Kanelbullar : the recipe for these Swedish cinnamon buns

Sweden's undisputed Viennese pastry, kanelbullar (which means "cinnamon bun") even have a special day in Sweden : October 4th ! These brioches were popularised in 1920 under the name of "cinnamon rolls" and have been adopted in several parts of the world, notably in North America under the name of "Cinnamon Rolls" or in Alsace-Moselle (France) under the name of "Schäggekueche".
Ingredients (for around 25 brioches, depending on the size you want)​
Brioche dough :​
  • 35 g / 1.23 oz fresh baker's yeast​
  • 80 g / 2.82 oz sugar
  • 300 ml / 10.14 fl oz milk
  • 1 egg
  • 120 g / 4.23 oz butter
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon ground cardamom
  • 750 g / 26.46 oz all-purpose flour


Filling :​
  • 100 g / 3.53 oz softened butter
  • 50 g / 1.76 oz brown sugar (or light brown sugar)
  • 2 tablespoons cinnamon​


Egg wash : 
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • Pearl sugar (optional)


Preparation :


​Crumble the fresh yeast into a bowl and pour in a little milk. Melt the butter and pour the rest of the milk over it. Add the other ingredients and work the dough for about ten minutes.


​Leave the dough to rise in a bowl covered with a clean tea towel (be careful not to let it touch the dough), at room temperature, until it doubles in volume (this can take between 30 minutes and 1 hour). Meanwhile, take your butter out of the fridge to soften.


​Roll out the pastry to about 3 mm thick and 30 cm wide (the pastry should form a rectangle to make it easier to roll). Work the soft butter (it should not be melted), brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl with a fork (or your fingers) then spread the mixture over the whole dough (be careful, brioche dough is fragile, you need to be delicate !).


​Roll out the pastry lengthways and cut into approximately 25 pieces. Arrange them with the cut surface facing upwards in moulds lined with baking parchment. Place on a baking tray and leave to rise under a cloth for about an hour or until doubled in size.


Beat the egg with the water, brush gently over the buns and sprinkle with pearl sugar.


Bake in the oven at 220 °C / 428°F for 5 to 6 minutes (the kanelbullar should be golden brown, but be careful not to overcook the brioche or it will dry out too much), then leave to cool on a wire rack.



Get advice !​


If you want the kanelbullar to be larger, you will need to allow extra time for baking. To do this, keep a close eye on them and remove them from the oven as soon as they are golden brown. Be careful not to cook them for too long !​


You can keep them in an airtight tin in the fridge for several days. Before serving, reheat for a few seconds in the microwave.​


If you don't want to eat them all at once, you can freeze them before cooking. Simply place them on a baking tray overnight to defrost and puff up, before cooking them again.​

Kanelbullar : the recipe for these Swedish cinnamon buns
Capra Pyrenaica 23 January 2024
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