Cardamom-Scented (Sandwich) Bread

I'll admit that I was initially attracted to this bread because I have three containers of cardamom in my pantry: ground, seeds, and pods. I don't use enough cardamom in a year to use these up, but I do love it. I was also getting a little tired of the White Mountain Bread that I make each week for sandwiches (it's plain and simple--and my husband loves it). I wanted to try something new, so I figured, why not try something that would help me use some of those underutilized pantry elements?

First, though, I had to halve this recipe (what you see below is the halved version). The written recipe made 4 loaves--not only do I not have that many loaf pans, but there are two people in my house (and a very small freezer)--making the full recipe was not an option. Then I found my little ziploc of cardamom pods, seeded them, and crushed the seeds in the beautiful mortar and pestle I bought at Anthropologie (a wedding gift to myself--leave it to me to buy kitchen equipment during my bachelorette party). Even though I didn't need to add them to the batter for awhile, I just kept walking by the kitchen and lifting the bowl to smell them--trust me, the ground stuff ain't got nothin on freshly crushed cardamom. I couldn't believe how little the recipe used, but from a disastrous chai-spiced apple pie experience a few years ago, I knew better than to add more. Like nutmeg, cardamom is best used in small amounts. I also did not add the egg glaze before baking--we were running out of eggs--but I think that the next time I make this I will, as it will finish the bread and indicate that it is something special, not your ordinary sandwich loaf.

As far as this loaf's merits as sandwich bread--the jury's still out. My husband eats it happily (I think, or else he's learned not to complain) but I honestly have not found sandwich fillings that the cardamom doesn't compete with. It looks like sandwich bread, but I wonder if I were to shape this into a free-form loaf and glaze it if that might not suit it better--to be treated as a special occasion bread like challah (which, incidentally, actually makes good sandwich bread, if my previous post and many restaurants in Atlanta, where I first got on my challah kick, are any indication).

Give it a try--it smells amazing, and I bet as buttered toast with morning tea or as an elegant French toast with a spiced syrup, this would be heavenly. But for a turkey sandwich, I'd stick with plain and simple.



Cardamom-Scented Bread


(adapted from Beth Hensperger's Bread Bible)


Makes two 9 X 5-inch loaves.



2 cups boiling water

1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup instant nonfat dry milk powder

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 tablespoon salt

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup warm water (105-115 degrees)

1 tablespoon (1 package) active dry yeast

pinch of sugar

5 cardamom pods

6 cups unbleached all-purpose flour or bread flour (or a mixture)



For glaze: (this recipe is not halved since it's tough to use half an egg)

1 large egg yolk or 1 large egg, at room temperature

1 tablespoon milk or cream

2 tablespoons poppy seeds




In the workbowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large mixing bowl and a whisk), combine the boiling water, dried milk, butter, salt, and sugar. Stir until the butter melts, then let to mixture cool to lukewarm, about half an hour.

Pour the warm water into a small bowl. sprinkle the yeast across the top and add a pinch of sugar. Stir to dissolve and let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes.

Remove the seeds from the cardamom pods and crush with a mortar and pestle or place them under a piece of waxed or parchment paper and crush with a rolling pin. Set aside.

Add 2 cups of the flour, the cardamom seeds, and the yeast mixture to the milk and butter mixture in the large bowl. Beat hard until smooth and creamy, about 2 or 3 minutes. (If you are not using a stand mixer, switch from a whisk to a wooden spoon as the dough gets stiff.) Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until a soft, shaggy dough forms and just clears the sides of the bowl.

Switch to the dough hook or turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until dough is smooth but not dry, about 5 to 8 minutes. If it is sticking you may add more flour, but only 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent the bread from drying out.

Place the dough in a deep, well-greased container, turn once to coat, and allow it to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1-2 hours.

Grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans and set aside. Gently deflate the dough and divide it with a knife or bench scraper into 2 equal portions. Shape them into rectangular loaves and place them in the pans. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rise until they are about 1 inch over the edge of the pans, about an hour.

20 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. With a serrated knife, make 1/4-inch (decorative) incisions in the tops of the loaves. Brush them with the egg glaze. Place them in the center of the oven and bake for about 40 minutes or until they are browned and sound hollow when tapped wih our finger. Transfer the loaves immediately to a cooling rack and allow to cool before slicing.