Swedish Sweet Bread
Rich and simple to make, Swedish Sweet Bread makes a wonderful addition to any meal!
Ingredients
- 1 c. milk
- 1/3 c. honey
- 3 T. sugar
- 2 1/4 tsp. yeast
- 1/4 c. melted butter
- 1 egg
- 1 1/2 tsp. salt
- 4 - 4 1/2 c. flour
- 1 T. butter melted (for spreading on the crust after baking)
Instructions
- Heat the milk in a small saucepan, until slightly warm to the touch.
- Remove from heat and mix in the honey, sugar and yeast. Let the yeast proof for 10 minutes.
- Add your milk mixture to a large mixing bowl and mix in your salt, melted butter, egg and 3 cups of flour.
- Gradually mix in the rest of the flour until the bread dough just leaves the sides and forms a ball slightly. (This dough will stay very sticky! It won't form into a nice ball like other yeast doughs).
- Instead of kneading your dough, continue to mix by scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl with a mixing spoon or flexible bench scraper for another 3 - 5 minutes to develop the gluten.
- With the dough still in the bowl, form the shape of a loaf as best you can with floured hands or a bench scraper. Place the loaf on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Cover with a towel and let rise for an hour.
- Towards the end of rising, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- After the hour of rising, remove the towel before placing your bread in the oven. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the internal temperature reads 190 degrees.
- Remove from the oven and spread the 1 T. melted butter on the crust with a pastry brush. Let the bread cool slightly before slicing. Enjoy!
Notes
1. This bread dough is intended to remain sticky, throughout the time working with it. It helps to have a flexible benchscraper and to flour your hands often if touching the dough.
2. The loaf will be very dense, which is why it is suggested to check the internal temperature. If you don't have a thermometer, I would bake for another 5 minutes.