Swedish Bread (Soft Almond Sweet Bread)

This modernized Swedish Bread is a soft, lightly sweet almond‑flavored loaf perfect for braids, rolls, or tea rings. It’s rich, tender, and beautifully golden — a classic Scandinavian sweet bread made simple. A dorm‑friendly microwave version is included below for college students.

Swedish Bread

Servings: 2 loaves   |   Prep Time: 25 minutes + rising   |   Cook Time: 20–35 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups warm milk (110°F)
• 1 cup melted butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
• About 7 cups all-purpose flour

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, mix warm milk and sugar. Sprinkle yeast on top and let sit 5–10 minutes until foamy.
2. Stir in melted butter, egg, almond extract, and salt.
3. Add 4 cups of flour and mix until a thick batter forms.
4. Add remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time until a soft dough forms.
5. Knead on a floured surface for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
6. Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise 1–1.5 hours or until doubled.
7. Punch down dough and shape into loaves, rolls, or braid ropes.
8. Let rise again for 30–45 minutes.
9. Bake at 350°F: 20–25 minutes for rolls/braids or 30–35 minutes for loaves.
10. Cool on a wire rack before slicing.

Notes

• For stronger almond flavor, increase almond extract to 1 1/2 teaspoons.
• This dough is the base for Swedish Tea Braids and Tea Rings.
• Bread should be golden brown and sound hollow when tapped.

Dorm-Friendly Version (Microwave or Mini Rice Cooker)

This small-batch version is perfect for college students with limited space and no oven. It makes a soft, sweet mini loaf right in a mug or rice cooker.

Ingredients

• 1 cup warm milk (microwave 30–40 seconds)
• 3 tablespoons melted butter
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon instant yeast
• 2 1/2–3 cups all-purpose flour

Instructions

1. Mix warm milk, sugar, melted butter, almond extract, and salt in a bowl.
2. Stir in instant yeast and let sit 2–3 minutes.
3. Add 2 cups flour, then more until dough is soft and slightly sticky.
4. Knead 2–3 minutes in the bowl.
5. Cover and let rise 45–60 minutes.
6. Grease a microwave-safe mug or mini rice cooker pot and add dough (halfway full).
7. Let rise 15–20 minutes.
8. Microwave: Heat 1 minute, then 20–30 sec bursts until firm.
9. Rice cooker: Cook 20–25 minutes, flip, cook 10 more minutes.
10. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar if desired.

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