Kanelbullar, the Swedish cinnamon buns, are small twisted pastries that evoke family gatherings and comfort. For Swedes, they are true comfort food, and every family has its recipe passed down from generation to generation.
I love the cuisine of the great north, especially the incredibly fragrant desserts. Kanelbullar is the quintessential Swedish dessert, and I decided to make them following Bronte Aurell’s recipe published in her book “Scandikitchen Dolci Hygge“. A book I adore, filled with many delicious recipes and wonderful photos of the great north.
I made a few small modifications to the book’s recipe, the most significant being halving the amount of yeast and consequently extending the rising times by several hours. I believe the recipe turned out even more delicious, soft, and perfectly fragrant, as well as easily digestible.
There are some recipes I’d like to share if you also love sweet leavened goods for breakfast or a snack.
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 5 Hours
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: about 16 buns
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Swedish
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
- Energy 214.22 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 28.81 (g) of which sugars 11.60 (g)
- Proteins 4.39 (g)
- Fat 9.43 (g) of which saturated 5.89 (g)of which unsaturated 3.40 (g)
- Fibers 0.84 (g)
- Sodium 30.13 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 65 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for the kanelbullar
- 1 3/5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 3/5 cups Manitoba flour
- 1 1/16 cups whole milk
- 5 2/3 tbsp butter (melted)
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 egg (beaten)
- 2 3/4 tsp fresh yeast
- 1 tsp cardamom (ground)
- 1 pinch salt
- 5 2/3 tbsp butter (softened)
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tsp all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- as needed maple syrup
- as needed sugar grains
Tools
- Stand Mixer
Preparing the kanelbullar
Melt the butter and let it cool.
Place the cardamom pods in a mortar and crush them to extract the seeds. Discard the outer shell and grind the seeds into a powder. Set aside.
Warm the milk and dissolve the crumbled fresh yeast in it, let it rest for about ten minutes. Add the sugar to the milk and mix thoroughly to dissolve it well.
Pour the milk mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer and add the lukewarm melted butter. Start mixing with the paddle attachment on medium speed and gradually add the flour.
Once you have added all the flour, add half of the beaten egg. The remaining half will be used to glaze the buns. Continue to mix until the dough clings to the paddle. Remove the dough and fit the dough hook. Work the dough until it is fully elastic, it should be very soft but not sticky. Do not add more flour, otherwise, the kanelbullar will turn out tough.
Transfer the dough onto a work surface and fold it a few times. Shape it into a ball to give it strength and place it in a lightly floured bowl to rise, covered with plastic wrap. It should triple in volume.
Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Take the butter and mix it with all the other ingredients.
Once risen, deflate the dough with your hands on a lightly floured surface and roll it out into a rectangle not too thin, otherwise the dough strips will break during shaping.
Cover the surface with the butter and cinnamon mixture and fold the dough over itself to form a rectangle with the long side as the previous short side. Lightly press with a rolling pin to adhere the filling well. Use a pastry cutter to cut vertical strips about 1 inch wide; you will get about 16.
Take one strip at a time and gently twist it into a spiral, then roll it up to form a kind of swirl. Secure the ends well under the bun so it won’t open during baking.
Place the kanelbullar on two baking sheets lined with parchment paper, keeping them well spaced, and let them rise for at least half an hour.
Brush them with the reserved egg.
Bake the kanelbullar in a hot oven at 356°F for about 13-15 minutes. Keep an eye on them during baking as they should not darken too much, or they will dry out.
Once ready, remove them from the oven and immediately brush them with maple syrup and sprinkle with sugar grains. Cover with a clean tea towel and let them cool slightly before serving.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
How to store kanelbullar?
Kanelbullar keep well for a couple of days sealed in a plastic food bag. If they harden slightly, a quick pass in the microwave will make them as fresh as just baked.
