My All-Time Favourite Pastry (Actually!)
These Swedish cardamom buns are, with out query, my favourite pastry in the complete world. ♡
In the event you’ve by no means had a kardemummabulle earlier than, consider it as a softly candy, ultra-pillowy yeast bun swirled generously with butter and freshly-ground cardamom, then twisted right into a knot and baked till simply golden. They’re much less sugary than an American iced cinnamon roll, extra fragrant than virtually any pastry I do know, and completely divine loved with a cup of scorching espresso.
I first fell onerous for Swedish cardamom buns whereas we had been dwelling in Europe, and the obsession solely deepened throughout a number of journeys to Stockholm, the place I tracked them down not less than as soon as a day (normally extra — zero regrets). Through the years, I’ve examined and tweaked and re-tweaked this do-it-yourself model to get it excellent: beneficiant with the cardamom, impossibly tender, and twisted into these basic knotted buns. The actual secret weapon right here is the tangzhong approach — a fast cooked paste of milk and flour — which retains the dough ultra-tender and pillowy lengthy after baking. When you attempt cardamom buns made this fashion, there’s no going again.
Cardamom buns are positively a labor of affection, however since I’ve but to discover a bakery in Kansas Metropolis that makes them, that is the recipe we all the time flip to when the craving hits. I promise it’s definitely worth the effort!
Recipe Suggestions
If that is your first time making cardamom buns, I extremely advocate studying by the following pointers in addition to the complete recipe earlier than starting:
- Grind your cardamom recent in the event you can. Freshly-ground cardamom makes an enormous distinction right here! You should utilize pre-ground cardamom if that’s all you’ve, however freshly floor cardamom is a lot extra aromatic and flavorful. You should buy both cardamom seeds (my advice) or entire inexperienced cardamom pods (which you crack open to take away the seeds). Simply grind with a mortar and pestle, or toss in a ziplock bag and crush with a rolling pin or meat mallet.
- Don’t rush the tangzhong. Cook dinner it till it’s actually thick and pudding-like. This step is what offers the buns their signature softness.
- Goal for cheesy, not sticky dough. The dough ought to really feel tender and elastic, however not cling to your fingers. Add flour only a tablespoon at a time if wanted.
- Use room-temperature butter for the filling. It spreads extra evenly and received’t tear the dough.
- Twist the dough loosely. Over-tight twisting could make the buns dense as an alternative of fluffy.
- Brush with syrup whereas scorching. This helps the buns soak it in, giving them that shiny end and delicate sweetness with out being too sticky.
- Bake simply till golden. Overbaking dries them out! They need to be frivolously golden and nonetheless tender to the contact. (I normally err on the aspect of practically under-baking them as a result of I like them additional tender.)
Recipe Variations
When you’ve mastered the basic recipe, listed here are some enjoyable methods to combine issues up:
- Add pearl sugar to the topping for additional crunch and a extra conventional Swedish end.
- Add orange zest to the filling for a shiny citrusy twist.
- Make it additional buttery by brushing melted butter on the buns earlier than the syrup.
- Swap vanilla for almond extract within the filling for a delicate nutty taste.
- Add a pinch of cinnamon alongside the cardamom in order for you a hotter spice mix.
FAQ
Tangzhong is a bread-making approach that originated in Japan and includes cooking a small portion of the flour with milk (or water) right into a thick paste earlier than mixing the dough. This easy step helps the dough retain extra moisture, leading to softer, fluffier buns that keep tender for days.
Sure! You may knead by hand — simply count on about 10–12 minutes of kneading till the dough is clean and elastic.
Completely. After the primary rise, you’ll be able to refrigerate the dough in a single day, then form and bake the following day.
These are greatest the day they’re baked, however leftovers might be saved hermetic at room temperature for 1 day or frozen for as much as 2 months.
Sure! Heat them briefly within the microwave or oven till simply heated by — they’ll soften proper again up.
Kardemummabullar are historically loved throughout fika in Sweden — a day by day pause for espresso and one thing candy. They’re deliberately much less sugary than many American pastries, letting the cardamom shine.
Extra Candy Treats To Strive
In the event you love this recipe, I believe you’ll actually take pleasure in these treats too!
Description
This Swedish cardamom buns recipe creates impossibly tender, buttery buns formed into knots and completed with a shiny brush of easy syrup.
Tangzhong Components:
- 1/2 cup plain milk
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Dough Components:
- 1/2 cup plain milk
- 1/3 cup (76 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 1/4 cups (390g) all-purpose flour, divided
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 teaspoons (7 grams) instant-rise yeast
- 2 teaspoons freshly floor cardamom (see notice beneath)
- 1 teaspoon advantageous sea salt
- 1 massive egg
Filling Components:
- 1/3 cup (76g) unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup (55g) packed mild brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly-floor cardamom (see notice beneath)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping Components:
- 1 egg, whisked along with 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon coarsely-ground cardamom seeds (see notice beneath)
- granulated sugar
- easy syrup (1/4 cup granulated sugar + 1/4 cup water)
- Make the tangzhong. In a small saucepan, whisk collectively the milk and flour till clean. Cook dinner over medium-low warmth, whisking steadily, for about 3-5 minutes or till it thickens to a thick, pudding-like consistency. Take away from warmth and switch the combination to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment.
- Combine the dough. Add the milk, butter and half of the flour to the tangzhong and beat on medium-low pace till mixed (the tangzhong will heat the milk). Add the remaining flour, sugar, yeast, cardamom, sea salt, egg and beat on medium-low pace till mixed. Proceed beating for 6-8 minutes on medium-low pace till it’s clean, elastic, and barely cheesy however not sticky.
- First dough rise. Type the dough right into a ball, place it in a greased bowl and canopy with a humid towel or plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a heat area for 1 to 1 ½ hours, or till it has doubled in measurement.
- Combine the filling. In the meantime, stir collectively the filling components in a separate mixing bowl till evenly mixed.
- Roll out the dough. As soon as the dough is able to go, flip it out onto a big floured work floor. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough right into a 20-inch sq.. Fastidiously and evenly unfold the filling combination throughout the complete floor of the dough. Fold the left third of the dough in in direction of the middle, and fold the correct third of the dough over that in direction of the middle, such as you’re folding a enterprise letter (as pictured above). Gently run the rolling pin over the dough to clean out any massive bubbles.
- Type the buns. Utilizing a pizza cutter, pastry cutter or a knife, reduce off the uneven edges of the dough. Lower the dough into 12 even strips, then reduce every strip into two “tails” (as pictured above), leaving the highest 1cm related. Separate the 2 tails to make one lengthy strip and twist it a number of occasions. Maintain one finish of the strip and wrap the dough round two fingers 2-3 occasions, like a bandage. Then loop the remainder of the dough perpendicularly across the wrap in order that it types a knot, and tuck the unfastened finish in on the backside. Switch the dough to a big parchment-covered baking sheet, and repeat with the remaining dough strips.
- Second dough rise. Loosely cowl the dough buns with a clear kitchen towel and allow them to rise for 30-45 minutes.
- Brush and sprinkle. Warmth the oven to 375°F. Brush every bun with the egg wash, then sprinkle with a pinch of cardamom and granulated sugar.
- Bake and brush. Bake the buns for 13-Quarter-hour, or till they’re frivolously golden and cooked by. Whereas the buns are baking, make the straightforward syrup by combining ¼ cup granulated sugar and ¼ cup water in a small saucepan. Warmth over medium, stirring sometimes, till the sugar has utterly dissolved. Take away from warmth. As soon as the buns are out of the oven, brush them generously with the nice and cozy easy syrup whereas they’re nonetheless scorching to present them a wonderful sheen and a contact of additional sweetness. Switch to a wire rack, let cool for Quarter-hour, then serve heat and revel in! These buns are greatest loved the identical day, however see ideas beneath for storage directions.
Notes
Cardamom: I extremely advocate shopping for cardamom seeds and grinding them your self — you’ll be able to both use a mortar and pestle, or pop them in a ziplock bag and crush them with a meat mallet or rolling pin. Alternately, you should purchase entire inexperienced cardamom pods and take away and floor the seeds your self. Or in a pinch, it’s also possible to use pre-ground cardamom. (Though in the event you’re going to all the work to make these, I actually really feel like you must use freshly-ground!)
You’ll need the cardamom to be finely-ground for the dough and filling. Nevertheless it’s historically a bit extra coarsely-ground for the sprinkle on prime, as you’ll be able to see within the photographs right here.
