Finnish Hierloom Recipe - Pulla (aka Korvapuusti)

I always loved when my Aunty Sybil (Sirpa is her actual Finnish name) came to visit, apart from her lovely warm presence, she would bring the most amazing bread/Cinnamon things i had ever tasted! I have always known them as Pulla but the correct Finnish name is Korvapuusti. i loved them so much she would bring plastic bags full of Pulla's and we would freeze them and take them to school.

I thought they where the most amazing treats, all curled up in little buns of sugary/cinnimony delight. I never thought i would actually ever bother to learn how to make them.

So one day 2 weeks ago i said to myself, "Lisa, you have taken on your Finnish family's last name, you love eating Pulla's, why haven't you learnt how to make them yet?" *kicks herself in the arse*.

So along with my apron, Charlotte and a whole lotta flour and yeast i set to work. Here is the recipe from Aunty Sybil herself.

PULLA     KORVAPUUSTI
500mls milk
50gs fresh yeast or 3 1/2 sachets dry yeast (each sachet 7g)
1tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoon crushed cardamon seeds
150-200gr softened butter
appr.1 kg plain flour
2 eggs

1 beaten egg for glazing
demera sugar
extra butter
ground cinnamon (masterfoods )
extra sugar
Mix yeast, couple tablespoons sugar, 1/4 cup warm milk in a small bowl, leave aside till starts rising
warm rest of  milk until luke warm, put in big bowl and add sugar,eggs,salt ,cardamon,mix with whisk
Add yeast mixture
Start adding flour with wooden spoon, then use hands to knead about 5-10 mins.
(I did not use all of flour, about 1 cup left )
Add softened butter, and knead about 10min. untill dough leaves bowl, might need more flour if too sticky,
cover with teatowel and leave in a warm place about 1hour ,untill doubles in size

I usually divide it in 4,
Place on lightly floured board and roll one piece at a time into a rectangle ,spread with soft butter and sprinkle with sugar and ground cinnamon
Roll tightly lenghtwise, cut diagonally into like triangles.
Put on baking tray with baking paper and leave to rise again untill double size
Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle  with demera sugar
Bake in warm to hot oven app.10min

After 4 hours of waiting for dough to rise, rolling pulla's, cooking pulla's, rolling more pulla's, cooking more pulla's, angry pet Cockatiel Dennis screaming at me in his bird like way because i was not paying attention to him and missing out on a baby shower, i finally finished.

It was definitely not that hard, just very time consuming. I was so exhausted and i ate soooo many pulla's along the way (i put on 1kg) but i was proud.  I was officially (according to Aunty Sybil) a "true Finn"!

And that's all that matters. :)