Have you ever tried cinnamon rolls? The Kanelbull are the typical cinnamon swirls of Northern Europe and North America! If you’ve been to Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands or Belgium, you have surely tasted cinnamon rolls or, if you didn’t leave Italy, you probably ordered them at Ikea!
The Kanelbull or cinnamon rolls recipe goes viral every autumn on the web. Instagram and TikTok are already full of this recipe! So, why did I make it too? I’m not crazy, I’ll never be favored by the algorithm, there’s another reason. I celebrated my 40th birthday on holiday between Denmark (Copenhagen) and Sweden (Malmö). I can’t tell you how many cinnamon swirls I devoured! Definitely more than one a day and with no shame! So I decided that on the first day off I would prepare this delicious and fragrant cinnamon leavened pastry.
I grabbed my trusty stand mixer, all the necessary ingredients and plenty of hours to spend in the kitchen for the preparation and proofing of the Swedish cinnamon swirl. Their origins are shrouded in mystery, but there are references as far back as the Middle Ages. Kanelbull were born in Sweden and are now widespread around the world. It was the Americans who later made them a must of their baking, calling them precisely cinnamon rolls!
I’ve recorded the video recipe for you with a step-by-step procedure to follow so you can make the cinnamon rolls with me! I hope it’s helpful! You’ll find the channel link under the first photo of this recipe!
Here are other cinnamon recipes I’ve made over the years: from apple heart cookies filled with cinnamon shortcrust, to pumpkin shortcrust with cinnamon (butter-free) which you can use to make cookies or tarts. You’ll find themed recipes like the Halloween coffin cake with cocoa and cinnamon, a fragrant and indulgent loaf cake for that occasion. You’ll also find the Christmas tree with hazelnut cream and cinnamon and the Christmas cookies (butter-free shortcrust) with cinnamon that last year reached more than 34,000 views on the YouTube channel!
Every link below is clickable and will take you directly to the recipe you chose to read! I remind you that I wait for you every morning in the Facebook group and fan page of Le Ricette di Bea with the Recipe of the Day! An unmissable appointment to start the day with a sweet or savory treat!
Let’s move on to the cinnamon rolls recipe now!
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Low cost
- Rest time: 2 Hours
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Cooking time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 6 people
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Oven
- Cuisine: Swedish
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter, Christmas
- Energy 584.40 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 89.83 (g) of which sugars 36.63 (g)
- Proteins 12.63 (g)
- Fat 20.97 (g) of which saturated 12.59 (g)of which unsaturated 7.91 (g)
- Fibers 6.60 (g)
- Sodium 148.01 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 180 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 to make the cinnamon rolls
- 2 cups Manitoba flour (strong/bread flour) (strength W500)
- 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 egg (at room temperature)
- 1 egg yolk (at room temperature)
- 6 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 5 2/3 tbsp butter (softened at room temperature)
- 7 fl oz milk (at room temperature)
- 1 packet vanilla
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 1/4 tsp fresh yeast (fresh compressed yeast (≈12 g). Equivalent to about 1 1/4 tsp active dry yeast)
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 3 tbsp butter (for the filling (max 50 grams ≈ 3 1/2 tbsp))
- 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 4 tbsp water
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
Tools to make the cinnamon rolls (cinnamon swirl recipe)
- 1 Stand mixer
- 1 Bench scraper
- 1 Plastic wrap
- 1 Tea towel
- 1 Kitchen scale
- 1 Small saucepan
- 1 Stovetop
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Spoon
- 2 Small bowls
- 1 Teaspoon
- 1 Sieve
- 1 Silicone rolling pin
- 1 Work surface
- 1 Oven
- 1 Baking pan
- 1 Parchment paper
Steps for the cinnamon rolls or Kanelbull
The butter must be softened at room temperature, so take the indicated amount at least 30 minutes before starting the Kanelbull recipe!
Weigh and prepare all the necessary ingredients for the cinnamon swirls and place them on the work surface near the stand mixer. Pour the milk into a small saucepan and warm it slightly over the stovetop. It must not boil; you only need to warm the milk. Crumble the fresh yeast into the milk and, with a spoon or a whisk, help it dissolve. Add a couple of tablespoons of the flour indicated and continue to stir. Let it rest for 10 minutes.
After this short time you can proceed. Pour the warmed milk mixture, the vanilla vial and the yeast into the mixer bowl. Sift and add both flours and the amount of sugar, then start the machine. Add the egg yolk first and then the whole egg only when the yolk has been incorporated into the dough. Both must be at room temperature. Now add a pinch of salt and let the stand mixer work the dough.
Slowly, piece by piece, add the butter. Don’t rush this step. Each piece of butter must be well incorporated into the dough. If necessary, stop and release the dough from the hook several times so the mixer can work it better. Once all the butter is incorporated, quickly work the dough on a lightly floured wooden board or work surface. Shape a nice ball and, after dusting the mixer bowl with a little flour, place the dough back inside. Cover with plastic wrap and a tea towel.
Let it rise for two hours on the kitchen counter or in a place where it won’t experience temperature fluctuations. After the first hour remove the plastic wrap and cover the bowl only with the tea towel.
After this time you can proceed with the filling. Preheat the oven to static 356°F. Melt the butter for the filling using a bain-marie. Take a small bowl and pour in the brown sugar. Add the two tablespoons of cinnamon and then the melted butter. Mix everything with a teaspoon. You should obtain a granular and sticky mixture. Set aside and continue with the dough.
Dust a wooden work surface or, as in my case, a silicone pastry mat with flour. Take the silicone rolling pin. Roll the leavened brioche dough into a rectangle. Spread the sugar-butter-cinnamon mixture evenly over the entire surface of the brioche dough. Roll it up from right to left to form a neat log. Seal the two ends well with your fingers.
With the help of a bench scraper, cut many cinnamon brioche swirls and arrange them in a rectangular baking pan (mine is 28 x 22 cm ≈ 11 x 8.7 in). Sprinkle the surface with cinnamon and brown sugar and bake in a preheated oven for about 20–25 minutes. My rolls were perfectly baked after 25 minutes at 356°F (static). Let them cool slightly on the work surface while you prepare the final glaze.
Take a small bowl, put in the powdered sugar and add the water. Mix everything with a teaspoon and then drizzle over the cinnamon rolls. If you want a thicker glaze than mine, add more powdered sugar while preparing it.
Mine is very light, almost invisible in color if you look at the photos, because I’m not particularly fond of sugar in general and especially of powdered sugar. The glaze should be added when the Kanelbull are still warm, so it can drip and set thanks to the heat of the rolls. Therefore, prepare the glaze while the cinnamon rolls are still in the oven during baking.
I can only wish you enjoy your meal and remind you that I wait for you every day here on my food blog with lots of easy, quick and delicious recipes like this one! Maybe “quick” isn’t the word for this recipe, I always end my posts with those three words, but I assure you they’re delicious and that the challenges of leavened dough can be tackled even if you’re new to baking!
Tips, variations and storage for the cinnamon swirls
Tips: before making the cinnamon rolls I recommend reading the recipe a couple of times and taking the necessary time to watch the video recipe. There are steps that need to be well understood before execution. I’ve pointed out the critical points in the various steps and if you have questions I’ll be happy to answer. You can send an email to [email protected] or contact the blog’s social profiles.
Variations: if you don’t like brown sugar, you can use white sugar for the filling with butter and cinnamon. Please don’t change anything else, you might compromise the recipe. At most, as indicated, if you want a whiter and thicker glaze, add more powdered sugar.
Storage for Kanelbull: You can store the cinnamon brioche swirls in a covered pastry container for a couple of days. They will remain soft and fragrant as if freshly baked.
