Recipe #2

Cardamom Buns with a pinch of salt

If you’ve ever been to Sweden, chances are high that you noticed many different nuances of sweet cardamom in your nose. The appearance of Kardemummabollar can vary a lot, in summer for example you can find them as Sommarbullar filled with pudding and berries. When I returned home I started baking them whenever I missed their sweet and delicate flavor.

I could put cardamom in every sweet dish that I make, I love it’s mildly spicy, sweet and zesty taste.

In case you have sourdough at home, you can replace the yeast in the recipe with it.

INGREDIENTS

For the cardamom dough:

240 ml warm oat milk

1 envelope of 7 grams of dry yeast (or 100 g of sourdough instead)*

400 g flour (you can also mix it with 1/3 spelt (Dinkel) flour

90 g of soft (vegan) butter

40 g brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon of freshly ground cardamom

Note:
You can either use fresh, dry or wild yeast (sourdough) here. To convert from fresh yeast to dry yeast, just multiply the fresh quantity by 0.33. For example: an envelope of dry yeast weighs 7 grams = 21 grams of fresh yeast = 100 grams of active sourdough. Keep in mind: in this case you use sourdough your dough will need twice the time to rise.

For the cardamom filling

75 grams of softened butter (soft but not liquid)

2 teaspoons cardamom seeds, freshly ground

40 grams of brown sugar

1 teaspoon sea salt flakes (not too fine)

1/4 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

For the cardamom syrup

1/2 teaspoon cardamom seeds, freshly ground

30 grams brown sugar

60 ml water

1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

1 teaspoon sea salt flakes (not too fine)

PREPARATION

1. To prepare the dough, take a medium sized bowl and carefully mix the warm (not hot) oat milk with the dry yeast. Let it rest for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a larger bowl, mix the flour, brown sugar, freshly ground cardamom seeds and salt together.

2. Now combine the flour mixture with the the milk and yeast and mix at medium low speed until smooth. Add soft butter, one piece at a time, until completely combined. Increase the speed and mix around 3–4 minutes.

3. When done sprinkle a little flour on top and bottom and cover the dough. Place it on a warm spot and allow it to rise at room temperature for about an hour.

Note

Yeast is sensitive to direct sun light and wind, so try not to place it near windows or open doors.

4. Now you can prepare the filling. Combine the soft butter, brown sugar, ground cardamom and vanilla bean paste and blend until smooth. Meanwhile cover the baking sheet with baking paper.

5. On a lightly floured surface, carefully roll out your grown dough into a rectangle that should measure roughly around 30x50 cm. Then spread the cardamom filling over the flat dough, leaving the edge (1 cm) out. Fold the left side over the right. Carefully roll out until the long side is around 40 cm. Carefully cut into 20 strips (about butter knife wide).

6. Hold one end of the strip in your right hand, pinching it between your fingers and hold the other end with your left hand. Stretch it gently and start twisting it. Then wrap it around your fingers, 3–4 times and tuck the end through the front. Then place the twisted bun carefully on the baking sheet.

7. Cover the buns with a fresh kitchen towel and let them rest and rise for another 45 minutes.

8. Preheat the oven to 220°C.

9. Meanwhile, prepare the final part, the cardamom syrup. Therefore heat water, brown sugar, vanilla bean paste and ground cardamom seeds in a small pot over medium heat. Carefully bring the mixture to boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Then set aside to cool down to room temperature.

10. When the buns are ready, place them into the pre-heated oven and bake until golden-brown, for about 8–10 minutes.

11. Then remove them from the oven and glaze them with the cardamom syrup, using a pastry brush. Let them cool for a few minutes until ready to eat.

Enjoy!