Kanelbullar (Swedish Cinnamon Buns)

Ingredients

• 550 g strong white flour
• 250 ml warm milk
• 7 g fast-action dried yeast
• 80 g for the dough, 100 g for the filling
• 100 g for the dough, 100 g soft for the filling
• 2 tsp ground cardamom
• 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 egg for the dough, 1 for glazing
• 1 tsp salt
• pearl sugar or demerara, to finish

Method

1. Cardamom is not optional

   Mix the flour, yeast, 80 g sugar, salt, cardamom, warm milk and 1 egg into a dough. Cardamom is what makes a Swedish bun Swedish — go heavier than feels right, and grind the seeds fresh if you can.

2. Knead, then butter

   Knead 5 minutes, then work in 100 g of soft butter a little at a time until the dough is smooth and glossy. Adding the butter after the gluten has developed gives a far better rise.

   15 min

3. First prove

   Cover and prove until doubled, about an hour.

   1 h

4. Spread the filling

   Roll out to a large rectangle about 5 mm thick and spread with the remaining soft butter beaten with 100 g sugar and the cinnamon. Take it right to the edges.

5. Fold and twist

   Fold the rectangle in three like a letter, cut into 12 strips, then twist each strip and knot it around two fingers. The knot is the traditional shape and it holds far more filling than a simple spiral.

6. Second prove and bake

   Prove 45 minutes until visibly puffy, glaze with beaten egg, scatter with pearl sugar and bake at 200°C for 12 minutes until deep gold. Eat the same day — they stale fast, which is why Swedes bake them constantly.

   45 min