Varme hveder (Danish Wheat Buns)
These delicious, lightly spiced buns are so soft and fluffy like a little cloud. They are best when they are cut in half, toasted, and smothered in butter. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 2 tsp instant yeast (2.25 tsp active dry yeast, 17.5g fresh yeast)
- 200 ml (a little less than 1 cup) milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1.5 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp cardamom
- 1 tsp salt
- 57 grams (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted
- 450 grams (3 3/4 cups) bread or all-purpose flour
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, 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 milk – there is no need to dissolve it.
- Combine the eggs, sugar, and cardamom in a large bowl. Once the yeast mixture has bubbled up a bit, add it to the egg mixture, or if using instant yeast, add immediately. Mix well.
- Then add the salt, melted butter, and flour. Mix with a wooden spoon until the dough starts to come together. Tip it out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes). Add more flour if needed – the dough should be soft and smooth, not dry and not sticking to the surface. If using a stand mixer, allow it to knead the dough together for about 10 minutes.
- Cover the dough with cling film or a clean dishtowel and place in a warm place to rise for 1-1.5 hours, or until doubled in size.
- Once your dough has doubled in size, shape it into 12 balls and place onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. I like to weigh the total dough to start, then divide by 12 and weigh each individual piece to get really evenly sized rolls. To shape them properly, take a piece, pinch together into a ball shape, then cup it in your hand with the top of the roll touching your palm. Place your hand on an unfloured surface with the seam touching the table. Move your cupped hand in quick, tight circles – this will cause the seam to come together and create tension on the surface of the dough, meaning it will rise upwards in the oven, instead of flattening.
- Cover and let the rolls rise for another 30-45 minutes. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 390 degrees F (200 degrees C). To check if they are ready, use the poke test. Poke the dough with one finger. If the dough springs back immediately, it needs more time. If it springs back slightly but an indentation remains, it’s ready to be baked.
- Brush with egg wash (whisk together one egg and some water until there are no more gloopy egg streaks). Bake for 14 minutes, turning the baking sheet after 7 minutes. Check the bottom of the buns to see whether they are done – they should be golden brown. If they’re too pale, they’ll need another minute or two.
- Let them cool, toast, cover in butter, and enjoy!