These cardamom-spiced buns are probably one of our favorite sweet buns of all time. And that’s hard for us to admit, as we’re Danish and these buns hail from the neighboring country of Sweden. Denmark and Sweden have what can only be described as a long-standing sibling rivalry. And as with most siblings, being kind to one another doesn’t always feel right. However, it would be wrong of us to let a silly rivalry get in the way of a good bun, and these kardemummabullar are exactly that. They are deliciously sweet and floral, spiced with cardamom, and have a crisp outside and a fluffy, slightly gooey interior.
Fika – A Lesson in Swedish Culture
In Sweden, “fika” is an important part of day-to-day life. It is essentially a coffee break, giving people the chance to enjoy a cup of coffee and a sweet treat. It is also an opportunity for socialization, and gives people the chance to talk with colleagues or friends. Because of this, fika is a cultural tradition. At many workplaces, it is even common to have two mandatory fikas each day. Read more about the tradition and history of fika here.
Although we are not Swedish, enjoying coffee and cake as a social activity has its place in broader Scandinavian culture, also relating to the Danish concept of “hygge.” Clearly, we Scandinavians are known as coffee and cake lovers for a reason, which is not surprising, considering how many delicious baked goods we have to offer!
This recipe is quite simple and yields the most beautiful and delicious final product. The trickiest part is probably the shaping of the buns, and for this, we have provided a detailed explanation in the recipe. But don’t worry if they don’t end up looking perfect the first time, as your technique will undoubtedly improve with more practice! We hope you try making these, as they are genuinely one of our all-time favorites. Enjoy, and remember to take some time out of your day to enjoy a fika or two!
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Kardemummabullar (Swedish Cardamom Buns)
Ingredients
- 150 ml milk
- 2 tsp instant yeast (2.25 tsp active-dry yeast, 17.5g fresh yeast)
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 50 grams sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 375 grams all-purpose or bread flour
- 57 grams unsalted butter, softened
FILLING
- 71 grams unsalted butter, softened
- 65 grams brown sugar
- 1.5 tsp ground cardamom
- Pinch of salt
TOPPING
- 1 egg for egg wash
- Pearl sugar (turbinado sugar, raw sugar, regular sugar would work too)
Instructions
- If using active dry yeast, heat the milk in the microwave or on the stovetop until it is “fingervarm” (finger warm), meaning it should feel warm to the touch but not hot. Add your yeast, a small amount of the sugar needed for the recipe, stir, and leave it for 5-10 minutes until the mixture starts to bubble up. If using instant yeast, simply add the yeast to the lukewarm milk – there usually is no need to wait for it to bubble up, but follow the instructions on your package of yeast if in doubt!
- Combine the egg, egg yolk, remaining sugar, vanilla extract, cardamom, and salt in a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix well.
- Add the milk and yeast mixture to the egg mixture and whisk or stir to combine.
- Add in the flour, stirring with a wooden spoon or using the dough hook on the stand mixer.
- Once the dough starts to come together into a scraggly dough, add in the softened butter as well.
- Knead until smooth and elastic, probably around 5-10 minutes. Add flour a bit at a time if the dough sticks to your hands or the surface. If you prefer not to get your hands messy, feel free to use a stand mixer for this step (with the dough hook attachment). The texture of your dough before its first rise should be soft and smooth, not sticky and not too dry.
- Cover and let your dough rise for about 45 minutes, or until doubled in size.
- While the dough is rising, make the filling. Combine softened butter, brown sugar, cardamom, and salt and stir together until you get a smooth paste. Set aside until the dough is ready.
- Once your dough has doubled in size, turn out onto a clean work surface and press into a rough rectangle shape.
- Roll the dough out into a rectangle that is about a quarter of an inch (0.5cm) thick (corresponds to a rectangle about 12" by 17").
- Spread your filling evenly on the top half of the dough.
- Fold the bottom half of the dough over the top with the filling.
- Cut into 12 equal sized strips, about 1 inch in width.
- Pick up a strip of dough and hold it with your index, middle finger, and thumb in your left hand.
- Twist each strip clockwise with your right hand gently, as much as it will allow.
- Wrap the twisted dough strip counter-clockwise around the two fingers of your left hand that are holding the strip. You should be able to wrap the dough around your fingers twice.
- Tuck the end of the strip through the middle. Try to press the ends together so they stay in place.
- Place the roll on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat with the rest of the dough. We use two baking sheets with six buns on each sheet.
- Cover the buns loosely with cling film or a clean dishtowel and let them rise another 45 minutes. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- Once the buns have finished proving (try poking the dough; if it leaves an indent that doesn't spring back immediately, they should be ready!), you can tuck in any ends that may have unraveled during the second prove. Make your egg wash (1 egg whisked together with a splash of water until there are no more gloopy streaks of egg white), then brush over the buns.
- Sprinkle with pearl sugar (alternatively, use turbinado sugar, raw sugar, or just regular sugar).
- Bake for 10-12 mins, or until golden brown on top. You can bake both sheets at once or bake them one at a time in the center of the oven. Just be aware of how your oven may differ from the top to the bottom if you choose to bake them at the same time; for example, our oven is much hotter on the bottom, so we switch the baking trays about halfway to prevent too much browning on the bottom tray.
- Once done, let them cool on a cooling rack; enjoy the buns with coffee or tea!
I have been wanting to try making these since we enjoyed them on vacation a few years ago. They were very simple to make and SO delicious! I did add a bit more cardamom than the recipe called for, and I had to add a little bit more flour to get the dough to be less tacky. They turned out absolutely gorgeous and delicious- I will make this recipe over and over again!
Thank you for trying the recipe – and so glad you enjoyed it!!
Just made these, the recipe was perfect. The house smells divine. Tusind tak, denne dansker i Amerika kan også lide lidt svensk 😉
Yay, so happy to hear it!! Haha – det kan vi ihvertfald også!
I love these rolls! I’ve tried a few other versions, and this one looks excellent.
I have a question regarding the last proofing. Could I prepare the dough up through the point of forming the buns, then put in the fridge overnight for the last proofing? I’d like to bring in to work, fresh from the oven, so would Iike to get everything completed as far as possible in the process. I was thinking I could pull from the fridge in the morning, and put right into the oven. Would that work?
Hi! Thanks for your question. I haven’t tried completing the second proof overnight in the fridge, but it should work without causing any major issues. I would just take the buns out of the fridge and give them 15-20 minutes to come to room temp before baking. I have done the first proof overnight in the fridge and that works fine too. Hope this helps 🙂
Thanks for sharing this recipe! We just got back from a trip to Denmark and I was dying to recreate some of the delicious pastries we had while we were there. These came out amazing!
We’re so glad to hear that!! Thank you for using our recipe and leaving a comment!
Can these be made yeast free?
Hi! I’m not too sure, as I’ve never tried making this type of dough without yeast before. You can definitely use sourdough starter if that’s an option for you. Like I said, I’ve never tried it, but I would estimate you could add about 100g of starter and then maybe add about 50ml less milk than the recipe calls for. You may then have to adjust the flour and add more or less to get the dough to be smooth and not sticky. I hope that helps!
They turned out really good. I’ve added more cardamom to the filling and sprinkled it with a mix of sugar and cardamom rather than sugar pearls. I did the last proof overnight in the fridge and thought they grew less than I expected but turned out very good and fluffy regardless.
Ahhh thank you so much for leaving a comment! Happy to hear they turned out delicious and those changes you made sound amazing. Yes, I have had that same experience proofing dough in the fridge overnight, I usually let my buns or bread rise at room temperature again before I bake them – that sometimes helps! Anyway, thanks for using our recipe, much appreciated 🙂
This recipe is the closest I’ve found to the buns that I had in Sweden! Thank you so much for sharing, they’re so tasty!
Amazing! So happy to hear it – that is very high praise so thank you so much for using our recipe and leaving such a kind comment.