandmother when I was 2. The Finnish traditions were sorta of passed on but not many. So if you have more wonderful recipes from your Mom I would love to try them. Thanks so much for sharing her Pulla recipe. Keto’s!

    Reply

  11. Dearest Sylvia, *Thank you,* for finding your gifts and sharing them (I find not just brilliant cuisine/flawless descriptive instructions and captivating writing, but *soul food*!). Every loving story, struggles and triumphs, reminders of some simple life lessons and laughter shared here has been felt- and is very inspirational. I feel ‘late to the party’ but glad I found your site! My husband – notoriously fabulous and picky cook from Israel – is also grateful! – Your recipes have specially enhanced my kitchen game! The love comes through in your recipes!
    WOW! – as I made this Pulla last night, I sent ‘thanks’ to you and your mom before it was even finished. Heavenly. Every seed well worth it (I will never look at a Cardamom pod the same way! LOL) You are clearly such a lovely creature – I know your mom is so proud up there! Again, I send a big hug of Thanks.

    Reply

    1. Alicia- thank you so much for this, it has touched my heart. Appreciate you reaching out and notes like this really motivate to keep going. All the best to you and your family. love and hugs.

      Reply

  15. You made me cry. The last time I visited my mother was the last time I saw her alive. I wish I spent every minute of my time with her when I was home. Anyway, thank you very much for your beautiful story. Have a wonderful Christmas with your family and friends.

    Reply

    1. I’m so sorry Angie,such a hard thing to go through. Always remember you are not alone in this. Love and hugs to you.

      Reply

  16. Sylvia, what can I say?
    Your blog is so very wonderful!
    This story about your Mom & her Pulla and the way you got along, (the Yin & the Yang) was priceless!
    Your writing is so heartfelt but edited so it especially touches the heart in its gentle minimalism.
    I think you have a Screenplay under your belt!
    I can’t wait to make this bread with my 2&3 year olds ( I have a home Daycare) and last time we made Cardamon Ginger cookies, we, cracked the pods and got out the seeds and you are so right! it takes a lot of pods to fill a tablespoon! But they really got into it. I let them try a seed and they loved it.
    I feel so blessed to have found your blog: Feasting At Home !
    May I in return offer you Sylvia and all reading my comment a wonderful sweet & so well acted
    little gem of a film I just saw free on youtube: type in on Youtube: ” Lucky Star, 1929 Janet Gaynor”
    and you will be treated to a special film that has delighted & touched our friends and family!
    I can’t wait to try more recipes and especially your back story’s too!
    Love & Happiness,
    ~ Nell Teagarden

    Reply

    1. Nell, thanks so much for this. Means a lot and I will check out the film. All the best to you!!!

      Reply

  17. As I’m sitting here trying to stop the tears I want to thank you. Your story about your Mom touched me deeply. My Mom came from Finland to Canada in 1952. I know I was blessed to have grown up in a Finnish household. Even though I consider myself Canadian first; I am so proud to be a Finn also. Today I went looking on Pinterest for a pulla recipe. My Mom is not doing so well the last couple of weeks. She’s 88 and in a nursing home. Today I’m going up to tuck her into bed, say her prayers and sing her one of her favourite Finnish songs. This has become a ritual for us since she was moved into a home a year ago. Well, normally I say her prayers and sing the song over the phone. I can’t begin to say what this ritual has meant to us both. It’s cute; as soon as we say ‘amen’, she starts right into the song now! As a last minute thought this aft, I decided I’m going to bring her a couple of pieces of pulla for her bedtime snack. (I have no idea when it might be the last time I am able to do this.) I’m planning the timing so I will be pulling it out of the oven as I walk out the door. As you know, there’s nothing like pulla hot out of the oven.We didn’t have a mortar and pestle when I was little. We cleaned the seeds out of the (white!) pods and lay them on the floor wrapped in layers of cloth. (it was always the same cloth… it smelled heavenly!) Then we used a hammer and banged at those seeds til they were the right texture! I have a mortar and pestle now, but I still ‘hammer’ them on the floor like when I was little. A little crazy perhaps.I didn’t mean to write a whole novella here! Thank you again for adding such a wonderful, cozy warmth to my heart just now.By the way… it’s “Rusina”!Maija

    Reply

    1. Maija, Thanks so much for your heartfelt comment and sharing about your mom. I have tears in my eyes. Enjoy your moments together… they are very special. I will try the hammer and cloth idea…its great…I love picturing that!

      Reply

  18. This is beautiful and thank you for sharing your pulla with us. It was mouth wateringly delicious and even more special after I read the whole blog xo

    Reply

  20. Sylvia, that was such an amazing tribute to your wonderful, sweet mom ~ loved that you shared her special recipe on her birthday. Sending you much love today as you remember her.Natalie

    Reply

  21. Sylvia – this is absolutely beautiful. The writing is poetic and heartfelt, the pictures are stunning and pictures are amazing. What a lovely tribute – I don’t know why you think writing is not your strong point.

    Reply

  22. What a beautiful tribute to your mom on her birthday! i’m glad i’m in the privacy of my home so i can weep and cry freely 🙂 Hopefully i’ll get to Finland soon to explore my own roots. xo

    Reply

  23. oh my gosh sylvia. I’m reading this at work and have tears in my eyes. What a heartfelt post…beautiful! Thanks for sharing. Teresa

    Reply

  24. Oh Sylvia you’ve brought me to tears. My dear sweet mother-in-law Senia Croonquist Hart was Finnish. Sisu is a phrase she repeated often, and one we would use to describe her as well. She even had stationery made with Sisu printed on the top. Although not a cook or baker herself, she would talk about Pulla her mom made growing up in the Finnish community that settled in Red Lodge , Montana. I miss her grace and “stick-to-it” strength (Sisu) . Senia and your mother resemble each other, but I notice the hands in particular- big, strong, hardworking yet gentle. Thanks for sharing your memories. KateH

    Reply

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