Swedish Treat: Cinnamon Buns
·Making the dough
Mix the dried yeast, sugar, half a teaspoon of cardamom and a pinch of salt into the flour. Pour in the melted butter and crack in the egg. Add the lukewarm milk. Work everything into a soft dough.
Rising
Cover the bowl with a tea towel or plastic wrap and let the dough rise. This will take about an hour, during which it should double in size.
Cinnamon filling
Melt the butter and stir in the sugar and cinnamon. By the time your dough has finished rising, the butter-sugar mixture will have firmed up a little again – don't worry, it will have just the right consistency for spreading onto the dough.
Dividing into two
Divide the risen dough into two pieces and work with them one at a time.
Shaping the roll
Roll out half of the dough into a rectangle. Spread with half of the cinnamon filling. If you like, sprinkle with chopped nuts. Roll the dough up into a log, pulling it tight as you go. Roll it so the log ends up long rather than wide.
Slicing into rounds
Cut the log into rounds about 2–3 cm wide. Place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, or in a baking dish greased with butter. Press the pieces together firmly so you end up with neat rounds rather than lopsided shapes.
Second rise
Leave a little space between the pieces, as the dough will still expand quite a bit. Let them rise for half an hour in a warm spot.
Baking
Bake in an oven preheated to 200 °C for 25 to 30 minutes.
Tip
As soon as they come out of the oven, brush them with melted butter mixed with maple syrup.
