Swedish Cardamom Buns
Ingredients
For the Dough
1¼ cups/300 milliliters whole milk
2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (from one ¼-ounce packet)
4 cups/510 grams unbleached all-purpose flour
¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons/90 grams granulated sugar
6 tablespoons/85 grams unsalted butter (¾ stick), softened
2 tablespoons freshly ground cardamom
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
For the Filling
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons/250 grams unsalted butter (2¼ sticks), slightly softened
1 cup/200 grams granulated sugar
2 tablespoons freshly ground cardamom plus smore for topping
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
To Finish
1 large egg
3 tablespoons granulated sugar with ½ teaspoon or more freshly ground cardamom
For dough, heat milk to 105–110°F, whisk in yeast, and let activate. Mix flour, sugar, butter, cardamom, salt, and yeasted milk in a stand mixer. Knead until smooth.
Chill dough, and shape into a rectangle, make shallow slashes, cover, and chill for 2 hours.
For filling, mix butter, sugar, cardamom, and salt into a paste. Shape buns, and roll dough into a 15”x18” rectangle, spread filling, fold in thirds, and roll into a 12”x16” rectangle. Cut into 16 strips, wrap into knots, and place on baking sheets. Proof for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 450°F. To bake, brush with egg wash, sprinkle cardamom sugar, and bake at 450°F for 8 minutes, then lower oven temp to 375°F and bake for 12 minutes.
