Swedish Cinnamon Buns

We Swedes take our cinnamon buns seriously. So seriously, as a matter of fact, that we even have our own day on the calendar. Last Monday was National Cinnamon Bun Day, or Kanelbullens Dag, and in true Swedish fashion, it had to be celebrated!

I made a fresh batch when I woke up in the morning, which was a perfect way to lighten up a rainy weekend on hurricane watch, and cheering up a hubby who was getting over a cold. And it's a wonderful bonus to have your kitchen smelling like cinnamon buns all day.

I love my mom's cinnamon buns. She never follows a recipe completely, but they always turn out great. I think that's one of the great secrets when it comes to successful baking, getting so familiar with your own baking, that you can tell when the dough 'feels' ready, and knowing when you need to add more of one thing or another. 

This wasn't the first time I've ever made cinnamon buns, but I decided to read up on what tips other bakers have when it comes to making the ultimate version. By following these few adjustments, the outcome was the most fluffy, light and moist cinnamon buns I have ever made. 

Here're a few tips:

- Use half milk, half heavy cream. Normally Swedish cinnamon bun recipes call for milk, but by switching out half of the amount for cream, you'll get really moist buns.

- Don't use all the flour at once. Sometimes it's better to use a little less flour, and then add more after the dough has been allowed to rise for 40 minutes. This way you make sure the bread doesn't become too compact. 

- Work the dough for a long time. I used a dough hook on my Kitchen Aid, but you can do it the old fashioned way by hand. By working the dough in a baking machine on low speed for about 10 minutes, long "gluten threads" form that help keep the dough elastic, which makes the buns light and fluffy. 

- Go nuts with filling! We both know these babies are not meant for dieting. Don't be shy with the butter, cinnamon and sugar. In this case, more is still more.

The boys loved the buns, and might have had two each. But then again, it's not every day we get to celebrate Cinnamon Bun Day!

It was so cute to see how they snuggled feet while eating their cinnamon buns. I think that, and the chuckle they made after having the first bite, was the biggest compliment I could ever have gotten.

Cinnamon buns for everyone!



Cinnamon Buns
from Malincalla

Dough:
1 package dry yeast
150 g butter
250 ml milk and 250 ml heavy cream combined
½ tsp salt
90 g sugar
1 tsp cardamom 
1 egg
780 g flour 

Filling:
Butter (as wanted)
A few teaspoons ground cinnamon
Sugar
Vanilla sugar

1 whisked egg for brushing
Pearl sugar


Directions:

1. Put the yeast in a bowl. Melt the butter. Add the liquid to the butter and heat until between 105-110°F.
2. Pour the liquid over the yeast and stir until dissolved. Add salt, sugar, cardamom, the egg and most of the flour. Work the dough for about ten minutes, until it comes together nicely and releases from the sides of the bowl.
3. Let the dough rise covered for about 30-40 minutes. Pour the dough onto a floured surface, and work in the remaining flour.
4. Divide the dough in half and roll it into a rectangular shape. Spread it with butter and sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon. Roll into a roll from the long side.
5. Cut them into 0.8 inch slices and put them in baking forms. Let the buns rise covered until doubled in size, for about 20-30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 480°F. 
6. Brush the buns with the whisked egg and sprinkle with pearl sugar. Bake on the middle rack in the oven for about 8-10 minutes. Let cool under baking towel.

Kanelbullar

Deg:
50 g jäst
150 g smör
5 dl gräddmjölk
½ tsk salt
1 dl socker
Ev 1 tsk kardemumma
1 ägg
1.3 liter vetemjöl

Fyllning:
Valfri mängd smör
Ett par teskedar malen kanel
Socker

1 lätt uppvispat ägg till pensling
Pärlsocker

Gör så här:
Smula ner jästen i en degbunke. Smält smöret i en kastrull. Tillsätt vätskan och värm till fingervarmt, ca 37°C.

Häll degspadet över jästen och rör tills den är upplöst. Tillsätt salt, socker, kardemumma, ägget och det mesta av mjölet. Arbeta degen smidig, när den släpper bunkens kanter är den färdig. Omkring 5 minuter med maskin och 10 minuter för hand.

Låt degen jäsa övertäckt ca 30-40 minuter. Stjälp upp degen på mjölat bakbord. Arbeta in resten av mjölet och knåda degen smidig.

Dela degen mitt itu och kavla ut varje del till en rektangulär platta. Bred på smör och strö över sockret och kanelen och rulla sedan samman degplattorna från långsidan.

Skär dem i ca 2 cm breda bitar och lägg dem med snittytan uppåt i pappersformar. Låt bullarna jäsa under bakduk till dubbel storlek ca 20-30 minuter.
Värm under tiden ugnen till 250°C.

Pensla bullarna med det uppvispade ägget och strö sedan över pärlsocker. Grädda mitt i ugnen ca 8-10 minuter. Låt kallna under bakduk.

Swedish Cinnamon Roll Braid

There's something really simple, homey and absolutely delicious about a cinnamon roll. It has always played an important role in Swedish fika culture, and now we're not talking about the American Cinnabon version with all that heavy frosting (even though they are delish!), but her modest Swedish cousin, the kanelbulle.

So, what makes the Swedish cinnamon roll different from the American one? Well, I'm glad you asked! Kanelbullen is a little less sweet, it uses freshly ground cardamom in the dough, and has pearl sugar as a topping instead of frosting. It is also baked at a higher heat for a shorter time, which gives it a light crust on top that is so incredibly satisfying.

The boys and I are visiting family in Sweden right now, and since I am in the land of fika, I felt inspired to bake something Swedish. I had never made a cinnamon roll braid before, but always thought they looked pretty, so I gave it a go. Even though they might look complicated, they are actually a lot quicker to make than individual rolls.

There are so many recipes for Swedish cinnamon buns, but I found one that sounded a little extra yummy. It uses sirap in the dough and filling. Sirap, also known as golden syrup, has the consistency of molasses, but tastes more like a caramel maple syrup. You can find it at your local IKEA, in the food market section. I would say you could maybe substitute maple syrup for sirap, but it's a little runnier in it's consistency and I'm not sure how that would play out. Besides, you're probably due for another IKEA round anyway!

The recipe I used makes 40-50 buns or 4 large cinnamon roll braids, so you can definitely cut it in half and still end up with plenty of fika. Or you can make the whole recipe and keep three in the freezer for unexpected guests!

Here's a little tutorial on how to make the braid.

If using the recipe as it is, making 4 braids, you will have to cut the dough in half. Once you've done that, roll it out into a rectangle. Spread half of that delicious filling on top.

Cut the rectangle in half.

Roll the first half in toward the middle, while making sure the edge ends up under the roll. Transfer it onto a lined baking sheet.

Using a pair of scissors, make 1/4 inch wide cuts, without cutting all the way through the bottom.

Push the cut pieces to the side, alternating left and right.

Repeat all of the steps for the second roll.

Brush the braids with a whisked egg, and sprinkle the pearl sugar and almond slices on top. Let rise under a towel for 45 minutes, and then bake in the oven for 25 minutes.

And this is the result!

I wish you could smell all of the wonderful warm cinnamon in this picture...

Have a wonderful weekend, friends, and happy baking!

Kanelbullar

from Ur Min Kokbok

 

Makes 40-50 buns or 4 braids

 

Dough

17 fl oz milk

50 g fresh or 12 g dry yeast

45 grams sugar 

100 ml light sirap

1 tsp grind cardamom 

800-900 g flour

150 gram butter

1 tsp salt

 

Filling

200 gram butter

90 g sugar

100 ml sirap

s1/3 cup shredded almond paste

vanilla sugar

4-5 tbsp. cinnamon

Garnish
1 egg, beaten
Pearl sugar
sliced almonds

Directions:

1. Heat the milk to 99 degrees F. Mix some of the milk with the crumbled yeast and pour the rest of the milk into the mixture. (If using dry yeast, follow the instructions on the package.) Add salt, sugar, cardamom, sirap, and lastly flour. Mix well.
2. Divide the butter into small cubes and add to the dough. Add more flour if needed.
3. Let the dough rise for 1 hour. In the meantime, make the filling and set aside.
4. Put the dough on a work surface and knead it for a few minutes, then divide it in two. Roll the dough into a rectangle and spread half of the filling on top.
5. Roll the rectangle in toward the middle and move to a covered baking sheet.
6. Using scissors, cut the roll into 1/2 inch slices, but make sure you leave some space at the bottom, so you don't cut all the way though. Pull the pieces to the sides, every other right and left. 
7. Brush the braids with egg and sprinkle with pearl sugar and sliced almond. Let rise for another 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 395 degrees F.
8. Bake for 25 minutes. Let cool on wire rack.

Kanelbullar

från bloggen Ur Min Kokbok
 

Ca 40-50 
 

Deg

5 dl mjölk

50 g jäst

0,5 dl socker

1 dl ljus sirap

1 tsk stött kardemumma

13-15 dl vetemjöl

150 gram smör

1 tsk salt

 

Fyllning

200 gram smör

1 dl socker

1 dl sirap

riven mandelmassa ( ca 0,5 dl riven, lite efter behag)

vaniljpulver

4-5 msk kanel

Garnering
1 vispat ägg
Pärlsocker
Skivade mandlar

 

1. Värm mjölken till 37 grader. Blanda lite av mjölken med jästen och häll sedan i resten av mjölken. Tillsätt salt, socker, sirap och till sist mjöl. Blanda väl, den kommer vara kletig! 

2. TIllsätt smöret i kuber och låt bearbetas i maskin i ca 10 min, tillsätt mer mjöl om det behövs (det kan se omöjligt ut till en början, men låt maskinen jobba och smöret kommer arbetas in tillslut. Degen blir nu otroligt lätt att arbeta med och man behöver inte tillsätta så mycket mjöl). 

3. Jäs i 1 h. Under tiden blandar du fyllningen, jag brukar köra allt i en mixer så det blandas ordentligt.

4. Ta upp degen ur bunken och knåda några minuter. Dela i 2 delar. Kavla ut en rektangel, ca ½ cm tjock. Bred på hälften av fyllningen. Dela rektangeln på mitten.
4. Rulla ihop rektanglarna och lägg dem brett isär på en plåt med bakplåtspapper.
5. Klipp rullarna i centimetertjocka skivor men spara ca 1 cm nedtill så att de sitter ihop. Dra bitarna åt sidan, varannan höger och varannan vänster. Dra ut dem en bit till så att bitarna ligger lutade bakåt.
6. Pensla längderna med uppvispat ägg och strö över sötmandel. Låt dem jäsa under bakduk i ca 30 min. Sätt ugnen på 200 grader.
7. Grädda längderna längst ner i ugnen i 25–30 min. Låt dem svalna på plåten.