Cardamom Bread

Directions

1. 1
   In a saucepan, scald milk over medium heat. Remove from heat and add butter and sugar, stirring well. Cool to lukewarm.
2. 2
   Dissolve yeast in warm water. Once the milk mixture has cooled to lukewarm, stir in eggs and yeast/water mixture. Add 2 cups of flour and mix well. Allow to rise a little (about 5 minutes).
3. 3
   In a separate bowl, combine cardamom, 4 cups flour, and salt. Add to dough and mix well, adding 2-3 more cups flour as needed.
4. 4
   Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes. Dough should be soft, smooth, and just barely sticky. Cover and let rise to double in size (about 1 hour).
5. 5
   Once dough has risen, punch down and divide into either 3 (for long, skinny loaves) or 5 (for standard loaf size) sections. Then divide each section into three smaller parts for a total of either 9 or 15 dough pieces. Roll each piece out into a long strand and then braid three strands together to make braided loaves, pinching and tucking the ends to secure. Place braids in greased loaf pans and allow to rise for 30 minutes. Brush top of each loaf with a thin glaze/mixture of powdered sugar and water.
6. 6
   Bake at 350F for 10 minutes and then at 325F for 20-35 minutes. Test with toothpick for doneness (must come out clean). DO NOT UNDERBAKE!