It seems like Sweden is really having a moment right now. Fifteen years ago when I spent half of tenth grade in Switzerland, people back home consistently mixed up the two countries (“Did you learn to speak…Swedish”?). But nowadays, we’re hopping on cheap flights to Stockholm, making our own gravlax and planning pilgrimages to eat at Faviken. In New York, we’ve also welcomed Swedish coffee chain, FIKA.
The word “fika” in Swedish (Not Swiss! Which is not a language!) means “to have coffee”, and it’s usually accompanied by a pastry or snack. Kind of like afternoon tea. It’s a social institution in Sweden, and New Yorkers are also embracing the opportunity to take a break from work and eat a cinnamon bun while we try to erase the to-do lists that plague our brains and pretend we are as cool as a couple of carefree Scandinavians for 20 minutes. We aren’t, but it’s cute that we’re trying.
This has become such a “thing” that, of course, a cookbook has been written about it. It is aptly titled Fika: The Art of The Swedish Coffee Break, with Recipes for Pastries, Breads, and Other Treats. I do not own it but there is no doubt in my mind that at some point in the likely not-distant future, probably when I’m having a bad week, I will stress-purchase this book and console myself while looking at pictures of pastries (just to give you a glimpse into my cookbook shopping habit).
But in the meantime, Johanna Kindvall, a co-author of this supposedly fantastic book, was featured in Saveur magazine, and the picture of her bread really won me over. I’m often won over by pictures of bread. Also, the words “cinnamon” and “cardamom” in the title were a big draw, because they are two spices I adore, and especially together.
Can I just say- what a recipe! This makes a beautiful sweet (but not too sweet) loaf that is deeply spiced and, of course, goes amazingly well with coffee. Also, a thick slather of salted butter. My loaf did not turn out as elegantly as I might have hoped (I probably overproofed my dough just a bit) but even my rustic version had a charm about it. I’d also like to warn you that getting the seeds out of cardamom pods is an incredibly tedious job that you should do your best to hand off to a helpful, devoted friend or partner, someone you really don’t like, or maybe even a child.
Happy baking, everyone, and enjoy your fika!
Ingredients
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk, heated to 115°
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 4 1/2 cups flour, plus more for dusting
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 reaspoons cardamom seeds, lightly crushed
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cardamom seeds, finely crushed (I used ground cardamom instead)
- 1 egg, beaten
- Pearl sugar, for topping
Instructions
- Make the dough: Melt butter in a 1-qt. saucepan over medium. Remove from heat and stir in milk and yeast; let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. Whisk flour, sugar, cardamom, and salt in a bowl. Stir in yeast mixture until dough forms. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 3 minutes. Return dough to bowl and cover with a clean dish towel; let sit in a warm place until dough is doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Make the filling: Mix granulated sugar, butter, cinnamon, and cardamom in a bowl until smooth.
- Assemble the bread: On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into an 11″ x 17″ rectangle, about 1⁄4″ thick. Spread filling over dough, leaving a 1⁄2″ border along edges. Working from one long end, roll dough into a tight cylinder; transfer seam side down to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Cover with dish towel; let sit in a warm place until dough has doubled in size once more, about 45 minutes.
- Bake the bread: Heat oven to 375°. Using kitchen shears and starting 1″ from ends of dough, make crosswise cuts, spaced 1″ apart, three-quarters of the way through dough. Fan dough slices away from the center, alternating left to right. Brush dough with egg and sprinkle with pearl sugar; bake until golden brown, about 22 minutes. Let bread cool completely before serving.
Notes
From Saveur January 2015
