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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Bake the Pulla at 375 F until cooked through and golden ( Internal temp of 200F).
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.
This is really delicious in the morning with your coffee…and the leftovers make excellent french toast!
You can also make Pulla into rolls!
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.
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.
Every time I make Pulla now, I feel her in the kitchen with me. We make it together- even still.
Love and cheers.
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.
Pulla (Traditional Finnish Cardamom Bread)
- Prep Time: 3 hours
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Total Time: 3 hours 40 minutes
- Yield: 2 loaves 1x
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Finnish
Description
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
Scale
***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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Mix in 2 cups of flour cup by cup, mixing until smooth and no lumps.
- 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.
- 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.
- TIP: You can also place this in the fridgeovernight- and shape and bake in the morning.
- After it has doubled, divide it in half. This will make two extra-large loaves. (Or make rolls see notes)
- 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).
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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:
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 15.7 g
- Sodium: 134.6 mg
- Fat: 8.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 49.6 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 6.3 g
- Cholesterol: 47.4 mg
Wow this is incredible! My sister suggested I try to make Cardamom Bread and I had to Google it. I’ve never heard of it, nor had I ever tasted cardamom. After some research, I fell in love with the story of your Mom! I lost my mom too, so I get it. But as I was making this today, I had your mom in my thoughts and I wanted to make her proud! I imagine she would have given me flack for using ground cardamom, but I kneaded this beauty by hand from start to Finnish (ha!). It was WORTH IT! Because oh my goodness I’m in love!
Glad you enjoyed!
I’ve had the same problem as Cindy! I’m now on my third batch and hope this one works! The dough will not rise! The yeast is active, the oven warm, directions followed to the letter, yet almost 5 lbs of flour and 1/2 jar of expensive cardamom and I have not had success….yet. I promised my daughter I would make this for her today. One of her clients gave her a loaf over the holidays and she has raved about it. It was served with honey butter and she said it was to die for. I sure hope the 3rd time is the charm for me!
I gave 5 stars in advance because the story about your mom and memories was simply beautiful! Thank you for sharing her and your memories with us.
Hi Sandie, Place it in a warm oven ( very low temp) to rise- 80-100F. Are you using active dry yeast or Instant yeast?
I had the same issue. Ultimately I warmed the two cups of milk as directed but followed the instructions on the yeast package. So I took 1/4 cup of the warm milk, added to yeast with sugar. Then after it foamed I added it to the egg mixture with the rest of the milk. It worked perfectly.
I’m.going to try this recipe. Mine is from my mom. But it always seems like it’s doughy after baking.
Also. The darkness in the bottom… How do you avoid that besides parxhmebt?
I did still love the flavor!!
I just use parchment. I wonder if you lowered the heat?
I decided I wanted to try making Pulla after trying a loaf from a local bakery. After comparing quite a few recipes I settled on Sylvia’s and the results were better than I expected. I decreased the sugar to about 1 cup and added raisins to one loaf. They baked up beautifully in 30 minutes and taste incredible. I will definitely make this again!
The dough must be placed in a warm spot to rise (85F). I’ve had the same problem but I now I turn the oven on to low, and place it on the stove top.
Sylvia, it is Christmas Eve morning and I have searched for my very special Cardamon Bread recipe with no luck. So I did a search and ended up here with you. I am so glad I did because I love your story. And will make your Pulla recipe which I am sure is very, very much the same as my misplaced tattered recipe from a friend who shared similar memories and his mother’s recipe. Merry Christmas
Your post and the poem are beautiful.
My father was Swedish, and whenever we would visit my grandmother on Cape Cod, we would always make a trip to her favorite bakery to buy multiple loaves of Swedish braided cardamom bread (we called it “Fleta”, which means “Braid” in Swedish). We would save it in the freezer to eat all year. I make a lot of bread, but I have never made fleta before. I decided to make a loaf today and happened across your recipe. I had no idea that it would be exactly what I needed to read today, which is the 11th anniversary of his death.
Thank you for the beautiful post and poem.
Thanks Melissa. Glad this found you. ❤️
I can’t wait to make this! I have looked all over my house to find my recipe. I first made this in home ec in high school. My teacher happened to be my ministers wife and she had asked another ministers wife to demonstrate Pulla. She was from Finland. For many years after I would make this for our family at Christmas My grand father would especially like it so it was my gift to him. I can’t wait to make this.
Love it Kathy!
thank you for sharing this lovely story of your mom’s understandable obsession with Pulla. We made two loaves today and devoured 1/2 of the first loaf, just the two of us! I took a photo but can’t seem to find a way to include it in this email. We did reduce the sugar amount to 1/2 cup; we’re also thinking of trying black cardamom next time. Love your website, your recipes and pictures, and background stories. Thanks again for this inspirational Zopf (German word for it)
Glad you enjoyed!
Thank you for the recipe but I have a bit of a confusion about it. I printed the recipe a while ago and it also had a 1 1/2 cup of warm water. But I dont see it here anymore. Was this recipe tweaked recently or am I missing somthing. Would love to hear your response. Thank you
I did update the recipe recently. Sorry about that.
Dear Sylvia,
I’m so glad I found this site. And the way you introduce your Mom, to me. I must admit that it made me very lonesome for mylate Mom. I grew up with an elderly finish, couple and Moomoo, would make the most yummiest Pulla. As she would sit me down at the table, and hang my winter jacket on the back of their wooden kitchen chair. And then pull out the Pulla, freshly baked out of her wood stove. As she refused to cook or bake on anything else.
I was just a little gaffer and I would watch her big strapping husband chop, wood in the shed. Where he had placed me on a great big stump, to watch him chop the wood. When done this is when we would go in, and have the fresh pulla. And they would have it with their coffee. And I, a tall glass of milk. It’s a memory I’ll cherish my whole life.
Correction:
I didn’t grow with as persay in the same home. We were neighbors…..
I love this Craig. So special… warmed my heart. Thanks for sharing.
What a beautiful story of Mom. Brings back memories of my mother.
Can’t wait to try this recipe. I love cardamom!
A friend asked me today how I use cardamom as she had a fresh (pricy too!) jar. It’s likely my most unfavourite spice – except in pulla where it’s utterly divine!
I couldn’t find my recipe (being a chef and food writer, I have literally thousands if one counts my scribbled notes in margins) and went to various bread cookbooks that I own without success. Chancing on your authentic recipe and heartwarming story, I need not search any further!
Thanks…
Thank you for this recipe. I am Scottish with half Finnish cousins, and I acquired a taste for cardamom while living for a time in Norway. Reading this on what would have been my father’s 92nd birthday, your story of your mother and Kaufman’s poem really resonated too. For me, it was my father’s jars of marmalade that sat unopened, unopenable, in the pantry – in fact there are still a few 18 years on. I will savour this pulla bread recipe and raise a slice to your mother’s memory.
Awwww thanks Amy. This warmed my heart. xoxo
I have not yet made the recipe but wanted to say as I read about your mother and the Cold Solace poem included here I had tears in my eyes. My grandfather was Finnish. I so loved him and miss him in particular as the holidays approach. He was a great cook and baker and made the most wonderful treats, we called them tarts but they were filled with apricot or walnuts and prunes and sort of triangular shaped butter rich pastry, every Christmas. Cardamom rolls were also a favorite of my grandmother, who was Swedish, on the other side of the family. I will think of both of them when I make this recipe as rolls. Thank you for sharing.
thanks Michele!
What a wonderful post filled with love, emotion and deep connections. It stirs me so. My Grammy made us Pulla and I can still see her hands kneading the dough. Braiding the dough. Your Mom is beautiful. She reminds me of my Grammy and Auntie from Finland.
You are a wonderful writer.
Thanks Linda! Glad this found you!
I was drawn to click on this recipe because my mom taught me how to make pulla, and I have always loved it. I read what you wrote about your mom, which reminded me so much of my Finnish grandmother, Kaarina, who passed away this summer. Come to find out, she was born 2 years after your mother and grew up on a farm in Ruokojarvi, 50 minutes away. She had to evacuated to Suonjenjoki during the war. Her life experience was similar as well. Her father was a Seventh-Day Adventist and so was she throughout her life. She went to nursing school in England where she met her husband, who was Japanese, and they moved to Loma Linda in southern CA. She moved throughout the country many times with her family, and even traveled to Kenya once. The similarities here are eerie to me! Thank you for sharing your mother’s story. I wonder if they ever knew each other.
Shelby, I got chills reading this. I bet they knew each other! I’m not kidding… I feel this tinging, up and down my spine. Such a small world. What was her last name?
Sylvia, the same thing was happening to me while I was reading your post! The similarities were too striking… I reached out to my mom and aunts about it, and they truly did know each other and were friends. In fact, you and I are related through marriage. Your aunt, Leena, is married to my grandma’s brother, Vaino. My mom (Leila) and her siblings (Lisa, Don, Sonja) remember visiting your family when you lived in LA and you were a teenager. They said, “Oh yes, beautiful Sylvia!” Lisa sent me pictures of our family in Finland; she and Sonja visited Leena & Vaino last month. My grandma’s maiden name was Kahkonen, married name Sand. Though we always called her Mummi. A small world indeed. I’m so happy to virtually meet you! It blows my mind that I have been coming back to your blog over and over again for delicious recipes and never known. I must have felt a connection. My husband, Gabriel, and I are living in the PNW as well!
Oh my goodness! This is truly amazing. I knew it. I knew if I put her story out there, the right people would find it. I just stayed at Leena and Vaino’s house a couple of years ago. Such a small world. Love it- will reach out by email.
I first learned about Pulla in the novel, “Deep River,” by Karl Marlantes. I looked for Pulla online and found your recipe.
I enjoyed reading about your mother.
My husband is 100% Finnish American and when we had his DNA tested discovered he is descended from Oli Halonen. So it looks like he could be a distant cousin.
I haven’t tried the pulla yet, but it sounds wonderful.
Thanks so much Sylvia! yes, I wonder if we are related?!!! I will look for that book!
For anyone that wants to try a coarser cardamom in their bread but doesn’t want to go through all the work of the pods! You can order cardamom seeds and grind them to your desired consistency! I personally prefer it with coarse ground not the store bought fine ground
Thanks Jessica, helpful!
Made this recipe in March when everything was shut down. I ate every roll! Wonderful! I’m going to make another batch to take to friends in Florida. We are both from Spokane. My mom used to make this for us all the time. I have been to Finland twice in the last 2 years. Can’t get enough of pulla and the rye bread. Thank you for sharing!
Awww thanks Barbara…glad you liked the Pulla! We have much in common!
I’m now making this recipe for the second time. First time was a test but the family just devoured it. So of course, I had to make it again. This time I will be giving a loaf to our dear neighbors as a thank you for all they have done for us over the years. We’re all seniors now and making and exchanging baking and preserves has become a cherished way of life. I am so happy to be able to give them a loaf of pulla. I doubt they’ve heard of it. The only reason I knew of it is an old friend who was Finn made it once. She passed away but I wanted to make some in her memory. Until I found your recipe I always referred to it as Finn Bun! I was lucky to find your recipe by searching “cardamom bread” 🙂
Awwwww, thanks for sharing this Sandra. So sweet. Glad you are enjoying the recipe and I hope your neighbors will too.
Made your Pulla recipe and it was a big hit at a family reunion
Awesome! Glad you liked this. 🙌
I haven’t made this bread yet, but I will. How could I not, with your beautiful story. The world changes when we lose our mothers, and this story brought tears to my eyes, remembering the loss of my own mother. I still make many of her recipes, and my husband and grown children love them. But my favorite thing is to open her bible, and I can still smell her. Can’t wait to make this bread!
Thanks Lisa- really appreciate this. Thanks for sharing about your mom. xo
Sylvia you made my day with your story, it is so touching and beautiful! Thank you and I will definitely bake your Pulla bread.
Awwww, thanks. Appreciate you saying so.
Kiitos..this smells just like my aiti in her kitchen.
Love the wooden spoon.
Lets keep recipes coming
Thanks Sandra. Your Finnish warmed my heart. xoxo