Recipe by Anna Brones and Johanna Kindvall from Fika: The Art of the Swedish Coffee Break

Kanelbullar (cinnamon buns) and kardemummabullar (cardamom buns) are common variations on this type of bun, and while the traditional “roll” form is common, there are twisted varieties as well. Typically they are baked and served in paper liners. Kanelbullar are such an iconic pastry that an entire day in Sweden is devoted to them (October 4, for those considering celebrating).

This recipe combines both filling varieties, and once you’ve mastered the dough, you can start experimenting with your own fillings. If a Swede knows one thing, it’s this: No matter what the variation, bullar are always best fresh out of the oven, and make for a wonderful-smelling kitchen.

To prepare the dough, melt the butter in a saucepan, then stir in the milk. Heat until warm to the touch (about 110°). In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in 2–3 tablespoons of the warm mixture. Stir and let sit for a few minutes, until bubbles form on top of the yeast. In a large bowl, mix together the fl our, sugar, cardamom and salt. Add the yeast mixture along with the remaining butter and milk. Work together with your hands until you can make the dough into a ball.

Transfer the dough to a fl at surface and knead it until smooth and elastic, 3–5 minutes. Th e dough should feel moist, but if it sticks to your fingers add a tiny bit of fl our. Th e dough is fully kneaded when you slice into it with a sharp knife and see small air bubbles throughout. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with a clean tea towel and place in a draft-free place to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Grease a baking sheet, or place medium paper liners directly on the sheet. (Recipe editor’s note: We used muffin tins with paper liners.)

Make the filling right before the dough has finished rising. Using a fork, cream the butter together with the sugar and the spices until you get an evenly mixed, spreadable paste.

When the dough has finished rising, take half of the dough and place it on a fl at surface. Roll it out with a rolling pin to an 11- by 17-inch rectangle. Place the rectangle on the surface so that the long side is closest to you.

Carefully spread half of the filling on top of the rolled-out dough so that it covers the entire area; be sure to go all the way to the edges. Begin at the long side near you and roll the dough upward (as in diagram below). Slice the roll into 15–18 equally sized slices and place them, rolled-side up, on the baking sheet or in the paper liners. If using a baking sheet, pinch the ends of the slices to keep them from pulling away during baking. Repeat with the second half of the dough. Cover the buns with a clean tea towel and let rise for 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 435°.

When the buns have risen, carefully brush them with the beaten egg and sprinkle each with the pearl sugar. Bake for 8–10 minutes. If you are baking a length, bake for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, transfer the buns from the baking sheet to the counter, and cover with a tea towel to cool. Serve freshly baked or, if not eaten right away, store in the freezer once they are completely cooled.

Variations: Instead of rolling the dough to make the classic bun shape, you can also make twists, a common formation when making cardamom buns, as well as baking a length and cutting a design into the dough with scissors to let the filling ooze out a little.