I can't think of anything better than cardamom baked goods and coffee. It shouldn't come as a surprise then that whilst I do like a cinnamon bun, I think cardamom buns are so much better. My recipe for Kardemummabullar has a cardamom infused dough and a cardamom & cinnamon filling. As this isn't enough I then sprinkle over crushed cardamom seeds and sugar over the top before baking. You can sprinkle over sugar pearls or crushed sugar cubes if you prefer instead. If you have trouble finding ground cardamom you can purchase it online. You can make more smaller buns, they will only need about 10 minutes in the oven. Basically you have no excuse for not baking these!
Makes 16
Hands-on Time 1 hour
Proving Time +2 hours
Baking Time 12 minutes
Ingredients
500g Strong white bread flour (plus extra for dusting)
1 sachet or 2 1/2 tsp Fast-action yeast
250g Caster sugar
1/2 tsp Fine sea salt
1/2 tbsp plus 1 1/2 tsp Ground cardamom
240g Unsalted butter (softened)
2 Eggs, medium
275ml Full-fat milk
Oil for greasing (Flavourless e.g. sunflower or
vegetable)
3 tsp Ground cinnamon
50ml Water
30 Cardamom pods (optional)
Equipment
Large bowl
Dough scraper Clingfilm
2 Mixing bowls
Spatula
2 Baking sheets
Baking parchment
Rolling pin
Palette knife
Sharp knife
Pastry brush
Small saucepan
Mortar & pestle (if available)
Wire rack
Add 500g of flour to the large bowl. Place the yeast on one side, and 75g of sugar, salt, and 1/2 tablespoon cardamom on the other.
Add 100g of butter and 1 egg.
Start to combine using one hand, slowly adding the milk with the other, until you have formed a dough and all dry ingredients have been incorporated.
Tip out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for approx. 10 minutes until smooth.
Use a dough scraper occasionally to gather the dough together if you find it sticking.
Don't add more flour.
When the dough is soft and smooth, leave it to rest on the worktop whilst you wash and lightly oil the large bowl.
Place the dough back into the bowl, cover with clingfilm and leave for at least 1 hour until it has doubled in size.
In the meantime get on with the filling.
In a mixing bowl combine the remaining 140g of butter, 120g of sugar, cinnamon and 1 1/2 teaspoons of cardamom until you have a paste
Cover both baking sheets with parchment.
Discard the clingfilm once the dough has proved.
Tip the dough back out onto a lightly floured surface and roll out into a 40cm x 40cm square.
Spread the filling over the dough using a palette knife, ensuring you cover everything.
You now have a few options as to how you shape your buns.
Swirls:
Roll the dough up starting with the length closest to you. Using a sharp knife, press down at 2.5cm intervals along the length of the dough, avoid sawing with the blade.
Place the buns swirl-side down and spaced apart on the two baking sheets.
Knots:
Folded the dough in half, width-ways, away from you.
Cut the dough into 2.5cm wide strips along its length.
Take one of the strips and slightly stretch it out to make it a little longer.
Depending how confident you feel you can either twist the strip on the worktop before wrapping it around two fingers, tucking the end down the middle.
Or you can space two fingers apart and wrap the strip around them, this time leaving a bit more dough and wrap it around the middle a couple of times before tucking the end up the middle.
Place the buns spaced apart on the two baking sheets.
Beat the egg in the mixing bowl using the pastry brush and coat the buns with it.
Clean the brush as you will need it later.
Lightly oil two pieces of clingfilm and cover the dough.
Leave to prove for at least an hour until doubled in size.
Whilst they are proving add the water and 50g of sugar to the saucepan. Place over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved and the water starts to steam. Turn off the heat and leave the syrup in the pan for later.
This step is optional although I do recommend it. Otherwise you could skip this step. Crack the cardamom pods so you can remove their seeds. You should end up with about 2 teaspoon’s worth.
If you have a mortar and pestle crush the seeds a little to break them up, otherwise crush them in a bowl using the end of your rolling pin, ensuring you don’t break your bowl.
Add the remaining sugar to the seeds, stir, and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 210°C/190°C(Fan)/ 410°F/Gas mark 7.
When the buns have finished proving, carefully remove the clingfilm.
Sprinkle the cardamom seeds and sugar mix over the top of them. If you skipped the cardamom step, sprinkle the remaining sugar over the tops of them. Better yet if you have pearl sugar or can crush some sugar cubes do this instead.
Place one tray on the middle shelf in the oven and bake for 12 minutes (15 for knots and twists) until the buns are a golden colour.
Remove and immediately brush them with the syrup.
Transfer to a wire rack.
Repeat with the second batch, leaving the buns to cool before eating.
Enjoy!
