Cinnamon Buns – Kanelbullar

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These, oh so delicious, light, fluffy and buttery Cinnamon Buns are cooked with a cinnamon and cardamon sweet butter swirled throughout, and finished with either a sweet sugar icing or a sprinkle of pearl sugar. Utter heaven.

This Scandinavian treat needs no introduction. They make the perfect weekend breakfast or brunch but, in fact, I could eat them at any time of the day.

There is little better in this world than the aroma of fresh bread and cinnamon cooking. The smell percolating through the house as they cook, will have you drooling and is a guaranteed way to get, even teenagers out of bed in the morning!

These are not as difficult to make as you would think, particularly if you have a food processor, with a dough hook. You do need patience and time however; these beauties need to rise twice for around 3 hours in total. Together with making and cooking, this means you need to start making them around 3½ hours before you want to eat them.

Lyngen Lodge

This is my version of the Cinnamon Buns we enjoyed on our trip to Lyngen Lodge last April. These were eaten up so quickly that I couldn’t take a decent photograph, but for memories sake, see below. I baked and served mine in paper cases, as is often the way in Norwegian bakeries.

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How to make these Cinnamon Buns – Kanelbullar

These buns are cooked in paper cases, as recommended by the Michelin starred Swedish chef, Magnus Nilsson. This, not only helps them keep their shape, any leaking butter will be re-absorbed and they will be a lot less sticky to hold!

Collect all your ingredients together:

For the buns –

• strong white flour
• caster sugar
• fine salt
• cardamom powder
• quick action dry yeast
• milk, preferably full fat
• beaten egg
• unsalted butter, very soft
• vegetable oil for the bowl when the dough rises
• extra flour for kneading, if necessary
• extra vegetable oil to brush onto the paper cases

For the cinnamon and cardamom butter –

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

For the topping –

• beaten egg, to brush the rolls before cooking
• milk
• pearl sugar (only if not finishing with icing – see below)

Icing –

• icing sugar
• water

How to make these exquisite, delicious buns:

First make the dough –

1. Weigh the flour, sugar, salt, cardamom and yeast directly into the bowl of a free standing mixer or mixing bowl. Stir to mix.
2. Warm the milk slightly, either in the microwave or in a saucepan, to body temperature. Add to the flour mix with the egg and very soft butter. Stir to mix. (NB Save the other half of the egg to brush on the buns before cooking.)
3. Attach the dough hook on your freestanding mixer and beat on low for around 5 minutes. Alternatively, knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for around 10 minutes.
4. If the dough creeps up the hook, remove the dough from the hook, place it in the bottom of the bowl and continue kneading.
5. Test to make sure that the dough is no longer sticky.
6. Pour the oil into a mixing bowl large enough for the dough to rise and double in size.
7. Transfer the dough to the oiled bowl and roll it in the oil to make sure it is covered. Cover the bowl and set aside in a warm place for the dough to double in size. This can take between 30 minutes and 2 hours depending on the temperature and altitude! (It took me 1 hour and 30 minutes in the oven in London, dough setting, 42°C.)

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Make the Cinnamon and Cardamom Butter –

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

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Finish the buns –

1. Punch the risen dough and transfer onto a floured work surface and knead for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
2. Shape into a rectangle and, using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 50cm x 30cm rectangle.
3. Evenly spread the cinnamon butter over the surface of the dough, right to the edges.
4. With the short side facing you, fold the top half down to halve the size of the dough.
5. Measure the width of the dough and mark 12 equal slices, roughly 2 1/2 cms or 1 inch each in width.
6. Use a knife or pizza cutter to cut into 12 slices.
7. Taking each slice individually, twist the dough into a spiral.
8. Roll the dough, from the left, towards the right and tuck the end of the dough underneath.
9. Place 12 muffin cases in a muffin tin and lightly oil the base and sides using a pastry brush.
10. Place the buns in the oiled pastry cases. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in size. (It takes me 45 mins – 1 hour in the oven, dough setting, 42^oC.)

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Preparing the buns for the oven –

1. When the buns have risen, mix the milk with the remaining ½ egg and gently brush over the buns.
2. If using pearl sugar, sprinkle over the buns now.
3. Bake in a preheated oven for 10 – 12 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
4. Leave in the tin for 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool.

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Make icing, if using –

1. Mix the water with the icing sugar until no lumps of sugar remain and it is a pouring consistency.
2. You can either drizzle the icing over the buns or spread a thin layer over each bun.
3. Eat and enjoy! These buns are best eaten on the day they are made. However, if you have any left, they will keep for a couple of days in an airtight container. It is best to warm them before eating. I do this for a few seconds in the microwave.

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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.