Cardamom Buns

I'm so excited that we've booked a trip to Copenhagen for February that I just had to bake some buns to celebrate. I love the flavour of cardamom so thought I'd try a variation on the regular cinnamon ones I make.

I must say that sometimes I find making them a labour of love. Although I can't pretend I don't cheat and use the dough hook on my Kitchen Aid. I also leave them to prove overnight in the fridge so they get plenty of time to relax and do their thing. As folding and shaping goes, I've given up trying to tightly roll long lengths of dough and loosing filling whilst slicing.

The method of shaping is a little more relaxed even if it does take more time doing each bun individually.  I take individual strips, cut mostly down the centre to make a dough pair of trousers. Twist each leg, knot a few times and then tuck under and seal underneath.  I prefer this look too!

C A R D A M O M   B U N S
(Makes 12, recipe adapted from BBC)

20 cardamom pods

350ml full fat milk

125g unsalted butter, cubed

500g strong white bread flour

150g golden caster sugar

7g fast action dried yeast

1/2tsp salt

1/2tsp ground cinnamon

vegetable/sunflower oil for greasing

1 egg, beaten

• Break open 10 cardamom pods and add them to the milk in a small pan. Heat gently until the milk starts to steam without boiling. Add 50g butter to the milk and stir until melted. Set aside to cool slightly.
• Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour, 75g sugar, yeast, salt and cinnamon. Add the milk and mix with a dough hook until the ingredients have combined to form a soft ball of dough. Continue to beat for up to 5 minutes until the dough ball is soft, smooth and shiny.
• Lightly oil the edges of the mixing bowl, loosely cover with cling film and leave to prove for 2 hours, until doubled in size. Alternatively, leave to prove overnight in the fridge allowing 30 minutes in the morning for it to get to room temperature.
• Crack the remaining cardamom pods and blitz in a food processing to make a powder. Combine with 75g sugar. In a bowl mix all of the cardamom sugar but 2tbsp with the remaining butter until smooth.
• Line 2 baking trays with baking paper. Remove the dough from the bowl onto a well floured work surface. Knock the air out and roll to form a rectangle. Spread the cardamom butter mix over the entire surface of the dough rectangle.
• Longest side facing you, fold the top third down to the centre and the bottom third up, like an envelope. Score 12 even slices before cutting (I find scissors handy). Unfold each individual piece and slice each strip down the centre leaving a little at the end, like a pair of trousers. Twist each half outwards a few times before knotting together and tucking the ends under each bun.
• Place all buns evenly spaced onto the prepared baking trays. Cover the buns with some lightly oiled cling film and leave in a warm place to prove again once again. This time for 30 minutes - 1 hour, until doubled in size.
• Heat the oven to 190 degrees.
• Once the buns have finished their second prove, brush each with beaten egg and scatter over some sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden.
• Whilst the buns are baking, tip the reserved 2tbsp of sugar to a pan along with 50ml of water. Bring to the boil and remove to cool. Once the buns are baked, remove to a wire rack and brush with the sugar syrup 2-3 times as they cool.

Buns will keep in an airtight container for a few days, or in the freezer for 6 months - just heat them up in the oven before serving.

Please do send over any Copenhagen recommendations, I'd love to know. In the mean time I'm eating buns every day for breakfast and doughnuts all day long at work because who needs any self control after Christmas? On a more serious note - if anyone has seen my will power...

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Pretzel Cinnamon Rolls

I'm a sucker for cinnamon buns. But each time I make them they're never Pinterest perfect. I guess with a little practice I could master them, so on the weekend I was feeling a little adventurous and got some dough proving.

I always find that it takes much longer for my dough to double up on first prove than recipes suggest. My flat is warm so I don't know what I'm doing wrong? If you've got any bun tips then help a girl out!

I first spotted these on Pinterest and couldn't wait to try them out. A combination of my two loves, salty pretzels and sweet sticky cinnamon buns. 

Think of those pillowy soft cinnamon coated pretzels you get in shopping centres but swirled into a bun. Instead of quickly boiling the buns like you would with pretzels to give that chewy outside, these are brushed with a bicarbonate of soda solution to do the very same thing. Sprinkled with salt these will turn pretty dark once baked but I promise they'll be squidgey cinnamon pillows on the inside.

P R E T Z E L   C I N N A M O N   R O L L S
(Recipe adapted from The Kitchn, makes 12 rolls)

450g plain flour, plus more for kneading

7g dried packet yeast

4tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1 large egg

100g dark brown sugar

3tbsp ground cinnamon

75g unsalted butter, softened

1tbsp bicarbonate of soda

salt for sprinkling 

• Add the flour, yeast, sugar and salt to a large bowl. Make a well in the centre, add the egg and 175ml of warm water. Mix together with your hands to form a sticky lump and tip onto a floured surface. Knead for about 10 minutes until you have a smooth, slightly sticky ball.
• Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave to rise for about 1 hour in a warm place.
• Lightly grease a large ovenproof dish or tray.
• Mix together the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
• Once the dough has doubled in size, tip out onto a floured surface and roll out to a 20 x 12 inch rectangle. 
• Spread the butter over the dough, reaching all the edges. Sprinkle over the cinnamon sugar.
• Tightly roll the dough into a log starting with the short edge. Cut evenlt into 12 pieces, each an inch thick. Arrange onto the oven dish, leaving space between each roll. Loosely cover with some greased cling film and leave to rise once again in a warm place for about 30 minutes,
• Heat the oven to 180 degrees. 
• Mix the bicarbonate of soda with 3tbsp of hot water and use a pastry brush to brush over the tops of each of the rolls. Immediately sprinkle with salt and bake for 35 minutes, until risen and darkly golden.

These rolls are best eaten on the day, but if by rare chance you've some left, gently warm them and you're good to go.

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