Sweet Cardamom Bread

Cody & I went grocery shopping a few weeks ago. If you know anything about me, you'll know this is one of my favorite things. I make my list, organized by store (because we go to three different stores), grab my adorable reusable bags, and venture out to buy ingredients for tasty treats. I love shopping and I love cooking, so this works out really well for me. One of the items on my list was cardamom, a spice I needed to make Chai Tea Cupcakes. Cody was NOT impressed with the price; for a regular spice-sized bottle it's about $12. I needed it, though, so we got it.

The next day at work I was telling my amazing boss about his reaction to the price. She was telling me how she doesn't really like cardamom, nor does she really like chai tea. She did, however, tell me about this bread that the original owners of the restaurant used to make: Sweet Cardamom Bread. She loved it. (What's that you say? A challenge? Oh, how you know me.) Obviously I had to make this bread.

I searched around on the wonderful world-wide web and found a few recipes that I sort of combined and the end result was, well, beyond perfection.



Sweet Cardamom Bread
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes

1 1/2 tbsp instant yeast
4 cups unbleached flour
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp full-fat, unsweetened soy milk
3/4 cup melted butter (Earth Balance)
3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp raw sugar
1 tsp salt


1. Mix flour, yeast, and cardamom in your mixing bowl.

2. Heat soy milk and stir in sugar until dissolved. Add the milk and sugar to the flour mixture. Add 1/2 cup melted butter, too. Mix on low until a nice sticky dough forms.

4. Change out the mixer blade and use a dough hook. Knead for a few minutes and then stop. Let the dough rest for about 20 minutes with a light cover over it. When the twenty minutes is up, begin kneading again and knead in the salt.

5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into three equal parts. Let them rise for about 30-45 minutes. Roll the dough balls into ropes and braid them on a greased baking pan. Tuck the ends of the braid under. (You're literally going to braid this like you braid your hair.)

7. Preheat oven 350° F. Brush the braided loaf with remaining soy milk and sprinkle it with remaining sugar. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Enjoy with a cup of coffee, toasted with butter, a glass of chai tea, or whatever your heart desires.

Now, I'm not one to toot my own horn (I do honk at other drivers, though. I'm a New Englander at heart.), but this bread is probably the best bread ever. Ok, maybe not ever, but it's the best I've ever made. It was gobbled up at work and my boss was even told she now has competition. I don't know about that since she runs one of the most successful restaurants in Albuquerque, but I'll take it as a complement and roll with it. Then braid. Then repeat.