Cinnamon rolls (kanelbullar)

No matter what time of year, Swedes love their cinnamon rolls. It’s the unofficial national dish and among the first recipes you learn as a kid. I like them best served with a glass of cold milk.

• makes

  24

• prep

  25 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Ace

Ingredients

• 175 g unsalted butter, chopped
• 500 ml (2 cups) milk
• 50 g fresh yeast or 4½ tsp active dry yeast
• 110 g caster sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp cardamom pods
• 900 g (6 cups) plain flour
• 1 egg
• pearl sugar, to sprinkle

Cinnamon butter

• 125 g unsalted butter, chopped, softened
• 110 g (½ cup) caster sugar
• 1½ tbsp ground cinnamon

Resting time 1 hour 10 minutes

Instructions

To make the dough, melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add the milk, stir to combine, then let cool to 37°C.

Crumble the yeast into a large bowl. Add the milk mixture and stir until the yeast is dissolved. Stir in the sugar and salt.

Using a mortar and pestle, grind the cardamom, then stir into the liquid. Add the flour, little by little, and stir until the dough is smooth. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and set the dough aside for 40 minutes or until doubled in size.

To make the cinnamon butter, stir the butter, sugar and cinnamon in a bowl until a spreading consistency.

Transfer the dough from the bowl to a floured bench top and knock down dough. Using a rolling pin, roll out to a large 3 mm-thick rectangle. Spread the cinnamon butter evenly over the top. Carefully roll lengthwise to form a cylinder. Cut widthwise into 24 slices and place in paper cupcake cases on a baking tray. Cover with a tea towel and set aside to rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 225°C. Lightly beat the egg and brush over the buns. Sprinkle with pearl sugar. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden.

Serve with cold milk.

Recipe from Homegrown Swedes by Sanna Fyring Liedgren, with videos and photographs by Oscar Liedgren.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.