Swedish Coffee Bread

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2-pkg active yeast dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water
• About 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 1/4 cup   brown sugar, packed
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 cup golden raisins
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 1/4 cup almond paste
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoon cream
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon water

Directions

1. Start the dough by warming the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until it gives off steam but does not boil. Take it off the heat, then stir in the butter and sugar until the butter is melted and the sugar has dissolved. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl, then blend in the yeast mixture and egg. Add the salt and cardamom. Work in 2 cups of the flour slowly. Once those first 2 cups are in, continue adding flour a little at a time, stopping when a soft dough gathers into a ball and releases from the bowl’s sides. Move it to a floured surface and knead for 7 to 10 minutes, until it is smooth, or let a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook knead it for 7 to 10 minutes, adding flour as needed so it is not overly sticky. The dough should still be soft, so don’t bury it in flour.
2. Set the dough in an oiled bowl and cover it with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Let it rise for 1 hour, or until doubled.
3. If you’d rather make a basic braid, punch the dough down, cut it in half, then divide each half into 3 equal pieces. Roll the pieces into ropes, braid them into 2 loaves, and tuck the ends underneath.
4. For the filled wreath version, shape the dough into a circle with the filling as described below.
5. Press the dough to knock out some air. Divide it into 2 equal parts. Take 1 part, keeping the remaining dough for wreath number 2, and on a lightly floured, clean, flat work surface, pat and stretch it with your fingers into an 8-inch by 16-inch rectangle.
6. If it keeps springing back instead of holding the rectangle, do the best you can, pause for 5 minutes, and then shape it again. The dough is a bit like pizza dough; a short rest helps it relax.
7. Brush melted butter over the dough, leaving at least a 1/2 inch rim around the edges so it can seal after rolling. Stir the brown sugar, white sugar, and cinnamon together, then scatter half over the dough; save the remaining half for the other portion of dough.
8. Add any extra fillings you like, such as slivered almonds, raisins, or almond paste. For a creamier filling, cream cheese can go in, too. Gently roll the dough up lengthwise, arranging it with the seam underneath. Move it carefully to a greased baking sheet. Curve the dough into a circle on the sheet and join the ends. With scissors, snip nearly through the dough on a diagonal, continuing all the way around the circle. After each snip, ease that section out to the right or left, alternating sides as you move around, until it has a wreath look.
9. Repeat the pressing, filling, rolling, circling, cutting, and alternating process with the remaining dough to form wreath number 2. The repeated shaping covers the 5, 7, and 8 portions of the process.
10. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and put it somewhere warm for the 2nd rise. Let the dough rise for about 40 minutes to 1 hour; it should puff up again.
11. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Whisk the egg yolks and cream together, then brush the mixture over the dough with a pastry brush. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Once the first 15 minutes have passed, check the color; if the top is browning deeply, loosely cover it with aluminum foil. Take it out of the oven and cool completely. For the optional finishing glaze, whisk the powdered sugar with water. If it is too thick to drizzle, add more water; if it is too thin, add more powdered sugar. Drizzle it back and forth over the pastry.