Fragrant Coffee Bread Recipe
Ingredients
| Active dry yeast | 2 | |
| Warm water | 2 Cup (16 tbs) | |
| Egg | 1 | |
| Flour | 7 Cup (16 tbs) | |
| Cardamom | 1/2 Teaspoon | |
| Sugar | 1/3 Cup (16 tbs) | |
| Salt | 2 Teaspoon | |
| 1/4 cup soft butter or margarine | ||
| Thin Confectioners' Sugar | ||
| Icing | ||
Directions
Dissolve the yeast in the warm water.
Add the egg, 3 cups of flour, the cardamom, sugar, and salt to the yeast mixture.
Beat with an electric mixer at medium speed for 2 minutes.
The batter should be smooth.
Add the butter and enough of the remaining flour to make a fairly soft dough.
Use a wooden spoon or, better still, your hands to mix so that dough leaves the sides of the bowl.
On a lightly floured board knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic.
Place it in a greased bowl, cover, and let it rise for 1 hour.
Punch down the dough.
Turn it over and let it rest 10 minutes more, then divide it in half.
Cut each half into 3 equal parts.
Make each part a strip about 12 inches long.
Braid the strips and pinch the ends to seal.
Place the braid in a greased 9 x 5 x 2-inch loaf pan.
Repeat this process with the second half of the dough.
Cover the loaves and let them rise for about 1 hour.
Bake the loaves at 400°F for 40 to 50 minutes.
To prevent dark loaves, cover them with a piece of foil during the last 15 minutes of cooking.
Cool the loaves on a wire rack.
When cool, brush the loaves with icing.
Add the egg, 3 cups of flour, the cardamom, sugar, and salt to the yeast mixture.
Beat with an electric mixer at medium speed for 2 minutes.
The batter should be smooth.
Add the butter and enough of the remaining flour to make a fairly soft dough.
Use a wooden spoon or, better still, your hands to mix so that dough leaves the sides of the bowl.
On a lightly floured board knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic.
Place it in a greased bowl, cover, and let it rise for 1 hour.
Punch down the dough.
Turn it over and let it rest 10 minutes more, then divide it in half.
Cut each half into 3 equal parts.
Make each part a strip about 12 inches long.
Braid the strips and pinch the ends to seal.
Place the braid in a greased 9 x 5 x 2-inch loaf pan.
Repeat this process with the second half of the dough.
Cover the loaves and let them rise for about 1 hour.
Bake the loaves at 400°F for 40 to 50 minutes.
To prevent dark loaves, cover them with a piece of foil during the last 15 minutes of cooking.
Cool the loaves on a wire rack.
When cool, brush the loaves with icing.
Chef
