Finnish Nissua

FINNISH NISSUA

(tender, soft  bread to have with coffee, or just because…..can be smothered with a glaze or left plain, as shown. Makes 3 loaves)

2 cups milk
½ cup marg
Pinch salt
4 ½ tsp fast rising yeast
¾ cup sugar
½ cup warm water
3 eggs
1 tsp Cardamom
7 ½ cups flour ( half whole wheat/half white)

Combine milk, water, marg, salt and heat to melt margarine.

Add sugar, yeast, and three eggs. Beat well.

Toss in cardamom (Cardamom is from the ginger family.and has been used in Asia as an antidote to snake venom. It is often used to treat digestice issues. Guatemala is the biggest export of cardamom)

Add half the flour and beat till spongy.

Add rest of flour, carefully, making sure you do not add too much or the dough will be too stiff. Dough should be wonderfully light and elastic after kneading.

Let rise until double, then pull apart into three pieces. Divide each piece and make 3 braids.

Place in three, greased loaf pans ( or you can place on a cookie sheet). Let rise. They will rise qickly. Bake at 35o for about 35 minutes.

rising

before brushing

After brushing.....

Unmold from pans and immediately brush warm Nissau with melted margarine. This keeps the crust tender, and gives it a fabulous sheen.