Kardemummabullar ()
Fika (verb). Gathering together to talk and take a break from everyday routines, usually drinking coffee and eating pastries, either at a cafe or at home and often for hours on end.
While the Danish have popularized “hygge,” the concept of coziness, the Swedish love their coffee, reportedly consuming twice the average per capita of the European Union. And “fika” revolves around coffee. But what about those pastries they speak of, when it comes to sipping endless cups of coffee? Introducing the “kardemummabullar,” or the Swedish cardamom bun.
While it may remind you of a cinnamon roll, the cardamom spice offers something lovely and different. These are also fun to shape, as they look more like a knot than a roll. It is highly recommended to buy whole green cardamom pods and grind the seeds yourself; the flavor will be much stronger than pre-ground cardamom. You will need to remove the green fibrous outer shell to access the seeds. Use a spice grinder or mortar and pestle to grind them.
Kardemummabulle
Makes 12 to 16 buns
Start to finish: 3 to 4 hours, including proofing time
Dough:
425 grams bread flour
75 grams sugar
7 grams dried yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon salt
125 grams water
125 grams whole milk
75 grams unsalted butter, softened and cut into small cubes
Filling:
1 tablespoon freshly ground cardamom
100 grams sugar
100 grams unsalted butter, softened
Glaze:
50 grams water
45 grams sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla or vanilla paste
For the dough: Combine flour, sugar, yeast and cardamom to bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a dough hook.
Combine water and milk in a small saucepan and heat gently until lukewarm, 95 to 105°F (35 to 40°C). Slowly add to the flour mixture and form into a rough dough.
Once combined, gradually add the softened butter, one cube at a time. It will take 2 to 3 minutes to add all the butter. Continue to knead on medium speed.
Once all the butter is incorporated, tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a ball. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, cover and leave in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.
For the filling: Combine the cardamom and sugar together in a small bowl. Measure out 85 grams of this mixture and combine it with the butter with a fork. Keep the remaining sugar–cardamom mixture for later.
Shaping the dough: Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Once dough has doubled in size, punch the air out of the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Shape into a rough rectangle, about 20 inches by 16 inches. Spread the filling evenly over the dough with a spatula.
With the long end of the dough in front of you, fold the dough up over the top half, so you have a rectangle of 20 inches by 8 inches. Then roll it out so the dough is 20 inches by 12 inches.
Using a knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into 12 to 16 strips, depending if you want larger or smaller buns. Working with one strip at a time, stretch it to about 16 inches by bouncing it on the counter while holding either end with your fingers.
Then carefully twist the strip by rolling the ends in opposite directions and then, with your thumb and forefinger securely holding one end, wrap the other end around the fingers into a knot. Tuck the loose end under, pushing it up into the middle and place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining strips.
Sprinkle the reserved sugar–cardamom over the buns and then cover with a dish towel and let sit for about 1 hour, about doubled in size.
Baking: While buns proof, preheat the oven to 450°F (220°C). Combine ingredients for the glaze in a small saucepan, heating gently and stirring until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil and then remove from heat and let cool.
Bake the buns for 10 to 12 minutes, until golden brown on top, and rotating sheet so buns bake evenly.
Once removed from the oven, brush with the glaze and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes, and then transfer to a cooling rack.
(This recipe was adapted from SwedishFood.com.)
