Sweet, Swedish cinnamon & cardamon buns

When I go home to Sweden this is one of the first things I seek out, and it has to be from one of three reputable bakeries as my 'kanel bulle', literally transited to cinnamon bun, has to be perfectly baked. Crisp on the outside, soft and full of spice in the middle. Preferably butter and sugar has not been held back as this combo will give the bun a slightly caramelised crust on the bottom. Here is one item where I leave healthiness, as in refined sugar and flour, at the road side. 

However, as always I cannot leave the notion of making a healthier version alone, so I have experimented with the recipe for years and so far I have managed to cut back on a little of the sugar and used a bit of wholemeal spelt (although I can recommend not sing any wholemeal as it just adds dryness). So far I have not successfully been able to bring down butter content. 

Here is what you need for the dough: 

600 grams unbleached spelt flour 

150 grams wholemeal spelt

50 grams fresh or dried yeast

5 dl milk of choice (I used rice)

2 cardamon pods - peeled and crushed* 

pinch of salt 

125 gram butter 

1 dl honey, maple syrup or other form of sugar/syrup

Here is what you need for the spice filling: 

150-200 grams butter (amount depending on how brave you dare be with the butter content)

2 tbsp ground cinnamon 

2 tbsp crushed cardamon seeds

1 tsp nutmeg

1,5 dl sugar - preferably coconut, palm or muscovado sugar (or use half/ half maple or honey with sugar)

pinch of salt

optional - an egg used to glaze the buns 

*using fresh cardamon seeds gives so much more flavour and aroma. Peels the shell off the pod of the cardamon, and then grind with a mortar and pestle or using a kitchen towel crush them using something heavy (on a durable surface). 

1. Melt the butter in a pan, take off the heat and add the the milk. You want this mixture to be 37C, which basically is the same temperature as your body, so if you stick your finger in the mix you should feel nothing (not hot nor cold).
2. Add the butter milk mix to a bowl with the yeast. Slowly stir so that the yeast melts into the liquid. 
3. Add the cardamon and salt, mix. Then slowly add the flour, at first stirring with a wooden spoon to avoid clumps. Once you have more of a solid dough, use your hands to turn it into a shiny, elastic dough. Sprinkle a little flour over the top, and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Set aside for 30-40 minutes. The dough should have almost doubled in size. 
4. While the dough proofs, using a blender mix the ingredients for the filling. 
5. Sprinkle flour on a work surface and carefully take out the dough from the bowl and work it into a less sticky, more solid dough. Adding a little flour at a time. 
6. Halve the dough and then roll out one of the dough pieces, you want a sort of large pizza (rather oval than round) approximately 1,5 cm thick. 
7. Now spread the dough with half the filling mix. Then starting at one end of the dough start rolling the dough from one end to the other. You should end up with a long rolled up log. 
8. Cut slices, approximately 3cm wide, horizontally across the log. This should leave you with swirls or snail like shaped buns. you can also make a sort of braid through the log, but this requires a drawn directions. Basically you almost slick through the log as if you were making separate buns, and then you kind of braid these half slices over each other. I won't be offended if this makes no sense. Best to look online how to make this braid. 
9. Place baking paper on a tray and place the slices (leaving enough space between each piece for them to grow. Allow them to proof for 15-20 minutes. 
10. Meanwhile preheat your oven to 180C.
11. Bake the buns in the oven between 15-25minutes. Allow to cool and enjoy with a good cup of tea or coffee. 

Swedish cinnamon & cardamon buns

I could write a whole page about how these buns transport me back to Sweden, how every time I go back it's the first thing I seek out to eat. Suffice to say they bring me a feeling of home. Besides this they are just delicious. Of course I made mine with whole wheat flour and palm sugar, lowering the butter and sugar which honestly did them no favour so I will instead increase the amounts in the recipe below so that you will get the right 'kanel bulle' as they are called in Sweden.

Ingredients:

150 grams butter
5 dl milk (soy, goat, almond or cows)
75 gram yeast
1,5 dl sugar
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp crushed cardamon
17-18 dl flour (I used 50% whole wheat spelt & 50% unbleached white spelt however I recommend lowering it to a ration of  20% & 80% to avoid dry buns)
* optional topping - almond flakes

filling:
100 grams butter at room temp
1/2 dl sugar
3 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cardamon

optional:
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp vanilla sugar

This recipe does require patience & time as it take almost 3 hours to make with the proofing and baking time included.

1. Melt the butter in a pan on a low heat, then add the milk of your choice. This hold bring the liquid to a body temp (37C - test by dipping your finger in the liquid and if you feel no actual warm or col then its at body temp, otherwise leave to cool or heat slightly)
2. Transfer the liquid to a large mixing bowl. Crumble the fresh jest or pour the dried yeast into the butter milk mix and blend till the jest has melted into the liquid. 
3. Add the sugar, salt and crushed cardamon to the liquid. Then add 80% the flour slowly, mixing to combine all. Once all has combined and your left with the silky dough add another 10% of the flour, you want to the dough to shiny and elastic with a slight stickiness but not overly wet consistency. The dough should remain in its bowl during this part of baking. 
4. Cover with a clean linen cloth or plastic foil and place the bowl in a warmish area of the kitchen this will help the proofing of the dough. You want the yeast to start expanding, important is that it is not placed in a cold marble surface nor on a hot stove top. 
5. Allow to proof for 40min. The dough should double in size. 
6. Meanwhile mix the filling ingredients to a smooth paste. 
7. Take out the dough from the bowl and place on a floured surface, and work it with your hands till shiny and elastic. You may need to add flour to keep it from sticking. 
8. Half the dough into two equal halves. place one half to the side. Then using a rolling pin roll out the dough to a flat pancake. 
9. using a spatula spread the half the filling paste onto the flattened dough. Now roll the dough from one end to the other you you end up with a long snake of rolled dough. Use a knife to cut the dough into buns. Place these buns a baking tray with baking paper and allow to proof for another 40min. 
10. Do the same for the second half of the dough. If you want you can sprinkle extra sugar or almond flakes over the top of the buns.
11. Pre heat your oven to 250 degrees C, 20min through the proofing time. Place the buns in the middle of the oven for 5-8 min and then lower the heat to 225 C for another 14-18min. 
12. Allow the buns to cool.