Hilma (Cardamon) Coffee Bread

Preheat over to 200’ and turn off.

Cream butter and sugar together, in a very large mixing bowl. Add eggs, salt cardamon, beat well.

Place milk into small bowl with 1 tsp of sugar and yeast then stir. Heat in microwave until slightly scalded. Pour into butter and cream mixture.

Cream together. Slowly add flour, 2 cups at a time and stir. When you get the last of the flour in knead. Knead until you can no longer see flour. Dough should be pliable and not sticky.

Place dough on work space. Take the large mixing bowl and spray with Pam. Place dough into bowl and spray top of it. Place bowl into the preheated oven with a small bowl of hot water. cover bowl of dough with cheese cloth. Let rise 1 hour in oven. Remove bowl from oven and punch down bread dough.

Preheat oven to 200’ and turn off. More hot water.

Knead for about 15-20 minutes. Split dough into 2 balls. take each ball of dough and divide into three sections. Roll each section into a log about 12in, set aside.

Once you have all three logs, places them beside each other. Start at the mid-section. Braid the dough, pinch at the end to seal. Flip the dough from top to bottom and finish braiding, pinch and seal. Place into a grease 9x13 pan. Repeat the same with the second ball of dough. Place side by side.

Bake at 375’ for 25-30 minutes (longer depending on the weather) Bread should be golden brown. Glaze with sugar water and sprinkled with more sugar.

Cool slightly then remove from baking pan. Cool on rack. Once cooled wrap in sarha wrap.

I usally make this a week before Christmas and freeze it. The night before thaw. Slice and toast for breakfast with lots of butter.