Cinnamon and Cardamom Brioche Rolls

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Melt in the mouth, light, fluffy, buttery cardamom brioche buns cooked with a cinnamon and cardamon sweet butter swirled throughout, and finished with either a vanilla butter icing or a sprinkle of pearl sugar. Do I need to say anything else? No, of course not, the perfect weekend breakfast or brunch.

Full Disclosure!

So, full disclosure – making brioche is a fiddly business requiring time and patience. I have only ever made it in my KitchenAid which makes it a lot easier. These instructions, therefore, are written specifically for using a free-standing mixer with a dough hook. This is never going to be a quick breakfast that you knock together! I have therefore given lots of very specific instructions, which talk you through the process.

These are for Alice!

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How to make Cinnamon and Cardamom Brioche Rolls

Timings:

You need to start making these rolls the day before you want to cook them. You can make either 4 large rolls or 6 slightly smaller ones. All details given below. Bear in mind –

First day:

• Making the dough will take around 25 – 30 minutes.
• The dough then needs to sit in the fridge for a minimum of 5 hours.
• After that it needs to be rolled out, spread with the butter and shaped. This takes another 30 minutes.
• This is then covered and put in the fridge overnight.
• This is a total of 6 hours.

Second day:

• The dough can take up to 2 – 3 hours to rise, depending on the room temperature.
• It then needs to cook for up to 20 minutes.
• Allow the buns to sit for at least 15 minutes before icing and eating.

Collect all the ingredients together:

For the rolls:

• strong white flour
• cardamom powder
• caster sugar
• quick action dry yeast
• fine salt
• warm milk
• eggs
• unsalted butter, very soft

For the filling:

• very soft unsalted butter
• cinnamon powder
• cardamom
• light brown sugar
• caster sugar
• salt

For the topping:

• egg wash and pearl sugar, OR
• vanilla glaze, see below

Vanilla Butter Icing:

• icing/confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• melted butter
• vanilla extract
• milk or cream

How to make these incredible rolls:

You need to start making these rolls the day before you want to cook them.

1. Weigh the flour, sugar, yeast and salt into the bowl of a freestanding mixture and stir to mix.
2. Mix the warm milk with the eggs and beat to mix. Remove 1 x 15 tablespoon of the mixture and set aside to use as your egg-wash. Store this covered and in the fridge over night.
3. Pour the milk and eggs into the flour mix and roughly stir with a spoon. Attach the bowl to the free-standing mixer and, using the dough hook, beat on speed 2 for 5 minutes.
4. The dough may well rise up the dough hook. Keep an eye and if it does this, use a spatula to scrape it off and then continue, on speed 2.
5. Slowly add the soft butter, 10 – 15g at a time, and beat on a slow speed, until incorporated. This will take around 7 – 10 minutes.
6. Transfer to an oiled mixing bowl. Cover and leave to rise until doubled in size. This normally takes between 1- 2 hours depending on how warm it is. If the room temperature is cold, I put mine in the oven set on dough setting at 42°C and it takes around 2 hours.
7. Now transfer to the fridge for at least five hours. This is a very important step. The dough is very soft and almost impossible to work with at room temperature. When cold, it is a stiffer dough and easier to work with. You need to work quickly though, or the butter will melt as you work it and it will become too soft.

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Make the Cinnamon Butter:

1. Weigh all the ingredients into a bowl and thoroughly mix.

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Now shape the dough:

1. Line a 20cm/8-inch square baking tin with baking parchment and lightly oil it.
2. When ready, take the dough out of the fridge, lightly flour the top of the dough, knock back with your hand and then remove from the bowl onto a lightly floured work surface.
3. Very quickly knead until smooth. Do not over-knead or the butter will melt and the dough will be too soft to work with.
4. Flour the dough and shape it into a large rectangle using a rolling pin and your hands to shape the dough. The dough should measure 20cms x 25cm.
5. Evenly spread the cinnamon butter over the surface of the dough.
6. Roll tightly width wise (i.e. from the end measuring 20cms) and cut into 4 rolls.
7. Place in prepared baking tin and brush gently with the egg wash you saved from the day before.
8. Cover with oiled cling film and leave in the fridge overnight.

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The following day:

1. Remove the rolls from the fridge and leave to rise until doubled in size. The rolls need to come to room temperature before the yeast will activate so this normally takes between 1 – 3 hours. If the room temperature is cold, I put mine in the oven set on dough setting at 42°C.
2. Five minutes before you want to cook them, preheat the oven to Fan Oven 200°C/220°C/425°F/Gas 7.
3. If using pearl sugar, sprinkle it over the Cinnamon Buns now.
4. Put the buns in the centre of the preheated oven and immediately turn it down to Fan Oven 180°C/200°C/400°F/Gas 6.
5. Cook the buns for 15 – 20 minutes until the tops are golden brown. Check the buns after 10 minutes, you will more than likely have to cover loosely with foil to ensure they don’t get too brown.
6. Take out of the oven. Leave for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack. Cover with a damp cloth as they cool. This prevents them from drying out.

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Pearl Sugar:

1. If you are adding pearl sugar, sprinkle it over the buns before cooking in the oven.
2. Take out of the oven. Leave for 5 minutes and then transfer to transfer to a wire rack. cover with a damp cloth as they cool. This prevents them from drying out.
3. Serve warm or at room temperature. Delicious with fresh fruit.

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Vanilla Butter Icing:

1. If you would prefer a Vanilla Butter Icing, mix the icing sugar, butter and vanilla extract together.
2. Slowly add the milk until you achieve a thick, smooth, pouring consistency.
3. Drizzle over the buns 15 minutes after you take them out of the oven.

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If you would rather make 6 slightly smaller rolls:

(See instructions above for more detailed instructions.)

1. Follow the instructions above but roll the dough into a large rectangle measuring 30cm x 35cm rectangle. Cut into 6 rolls and place in a 23cm/9 inch round baking tin, lined with lightly greased baking parchment, and brush with egg wash.
2. Cover with cling film and leave in the fridge overnight.
3. The following day, allow to come to room temperature and leave them to rise until doubled in size.
4. Remove the cling film, sprinkle with pearl sugar, if using, and bake in the centre of a pre-heated oven until cooked.
5. If covering with Vanilla Glaze, pour it over 15 minutes after the buns have come out of the oven.

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Made this recipe?

If you make this recipe, do please tag me on instagram @daffodil_kitchen. You could also leave a comment in the box directly below the recipe.