Cardamom-Cinnamon Buns

It's Murphy's Law that the weekend when I finally decide to make my first homemade cinnamon buns, Chris and I get a stomach bug.  That didn't stop us from sampling these yummy delights right from the oven.

I found the recipe in Scandinavian designer Lotta Jansdotter's book, Handmade Living, and thought it would be fun to make it last Saturday.

While it does take a time commitment (mostly for rising of the dough), the process is pretty easy.  Having a stand mixer helps significantly for making the dough, although I do enjoy the process of kneading by hand, but was feeling too lazy to do so this time.

Once I had the dough mixed and risen, you simply roll it out, coat it with softened butter and cinnamon-sugar, and roll it up.

 

Once it's rolled into a 12" log, you cut it into 1" pieces (about 12 in a roll)

 

then spread them on a baking sheet and let them rise for another hour.  Mine are a little sloppy, though my mind is often sloppy of late, with two children underfoot.

Here they are below after an hour of rising.  Nice and plump and cozied up against each other.

I coated them with egg wash (1 egg mixed with a tablespoon of water), then dusted them with more sugar.  Not exactly health food...

After baking for 15 minutes at 400 degrees, here's what you get.

So yummy!  And no we actually haven't eaten them all.  I froze most of them for when we're feeling better.  They should be easy to warm in the microwave oven.

If you'd like to make your own, here's the fatty (as opposed to skinny):

Dough:
4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 cup warm milk
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
4 cups all-purpose flour  

Filling:
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

Glaze:
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon of water

For the dough, sprinkle the yeast over the warm milk and allow to "bloom" for 5 minutes or until foamy.  Add the sugar, egg, butter, and cardamom and mix well.  Combine the salt and flour, then add the mixture into the dough one cup at a time, incorporating it until smooth.   Knead for 8-10 minutes, then transfer to an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a damp warm towel for 1 hour.  My trick is to put the bowl in your oven with a pan of boiling water below the bowl to make a perfect temperature for rising yeasted dough.

Cut dough in half, roll into 2 balls, then roll out into a 12"x12" rectangle.  Coat with half of the softened butter, then sprinkle with half of the cinnamon/sugar mixture.  Roll it up (as in the photos above), cut into 1" slices, place on a baking sheet.  Rise for another hour.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Glaze the buns with the egg wash, and sprinkle with fine sugar.  Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.  Enjoy warm.