Living in the Nordic countries has some good things. One of them is the smell of cardamom buns everywhere!
I’ve never been enthusiastic about this kind of cakes, but since I started getting to know better the culture and gastronomy of the Nordic countries, I’ve been hooked.
They are super fluffy, caramelized, full of cinnamon and cardamom and are a beautiful way to spend the winter time. After all, some cardamom rolls with a hot tea or hot chocolate… hmmm Can you really resist?
I confess that I’m so addicted to these buns that I had to try baking them myself.
I especially like this version with cardamom, because besides the different taste, I love the smell that around the house.
If you’re thinking about spending Christmas with your family, I’m sure these cardamom rolls will disappear from the table in a few minutes!
Oh and these cardamom buns last a long time: 1 to 2 weeks, as long as they are kept in good condition. So, just a little tip, they are a great last minute present!
In case you want to freeze them, it also works super well! You can freeze the dough or even the cooked rolls.
In the latter case, just take them out of the freezer when you’re ready to eat them and warm them in the pre heated oven at 180º for about 10 minutes.
How are these Cardamom Buns made?
These cardamom buns are not complicated, however, a lot of patience is needed because it takes some time.
It is necessary to knead the dough well and let it rise for a few hours. But the recipe itself is quite simple.
To make the filling, just mix all the ingredients until it forms a homogeneous dough. This part of the process is quite simple!
For this recipe you’ll need:
For the dough:
- Spelt flour for bread (or other bread flour of your choice)
- Brown sugar
- Salt
- Cardamom Powder
- Cinnamon powder
- Fresh yeast (you can also use the dry one)
- Milk (or vegetable drink of choice)
- Butter (or margarine or vegan butter)
For the filling:
- Butter (or margarine or vegan butter)
- Brown sugar
- Cinnamon powder
- Cardamom Powder
To caramelize:
- Eggs
- Powdered sugar
And how to make the perfect batch of these cardamom buns?
The secret is in the dough and the fermentation.
The bread flour helps a lot in the whole process. First, because the dough will grow much more and will be very light. Second, because the bread dough becomes much fluffier.
It is necessary to knead well the dough of these cardamom rolls so that the yeast can activate the gluten of the dough and this way, the dough will rise and grow until it doubles or even triples in size.
Patience is needed because for a better result, it is necessary to let the dough rise for at least 2 hours. If you can stand it, you can let the dough rise for a max of 12 hours.
It is also important that the milk is lukewarm when you add it to the dough so that the yeast is activated.
For the cardamom rolls to caramelize, the powdred sugar is ideal. However, there are some alternatives that I leave below the recipe.
Let’s check the complete recipe of these wonderful cardamom buns?
Cardamom Buns
Ingredients
For the dough
- 2 cups milk Milk (or vegetable drink of choice)
- 25 gr fresh yeast or 14 gr of dry yeast
- 3 cups spelt flour for bread or other bread flour of your choice
- 1 cup brown sugar
- A pinch of salt
- 3 tsp cardamom powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder or more, if you want a more intense flavor
- ¾ cup softened or room temperature butter or margarine or vegan butter
For the filling
- ¾ cup butter or margarine or vegan butter
- 2 tbsp cardamom powder
- 2 tbsp cinnamon powder
- ½ cup brown sugar
For caramelization
- 1 egg
- 3 tbsp icing sugar
Instructions
For the dough
- Heat up the milk slightly to make it warm and add the yeast.
- Stir well and let it rest.
- In a large bowl add flour, sugar, salt, cardamom and cinnamon and mix well.
- Add the diced butter and knead until it forms lumps, similar to sand.
- Add the milk and yeast mixture that was resting and knead well.
- You can knead in a stand mixer for 10 min or by hand, until a homogeneous, soft and well malleable dough is formed.
- Make a ball and place it in the center of the bowl. Cover it with a cloth and let it rise for at least 2 hours or until it doubles in size.
- Once the dough is ready, sprinkle a flat surface with flour and spread the dough with the help of a rolling pin.
For the filling
- Add the butter, sugar, cardamom and cinnamon in a bowl and mix well until all the ingredients are well incorporated.
- Spread the filling over the dough with a knife or a spatula.
- Fold the dough in half and pass slightly with the rolling pin to smooth it out.
- Cut the dough into strips about 1 cm thick
- Roll each strip over itself as if it was a spiral and then roll it into a little ball to make the shape of a bun.
- Cover the dough with a cloth and let it rest for 30 minutes.
For caramelization
- Beat the egg and brush over the cardamom buns.
- Sprinkle with the icing sugar.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 200º for 7 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Notes
Para ficarem a par de todas as novidades sigam-me nas minhas redes sociais.
