Dough
- 6 tbsp Salted butter, melted
- 1 cup Whole milk
- 2¼ tsp Active dry yeast (one ¼ oz packet = 2¼ tsp)
- 4 cup All-purpose flour
- 1½ tsp Baking powder
- 4 tbsp Granulated sugar
- 2 tsp Ground cardamom
- 1 tsp Salt
Filling and Topping
- 1 cup Unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup Granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp Cinnamon
- 2 tsp Ground cardamom
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 1 large Egg, beaten with milk to make egg wash
- 1 tbsp Milk
- ¼ cup Pearl or nub sugar for sprinkling (optional)
Make Dough
In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm milk to 105° - 110°F (40-43°C). Pour warmed milk and ½ the sugar into a small bowl and sprinkle yeast on top. Give it a quick whisk and let it sit for a few minutes for the yeast to dissolve and activate. Give a gentle whisk if yeast looks like it's clumping.
Combine the flour, sugar, butter, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with dough hook. Add milk/yeast mixture and stir 2 minutes on low to combine. Continue on low another 2 minutes to knead dough. It should go from shaggy and coarse to smooth and shiny. Remove dough hook and knead dough by hand a few more times to bring it together.
Cover bowl with kitchen towel and leave in a warm place for 1½ to 2 hours to rise. When dough has risen, punch it down and tightly cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for 2 hours and up-to overnight to chill. Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface and roll out to 16 x 17-inch rectangle, about ⅛-inch thick. Roll with the shorter edge towards you.
Make Filling
Soften butter in a small bowl. Combine the sugar, cardamom, cardamom, and salt in another small bowl.
Assemble Kanelbullar
With an offset spatula, spread the butter evenly over the dough. Cover butter completely with the sugar mixture. Fold the top third of the dough down over the middle third (think of folding a letter). Then fold the bottom third up to cover the remaining dough. Go over dough with rolling pin to flatten the edges and stretch it a few more inches.
Roll dough sheet long ways to make a long cylinder. Slice cylinder into as many 1½-inch slices as you can. Place "snails" on baking trays well spaced. Cover both pans with kitchen towels and leave in a warm place for another 30 minutes to rise.
Bake Kanelbullar
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Brush the buns with the egg wash and sprinkle a little pearl sugar on top, if using.
Bake one tray at a time for about 10 minutes each until golden brown and cooked through. Break one bun open from the first batch to be sure the middle is fluffy and not wet. When done, transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly. Serve warm.
- Buns can be reheated in the oven.
- Completed buns may be frozen and reheated in the oven after defrosting for an hour or so.
Calories: 312kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 239mg | Potassium: 83mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 473IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 2mg