Pulla (Finnish Cardamom Bread)
Pulla is a traditional Finnish cardamom bread known as Pullapitko. The braided look of this sweet bread recipe makes a stunning treat for the holidays, whether for breakfast or for afternoon tea. The delightful aroma of cardamom really warms the soul during the winter season.

“This is a GREAT recipe, just like my immigrant Finnish grandmother used to make.”
Karen
My mother-in-law, Diane, has a Scandinavian heritage. She was born in the United States but moved to Norway with her family so her father, a mason, could help build church buildings. From there she volunteered to serve in Finland as a voluntary missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for 2 years when she was 19 years old in the 1960s.
She picked up several Finnish recipes from the the people she met while serving. She often made this spectacular sweet Finnish cardamom bread called “Pulla” (pronounced POOL-la) at Christmastime. With some slight tweaks, this is one of her cherished recipes that she has passed to her children, including my husband.
We recently found out that during Christmas, my husband’s extended family keeps up the tradition of baking braided Pulla bread. They’ve also started to share photos of their bread with each other. Since we all live far apart, we don’t get to meet often. But making this special Christmas bread helps us stay connected and brings back good memories.
If you’re looking for a Christmas baking project or an impressive holiday sweet bread recipe to wow your family, don’t miss out on this traditional Finnish cardamom bread recipe. It’s worth the effort – and it isn’t that difficult.
Check out another Finnish recipe on my blog – Mustikkapiirakka, a Finnish blueberry pie. This pie is creamy, incredibly easy to make, and absolutely delicious.
What is Pulla?
Pulla, also known as Pullapitko or Nisu in some regions, is a very popular sweet bread from Finland. It’s a pastry-like bread spiced with cardamom and often braided, making it not only delicious but also visually appealing.
This braided bread is a bit like a mix between rich, buttery Brioche and braided Challah. It’s usually enjoyed with coffee or tea and is a favorite all year round. In nearby countries like Sweden, this cardamom bread is also a Christmas favorite.
The traditional Finnish Pulla is not only tasty but also smells amazing, thanks to the fresh cardamom. When it’s topped with pearl sugar, this rich, yeasty bread really stands out at holiday parties.
It’s great served with any hot drink. I love it with hot chocolate, especially when made with my best homemade hot chocolate mix recipe. They’re a perfect match!
Cardamom in Scandinavian Baking:
It is said that cardamom is Scandinavia’s favorite spice. You will find it many sweet breads, cakes, cookies, and pastries in Finland and Scandinavian countries.
Cardamom is actually native to India, so it is far from being an indigenous Nordic ingredient. It is believed that Vikings encountered this spice while trading with the Byzantine Empire in Constantinople (today’s Istanbul) about 1,000 years ago.
Over the years, cardamom has become a staple in the Scandinavian kitchen, so much so that Nordic countries make up one of the most significant markets for cardamom export.
How is this recipe different?
The Pulla recipe I got from my mother-in-law has a unique method for preparing the bread dough. Most Pulla recipes call for either melted butter or softened butter to be added to the dough in the middle of kneading process.
In contrast, her recipe starts with creaming the butter and eggs together first, then adding flour later – just like making cookie dough. I really like the outcome of this recipe. The bread has a certain heft to it, but still maintains an unbelievably soft, light, and fluffy texture.
This recipe includes raisins, which add a lovely bite to the bread. You can omit the raisins if you don’t care for them.
I made a couple of additional changes to the original recipe, including with respect to the type of yeast and the amount of cardamom. I always use instant yeast for my sweet bread recipes. With instant yeast, you can mix it with flour directly without proofing it in advance. If you are using active dry yeast, you will need to proof the yeast with a little amount of milk before adding it to the rest of wet ingredients.
The original recipe also calls for 3 tablespoons of cardamom to go with 8 cups of flour, which I think it is too much for me. But if you love the scent of cardamom and don’t mind the intense taste of it, use it all.
Recipe Ingredients
- Butter – softened unsalted butter
- Sugar – adds sweetness to the bread
- Eggs – room temperature
- Milk – heated to lukewarm (If milk is too cold, it will curdle the butter. If too hot, it will kill the yeast.)
- Instant yeast – no need to proof (add with flour)
- Cardamom – freshly ground or store-bought spice
- All-purpose flour
- Raisin – optional
Make sure the milk is heated to lukewarm and the rest ingredients are at room temperature to avoid the curdling when the milk is added to the butter mixture.
I like to grind my own cardamom from the pods. Prepared spice in jars generally loses its fragrance over time. Freshly ground cardamom has a stronger fragrance, so you won’t need as much as you would with jarred cardamom. Grinding cardamom pods is easy using a mortar and pestle.
How to make Pulla (Finish Cardamom Bread)
Making the dough
Step 1: Ground cardamom pods (or use jarred ground cardamom)
Put cardamom pods in the mortar and pound them a few times to separate the skin from the seeds. Pick out and discard the skin.
Continue pounding the seeds with the pestle until they are finely grounded. Set 2 teaspoons of ground cardamom aside for later.
Step 2: Prepare the dough
In a stand mixer with flat attachment, or in a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat well. Then mix in milk, yeast, salt, and cardamom.
Gradually add 7 cups of flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing until smooth, on medium low speed, about 4-5 minutes. Add the raisins and the last 1 cup of flour. Change the flat attachment to a dough hook.
Continue kneading the dough for 2-3 minutes over low speed until the dough frees itself from the sides of bowl.
Step 3: First rise
Cover the dough and let it rise until double in volume, about 1-2 hours. Punch down. This recipe makes 2 extra-large loaves.
Divide the dough in half. Then, divide each half into equal pieces depending on how many braids you desire (3 is too simple and 5 is a bit complicated, so I suggest 4).
Braiding the dough
Step 4: Braiding (4 strands pulla)
Roll each piece into long ropes about 1 1/2-inches thick (about 20 inch long). Braid the ropes loosely using 4 strands technique – watch the tutorial video for braiding. Tuck under the ends.
Step 5: Second rise
Place the dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush the loaves with the egg wash, and let rise again until nearly doubled, about 30-45 minutes.
Bake
Step 6: Egg wash, pearl sugar, and bake
Brush the loaves with egg wash again and sprinkle with pearl sugar. Place in a preheated 375˚F degree oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
Take the loaves out of the oven and let them cool for 10 minutes. This bread is best served warm with a slather of butter. To cool, transfer the loaves onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
Storage Tip
Once completely cooled, store in a plastic bag. Pulla will stay fresh at room temperature up to 3 days. When it starts to go stale after that, pulla makes a great French toast!
Pulla freezes well. Put sliced Pulla bread in a zip bag and freeze up to 3 months.
Traditional Cardamom Bread Recipe Video (Full Version)
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Pulla (Finnish Cardamom Bread)
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 30 cardamom pods, or 1 tbsp jarred ground cardamom
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 2 cup warm milk
- 4 tsp instant yeast
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 8 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup raisin, optional
- 4 tbsp pearl sugar
- egg wash, 1 egg + 2 tsp water
Equipment
Instructions
For freshly ground cardamom
- Put cardamom pods in the mortar and pound them a few times to separate the skin from the seeds. Pick out and discard the skin. Continue pounding the seeds with the pestle until they are finely grounded. Set 2 teaspoons of freshly ground cardamom aside.
To Prepare the Pulla dough
- In a stand mixer with flat attachment, or in a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat well. Then mix in milk, yeast, salt, and the reserved cardamom.
- Gradually add 7 cups of flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing until smooth, on medium low speed, about 4-5 minutes. Add the raisins and the last 1 cup of flour. Change the flat attachment to a dough hook. Continue kneading the dough for 2-3 minutes over low speed until the dough frees itself from the sides of bowl.
- First rise: Cover the dough and let it rise until double in volume, about 1-2 hours. Punch down. This recipe makes 2 extra-large loaves.
- Braiding with 4 strands: Divide the dough in half. Then, divide each half into equal pieces depending on how many strands you desire (3 is too simple and 5 is a bit complicated, so I prefer 4 strands). Roll each piece into long ropes about 1 1/2-inches thick (about 20 inch long). Braid the ropes loosely using 4 strands technique – watch the tutorial video for this. Tuck under the ends.
- Second rise: Place the dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush the loaves with the egg wash, and let rise again until nearly doubled, about 30-45 minutes.
Baking Pulla Loaves
- Brush the loaves with egg wash again and sprinkle with pearl sugar. Place in a preheated 375˚F degree oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Take the loaves out of the oven and let them cool for 10 minutes.
- This bread is best served warm with a slather of butter. To cool, transfer the loaves onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
With four grandparents from Finland, pulla has been a staple in our house since I was a child over 60 years ago. This recipe is very similar to our traditional family one (except we never used raisins in pulla!), but it is easier using the stand mixer. (Traditionally we would knead softened butter into the dough instead of creaming it with the sugar at the start.) This came our excellent and a bit less dense that our traditional family recipe, which was really nice. I used half the recipe for another family use of this dough: cinnamon/cardamom rolls (using a filling of 1 stick softened butter, 1/2 cup sugar, 2-1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1-1/2 tsp ground cardamom). Thanks for bringing this tradition into the 21st century!
You’re very welcome, John!
Pulla is a cherished Christmas tradition in our family, even though we don’t have Finnish heritage. We absolutely love this bread and have been making it for many years. Thank you for your comment—it truly makes me so happy!
Hi, We can’t eat dairy. Can I substitute the milk with oat milk? Thanks
Hi Laura
Yes, you can use oat milk instead of regular milk for this pulla bread. Thanks.
Just wondering about the egg wash mentioned in the second rise. I don’t see this in the instructions or ingredients? Is this a 5th egg? Thanks!
I added egg wash in the ingredient list. Yes, it is extra egg beaten with a little water.
Oh wow! This looks just like traditional Czech vánočka (Christmasbread). Minus the kardamom. I didn’t know the Finnish made it too! That’s so cool!
Hi Holly!
Trying out the pulla recipe-
It smells delicious- the 1st rise is taking a while( cool kitchen)- but my question is, what do I do with the reserved 2tsp of cardamom? Do I use it in the egg wash?
Thanks!
Danielle
You should add 2 teaspoons of freshly ground cardamom to the dough along with instant yeast when making the dough. If using jarred cardamom powder, use 1 tablespoon. Did you add any cardamom to the dough?
Used most of the directions from this recipe for a batch of nisu dough. Used half the dough to make 8 sticky buns (Joann Chang’s recipe), and a small loaf of pulla. I don’t use egg wash. As soon as cardamom loaf comes out of the oven brush with strong black coffee and sprinkle with sugar. Delish! Thank you for your time to share!
This is a GREAT recipe, just like my immigrant Finnish grandmother used to make. Her daughter -my mom- is suffering from cognitive decline and can no longer remember how to make pulla, so I made yours for her today. She loved it and was immediately transported back to the Northern Ontario neighborhood of the 1930s and 40s where Finnish was the language of the street and the kitchen. That generation of women is gone but their culture and food heritage remains, brought forward by people like you, Holly. Thank you!
Your comment made me smile. It’s amazing how food reflects culture and is passed down to the next generation, even influencing other cultures. In many ways, food plays a vital role in bringing people together. I received this recipe from my mother-in-law, who is also suffering from cognitive decline, so I felt it was important to document it for her posterity. Thank you so much for your kind comment. I really appreciate it.
I love non-Finns making pulla. We make a similar pulla recipe with no raisins. So good with a cup of coffee. Just thought you’d like an historical point. The Ugric-Finns were nomadic, maybe originally from the Ural river valleys. Some settled Finland. Others went to Hungary and still other to India. So it’s not a surprise Finns love cardamom. Must be in their DNA.
Very nice to see Finnish pulla in this blog, where I find great Korean recipes very often!
This is the first time I have ever used yeast. It turned out really well! The recipe and video were very helpful for a beginner and the bread tastes amazing. My kids and husband loved it and the bread was gone in a day!
Hi Faith
I am so happy that you made my Pulla recipe and glad that your family loved it. Thanks for sharing your experience and leaving a comment. I appreciate it.
Forgot to rate.
Made 1/2 of this recipe without a mixer and it turned out great. Light, fluffy and delicious. 1/2 recipe made a large braided loaf and 6 small cinnamon rolls.
I grew up with pulla and in the 1950s was cooked in a wood stove oven, bread along with pulla and cinnimon buns was a weekly thing in our home and at grammas , not far away… I make pulla several times a year and wish I had time to make it more often, soon one day that will come..
I use a similar receipe which is fairly standard and grind cardamon pods if available as it has better flavor, I dont use raisins as was not used in pulla often, love this bread …..
Hi Richard
I can only imagine how good homemade pulla baked in a wood stove would be. What a sweet memory of this amazing bread! Thanks for your comment.
I love Nordic baked goods for their use of cardamom – one of my favourite spices. It’s so cozy and festive in my book. And this bread look and sounds splendid!
Holly thanks for documenting this family holiday tradition. Over the years I’ve ran into a few neighbors, classmates, etc from Finland. I’ve made this bread for them and they have always been so shocked to receive a gift that reminded them of home in appearance and taste. Some of them have mentioned that their families turned the braid into a wreath so I’ve done that as well.