Swedish Cinnamon Rolls - Wood & Spoon (2024)

For the dough:

• 1 cup (240 gm) milk, lukewarm
• ¼ cup (60 gm) water, lukewarm
• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• 6 tablespoons (85 gm) unsalted butter, melted but not too hot
• 1 large egg plus 2 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup (50 gm) brown sugar
• 1/4 cup (50 gm) sugar
• 2–3/4 cups (385 gm) all-purpose flour
• 1–1/2 cups (210 gm) bread flour
• 1 teaspoon cardamom
• ½ teaspoon salt

For the glaze:

• ¼ cup water
• ¼ cup (50 g) brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon cardamom
• Swedish Pearl Sugar

For the filling:

• 5 tablespoons (70 gm) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon cardamom
• ½ cup (100 gm) brown sugar

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1. In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl, combine the milk and water and sprinkle the yeast over top of it. Allow the yeast to dissolve, about 5 minutes. Stir in the butter, egg, egg yolks, and brown sugar, and sugar until smooth. In a small bowl, combine the flour, bread flour, cardamom, and salt. Dump about half of the dry ingredients into the yeast mixture and stir until combined. Pour in the remaining dry ingredients and knead in the bowl using the dough hook attachment until smooth and slightly tacky, about 7 minutes. If you notice your dough isn’t pulling away from the sides of the bowl or it’s too wet, add flour 2 tablespoons at a time until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and forms a little dough “tornado” around the dough hook. Once done kneading, place the dough into a large lightly greased bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap to double in size, about 1-1/2 – 2 hours. (Tip: I like to allow mine to refrigerate overnight so that the dough is easier to work with. This is totally optional but is great if you’d like to let it rise in fridge overnight instead of on counter!)
2. In the meantime, prepare the glaze. Combine the water, brown sugar, cinnamon, and cardamom in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stirring regularly, bring the mixture to a boil and then remove from heat to cool completely.
3. Once the dough has risen, dump it out onto a lightly floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll it out into a large rectangle about 12”x26” in size. Pour the melted butter and spread it out over top. Combine the cinnamon, cardamom, and brown sugar and sprinkle evenly over the buttered dough. Fold the dough in half lengthwise to form a 9″x10″ square and roll or pat it out to thin the folded dough a bit. Using a sharp knife, cut 1/2″ strips of dough (approximately 12 total). Take one strip of dough and wrap it around your index and middle finger twice. Remove the double loop from your fingers and tuck both ends of the dough back through the center loop to form a bit of a twisted knot. Place each knot on a prepared sheet or dish about two inches apart, being sure to keep the loose ends on the underside of the bun. Cover the baking sheets with plastic wrap and set aside to rise while you let the oven preheat to 350 degrees. (Alternatively, you can let the buns rise in the fridge overnight). Once the knots have risen, about 30 minutes, brush the tops with the cooled syrup and sprinkle generously with pearl sugar. Bake in the oven for about 180-20 min or until golden brown. Allow to cool slightly before eating.