Heat milk and butter to scalding point in a saucepan or microwave.

Pour the hot milk and butter mixture into a large bowl and allow it to cool until lukewarm.

Stir in the dry yeast to the lukewarm milk mixture and let it activate for a few minutes.

In a separate bowl, sift together 7 cups of flour, sugar, ground cardamom, and salt.

Add the dry ingredients to the milk mixture, mixing well to form a dough.

Incorporate the wheat germ into the dough.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5-10 minutes, adding the remaining cup of flour if needed, until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Place the dough in a lightly buttered bowl, turning to coat.

Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, approximately 1-1.5 hours.

Punch down the risen dough to release the air.

Let the dough rest for 15 minutes.

Divide the dough in half.

Shape each half into a loaf.

Place the loaves in greased loaf pans.

Let the loaves rise until doubled in size, about 30-45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

Bake the loaves for 30-40 minutes, or until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 190-200°F (88-93°C).

Let the bread cool in the pans for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.