SCANDINAVIAN
SWEDISH CINNAMON & LIQUORICE BUNS
- Timescale Weekend Project
- Serves 25
- Difficulty Technical
Kanelbullar, or Cinnamon Buns, and Liquorice are two things that we strongly associate with Sweden. When we came across liquorice powder, we knew straight away that it would lend itself perfectly to the ever-popular cinnamon bun. When biting into the soft little bun, the subtle aniseedy taste of liquorice will hit the back of your mouth. Enjoyed with a large cup of coffee and a cosy blanket and you are all set for Fika.
Ingredients
DOUGH
350g Full Fat Milk, lukewarm
50g Butter, room temperature
500 g Strong White Bread Flour
50 g Caster Sugar
7 g Fast Acting Yeast
1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1tsp Liquorice Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1–2 tbsp olive oil (for greasing)
FILLING
100g Butter, room temperature
150g Dark Brown Sugar
10g Liquorice Powder
5g Cinnamon Powder
FINISH
1 Egg, (for the eggwash, optional)
50g Water
50g Caster Sugar
Pearl Sugar, to decorate
METHOD
1. To make the dough, start by warming the milk up, without boiling it. Add 50 g of cubed butter and allow it to melt. Set aside and let it cool.
2. In a large bowl, place the flour, sugar, yeast, cinnamon, liquorice powder and salt. Mix well, then add the milk, once it has cooled down, and mix for about 5 minutes, until smooth and stretchy. You can do this using your standing mixer’s dough hook, or simply kneading with your hands.
3. Grease a large bowl with olive oil and transfer your dough into it. Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel and leave to rise for 2 hours or until doubled in size. You can also leave it in the fridge overnight to prove.
4. In the meantime, make the filling by mixing the sugar, butter at room temperature, cinnamon and liquorice powder.
5. Take the dough out of the fridge, punch the air out, then roll it into a rectangle, roughly 45 x 50 cm, making sure the longer edge is facing you.
6. Using a palette knife, spread the filling evenly and all the way to the edge of the dough.
7. Fold the top of the dough in half towards the bottom, then cut about 2cm wide strips in length (the top of each strip will be attached).
8. To knot the buns, gently stretch the strips lengthwise but pulling the dough ends. Wrap each strip two and a half turns around your forefinger and middle finger, then cross the end over the bun, and fold it in and fasten it underneath.
9. Place the buns on a baking tray lined with baking parchment, leaving enough room for the dough to spread. Cover with a kitchen towel and leave the dough to rise for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
10. Preheat your oven at 170˚C (fan), brush the buns with an egg wash (optional), sprinkle the sugar pearls on top of each bun and bake for 25 minutes.
11. Whilst the buns are baking, heat the water and sugar for the sugar syrup in a small saucepan on medium-high heat until the sugar has completely dissolved.
12. As soon as you take your buns out of the oven, brush them with the sugar syrup and allow 15- 20 minutes for them to soak the syrup and enjoy!
Pour yourself a cup of coffee, and now, it’s time for Fika.
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