Kanelbullar
Ingredients
- 5 tbsp water, 5 tbsp whole milk and 3 tbsp all-purpose flour, for the tangzhong
- 6 tbsp (85 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 120 ml whole milk, slightly warm
- 2 tsp instant yeast
- 1 tsp freshly ground cardamom
- 1 tsp salt
- 50 g (¼ cup) granulated sugar
- 390 g (3 cups + 2 tbsp) all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg, plus 1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp water for the glaze
- 5 tbsp soft unsalted butter, 1 tsp flour, a pinch of salt, 3 tbsp packed light brown sugar and 2 tsp ground cinnamon, for the filling
- Pearl sugar, for sprinkling
The kanelbulle is inseparable from fika, the Swedish coffee break, and even has a day of its own on 4 October. This version starts with a tangzhong — a small cooked flour-and-milk paste — that keeps the cardamom-scented dough soft for days. After a first rise the dough is rolled thin, spread with a cinnamon brown-sugar butter and folded like a letter, then cut into strips that are twisted and wrapped around the fingers into knots. Brushed with egg and scattered with pearl sugar, they bake quickly at high heat.
Method
Whisk the tangzhong ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until thickened to a paste, then cool.
Combine the yeast, cardamom, salt, sugar and flour in a mixer bowl. Add the cooled butter, warm milk, egg and tangzhong and mix on low until combined, then knead on medium for 4 minutes (8-10 by hand) until smooth.
Cover and let rise for 1 hour until 1½-2 times its size. Meanwhile mash the filling ingredients together with a fork into a smooth paste.
Roll the dough on a clean counter to about 40 x 50 cm and spread the filling thinly over the whole surface.
Fold the dough like a letter along the long side — top third down over the middle, bottom third up over both — and flatten slightly. Cut into 12 equal strips.
Twist each strip between your fingers until it spirals, wrap it around three fingers and tuck the end through the centre to make a knot. Set on lined baking sheets, cover and rise for 45 minutes.
Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Brush the buns with egg wash, sprinkle generously with pearl sugar and bake for 12-14 minutes until golden. Cool briefly on a rack.
