Cardamom Buns

Cardamom buns are the perfect cozy weather treat- kind of like a cinnamon roll but baked with crunchy sugar pearls on top, and of course, filled with a cardamom filling. I always love making a yeast dough in the cold weather, and these are honestly such a lovely breakfast or dessert.

We’re pulling out all the stops to ensure that we have fluffy, soft buns for this recipe, and it’s super easy to pull together still. Let’s get to it!

How to Make Cardamom Buns

As with most bread recipes, you can definitely work this dough together by hand but it’s much easier to pull everything together with a stand mixer if you have one. The ingredient lineup is pretty simple for this one, but I am using some pearl sugar which is easy enough to find online, but not available in grocery stores at least where I’m at. You can optionally use some extra granulated sugar instead though!

The first step is to make a cooked flour paste using some of the flour and milk from the recipe- you want to cook it until you have a very thick paste to work with here, almost the consistency of thick mashed potatoes. Set this aside to cool slightly. We’re also going to bloom some yeast in the warm milk before adding everything together in a large bowl to start kneading a dough together.

You want the dough to remain slightly soft and tacky, but add more flour if it’s completely sticky and falling to the bottom of the bowl. The photo above is what it looks like as soon as everything comes together- a fairly shaggy dough that will smooth out the longer you knead it.

Once your dough has been kneaded really well and things are looking smooth and stretchy, it’s time to let it rise. I’ve got a before and after for you below- I highly recommend taking a picture on your phone before the dough rises so you can easily tell the difference!

After the dough has risen, it’s time to work on the filling, which is a super simple butter mixture. I’m using a mixture of ground cardamom and cinnamon here to keep the flavors really nice and mild, but you can do all cardamom if you prefer as well!

Spread the filling out onto your rolled out dough, and fold the whole thing into thirds. Slice the dough into strips and then twist it up and roll each piece in on itself, being sure to tuck the edges underneath each bun. Place them onto your prepared pan and give them a little rest to get puffy.

Each bun gets brushed generously with some heavy cream, which helps with browning but also helps keep the dough nice and soft as it bakes. Then I’m topping each bun with a generous sprinkle of sugar pearls, or you can also give each bun a little dusting of granulated sugar.

Then these are off to the oven to bake up until they are puffed and golden brown all over. Enjoy these warm!

Tips & Tricks for Cardamom Buns

Here are some tips to help you get the best cardamom buns!

• Do I have to use the cooked flour paste? Yes, it impacts the overall texture of the buns as well as the moisture content so don’t skip it!
• How do I know when the yeast is bloomed? The mixture should become puffy and bubbly on top, which lets you know the yeast is bloomed and active.
• How do I know when the dough is finished kneading? The dough should smooth out and should be very stretchy. You can also do the windowpane test to ensure it has developed enough gluten.
• How do I know when the dough is finished rising? The dough should be almost doubled in size. I have a time listed, but rising times can vary greatly based on altitude and the temperature of your kitchen, so focus on the visual cues!
• Do I need to use both cinnamon and cardamom here? You can mix and match this combination according to your tastes- if you really love cardamom, replace the cinnamon with more cardamom! I found this mixture to have a good balance of flavors.
• Do I have to shape the buns this way? You can optionally also roll the buns into more of a traditional American-style cinnamon bun- you want to make sure it gets twisted or rolled in some way here though!
• Do I need to buy pearl sugar? I recommend it because it gives the buns a really beautiful textural element, but you can optionally just sprinkle the tops of each bun with granulated sugar for a lightly crisp top.
• I’m at about 5,000 ft. above sea level, and I find that most people who live between about 3,000-7,000 ft. above sea level do not need to make any adjustments to my recipes.

Enjoy!

Print

Cardamom Buns

Servings 8 buns

Ingredients

For the rolls:

• 1 cup whole milk plus 3 tbs separated
• 3 tbs. sugar
• 1 tsp. ground cardamom
• 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup softened butter
• 3-4 cups all-purpose flour plus 2 tbs separated
• 1 tsp. salt

For the filling:

• 1/2 cup softened butter
• 2 tbs. brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 tsp. ground cardamom
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup Pearl sugar or granulated

Instructions

For the rolls:

1. In a small saucepan over low-medium heat, cook together 3 tablespoons milk with 2 tablespoons of flour, whisking constantly, until a thick paste forms. Remove and cool completely. In a microwave safe bowl, heat together the remaining 3/4 cup whole milk with the brown sugar and cardamom until it is about 110 degrees, or warm to the touch. Stir in the yeast, and set aside until puffy and bloomed.
2. In the bowl of your stand mixer, mix together the egg and softened butter, and then stir in the bloomed yeast mixture. Then add in 3 cups flour and the salt, and stir until a shaggy dough forms. Add in the cooked flour paste and begin to knead the dough.
3. Knead the dough with the dough hook for about 10 minutes or until the dough is soft and smooth. It should be still a little wet, and may stick to the bottom of your bowl slightly while kneading. Avoid adding too much flour, but you can add a bit more if it’s just globbing entirely on the bottom of the bowl.
4. Scrape the dough into a ball, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise for about 30 minutes, or until it has almost doubled in size.

For the filling:

1. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
2. In a small bowl, stir together the softened butter, brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt until combined- you should have a thick but spreadable paste mixture. Roll out the risen dough into a large rectangle. It should be about 12-14 inches long. Spread the butter mixture evenly over the entire dough.
3. Fold the dough into thirds starting by folding the top edge down towards the middle, and then folding the bottom edge up like a letter.
4. Slice the ends of the dough off so you have straight edges, and then slice the dough into 8 even strips. Using your hands, twist each strip and wrap it around itself to create a little bun shape, being careful to tuck the edges underneath the buns.
5. Place onto your prepared baking pan, and cover with plastic wrap to let them rise for about 20 minutes, or until puffed slightly.
6. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
7. Once the oven has preheated and the dough has rested, brush the tops of each bun generously with heavy cream. Sprinkle on some of your pearl sugar- you can do a light dusting of granulated sugar here if you don’t have any pearl sugar. Bake the risen rolls for about 25-30 minutes, or until they are light golden brown on top.
8. Enjoy warm or store in an airtight container for about a week.

Nicole Hampton

Hello and welcome! My name is Nicole, and Dough-eyed is a food blog for people who want to bake for their family and friends in high-altitude areas. Think of me as a friendly voice there with you in the kitchen, here to give you confidence when you’re baking, and to help you with the struggles of baking at high-altitude. Come back every week for new recipes, tips, and advice on high-altitude baking!