Daniel's Cardamom Bread

Last week, you may recall, I quite accidentally found myself in possession of rather more cardamom than I knew what to do with. Perhaps not surprisingly, then, this week I've decided to try to whip up some sort of cardamom loaf.

So, to start off, proof 3 teaspoons of yeast in 3/4 of a cup of warm milk along with 1 tablespoon of sugar. After a few minutes, add 1 tablespoon of salt, 2 tablespoons of melted butter, 1 beaten egg, and 2 teaspoons of cardamom. Stir in 1 1/4 cups of whole wheat flour and 2 cups of all purpose flour. Knead for about 8 minutes, keeping the dough a little bit moister and stickier than usual. Put the dough in a greased bowl, cover, and leave alone for the

First rising (1 hour and 45 minutes)
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Some days, there just really isn't much to say. To be honest, nothing about the past week particularly stands out...just the usual mix of research and problem sets, with nothing more noteworthy than usual going on in either.
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Punch the dough, which will have grown to maybe 150% of its original size, and place in a greased 9x5 pan. Recover, and let sit for the

Second rising (45 minutes)
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Perhaps, other than the fact that week really wasn't remarkable in any way, that I'm not feeling overly chatty is that I think I'm coming down with a cold. Which means that leaning over a keyboard doesn't feel so terrific right now. Oh well.
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Bake at 375 degrees for 32 minutes. Let cool, slice, and enjoy

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Tasting verdict: Well, thanks to that cold, I'm not entirely sure. While it might just be the cold messing up how I'm perceiving tastes at the moment, this loaf feels a little off. It's not that the cardamom is overwhelming...it just feels like it isn't properly balanced out with... well, of course, I haven't the foggiest what does balance out cardamom out. Any suggestions for the next time around?

Currently reading: Just finished that Icelandic mythology book I was talking about...kind of a fun read! I think it's nice once in a while to read books that just have a very different rhythm to their sentences and paragraphs. This one was something like a prose version of Beowulf in that respect. Anyway, I haven't started it yet, but next on my bookshelf is "Consider the Lobster," a collection of David Foster Wallace essays.