Swedish cardamom buns

Step 1/4

• 6 g fresh yeast
• 50 ml whole milk (lukewarm)
• 80 g flour
• ¼ tbsp sugar
• 15 g unsalted butter
• ⅛ tsp ground cardamom (for sprinkling)

• 2 bowls (large)
• whisk
• hand mixer with dough hook
• kitchen towel

Whisk together the fresh yeast and lukewarm milk in a bowl. Add the flour, sugar, salt, some of the butter, and some of the ground cardamom and beat together using a hand mixer fitted with dough hooks. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for approx. 30 min.

Step 2/4

• 15 g unsalted butter
• 12 g brown sugar
• ¼ tsp ground cardamom

• oven
• rolling pin
• rubber spatula
• knife

Preheat oven to 200°C/390°F. For the filling, mix remaining butter with brown sugar and remaining ground cardamom until well combined. Roll the dough out into a large rectangle and spread evenly with the filling, leaving space around the edges. Fold half of the dough into the middle, followed by the lower half to form a rectangle, trimming the ends if they are too round. Dust the dough with flour and roll out again to flatten it. Using a knife or a pizza wheel cut out strips of dough lengthwise, approx. 2-cm/1-in in width.

Step 3/4

• parchment paper
• baking sheet

To form a bun, twirl a dough strip into a twist. Wrap the dough twist around your index finger and middle finger in a figure eight. Once you have a third of the length left, wrap around the middle in the opposite direction to form a band and thread the end through the center from above, as if tying a knot, and tuck in. Gently press the bun together and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat until dough is used up and bake in preheated oven at 200°C/390°F, for approx. 20 min. The tops of the buns should be lightly browned but not crunchy.

Step 4/4

• ⅛ tsp cardamom pod
• 12 g brown sugar
• ⅛ tsp vanilla extract
• 12 ml water
• pearl sugar (for sprinkling)

• mortar and pestle
• saucepan
• whisk
• pastry brush

To make the syrup, grind cardamom pods in a mortar and pestle. Heat sugar, vanilla extract, ground cardamom pods, and water in a saucepan over medium-low heat until dissolved. As soon as the buns are out of the oven, brush with syrup. Dust with pearl sugar, if desired.

Enjoy your meal!