Swedish Cardamom Buns

~Time: 2-3 hours ~Level: medium ~Budget: cheap.

Swedish cardamom buns, also known as "kardemummabullar" in Swedish, are a popular and delicious pastry in all of Scandinavia. One interesting aspect is their cultural significance and the tradition of fika. Fika is a Swedish concept that involves taking a break with friends or colleagues to enjoy a cup of coffee or tea, often accompanied by a sweet treat like kardemummabullar or kanelbullar (cinnamon buns).

Cardamom is a key ingredient in these buns, giving them a unique and aromatic flavour. The use of cardamom in sweet baked goods is a distinctive feature of Scandinavian and Nordic baking. The spice adds a warm and slightly citrusy undertone to the dough.

The shaping of the buns can also be an art form. Traditional bullar are often twisted into a knot-like shape, making them visually appealing. Additionally, the buns may be topped with pearl sugar or a light glaze to enhance their sweetness.

Swedish Cardamom Buns

Ingredients

for the dough:

• 250 ml milk

• 7g active dry yeast

• 56g butter (room temperature)

• 40g light brown sugar

• 1 tsp cardamom powder

• 410g all purpose flour

• ½ tsp sea salt

for the filling:

• 100g butter (room temperature)

• 80g light brown sugar

• 2 tsp cardamom powder

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

for the topping:

• 1 egg

• pearl sugar (or regular granulated sugar)

• cardamom powder

Method

1. Warm the milk until about 20-25°C. Sprinkle the yeast on top and set aside for 10 minutes. Make sure the milk is not too warm, it will kill the yeast.

2. In a large bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer, mix the butter for a few minutes on medium speed, until creamy. Then add the brown sugar and the cardamom powder. Mix for another minute.

3. Add the milk-yeast mixture on low speed and mix until incorporated. Then slowly and gradually add the flour and lastly the sea salt.

4. Dust a surface with flour and place the dough on top. Knead for about 5 minutes. Then form a ball and place it in a lightly oiled, large bowl. Cover with a towel and move to a warm place for about 40 minutes. If you can't find a warm spot in your house, you could always set the oven to 30°C and leave the bowl in there with the oven door slightly opened.

5. When the dough is almost done rising, mix together the ingredients for the filling (butter, sugar, cardamom powder, vanilla) in a bowl until completely combined.

6. When the dough is finished its rise, roll it out onto a floured surface and try to form a rectangle of 60 x 40 cm. Spread the filling out evenly, then fold the dough into three (like a letter) so that you end up with a square of dough that has three layers.

7. Cut the dough into even strips of about 3-4 cm. Then split each strip in the middle leaving the top joined together. Hold the joined part still and twirl the loose ends around each other and then fold the whole strip into a circle. For a more clearly manual on how to fold the buns, watch my video.

8. Once all the buns are formed, put them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Leave enough space between each buns as they will get bigger. Cover with a towel and let them rise for about 30 minutes. In the mean time, preheat the oven to 220°C.

9. Prepare some egg wash by stirring one egg with some water. Once the buns have risen, brush them with the egg wash, sprinkle with sugar and cardamom powder, and bake for about 12 minutes, until they look nice and golden.

10. Serve warm with a nice cup of coffee or tea.