Kardemummabullar (Cardamom buns)

Fika is a large part of Swedish culture, so much so that it is mandatory in some companies to Fika. What is Fika you ask? Fika is believed to come from the invert of the word 'Kaffi, which is the old spelling of coffee. It consists of taking a break to drink coffee and indulge in a sweet treat. As part of this sweet treat, buns are a common go-to for Swedes.

There is a fascinating history behind how the Fika culture formed in Sweden, and you can go here to find out more.

So, get a taster of Swedish culture by treating yourself to a freshly brewed cup of coffee and one of these moist and delicious cardamom buns.

Kanelbullar (Cardamom buns)

Serves: 12

Ingredients

For the buns

• 2 tsp dried active yeast

• 150ml lukewarm whole milk (37 degrees Celsius)

• 1 large egg

• 1 large egg yolk

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 55g room temperature grass-fed butter, cut into small chunks ( I even used Lurpack light spread and they came out beautifully )

• 50g sugar ( you can use honey, coconut sugar, plain sugar... )

• 1/2 tsp cardamom

• 300 strong white bread flour

• 75g wholemeal or spelt flour

For the filling

• 70g unsalted block butter

• 65g brown sugar

• 1 tbsp cornstarch (this is important! It keeps the filling inside the buns)

• 1 1/2 tsp ground cardamom

For the topping

• demerara sugar (pearl sugar is traditional but I find it too sweet, so it is up to you!)

• 1 egg, whisked with 1 tbsp milk

Method

- The milk should be finger-warm, which means that when you test the temperature of the milk with your finger, it shouldn't feel warm or cold. Once you have achieved this temperature, add the yeast and sugar to a large bowl then quickly pour over the milk. Let the mixture sit for 5-7 minutes or until frothy and bubbly.

- Whisk together the egg, egg yolk, sugar, and cardamom. Pour in the yeast and milk mix and briefly whisk until combined.

- Gradually whisk in the flour and salt with a fork. As you go, chuck in the chunks of butter and continue to whisk.

- Once the dough starts to come together, you can get stuck in with your hands and knead the dough. The dough should not be too sticky or too dry. Knead the dough for a MINIMUM of 10 minutes - this is important! it will significantly impact your ability to twist the buns into shape, as well as the buns' texture.

- Set the dough back into the mixing bowl, cover with a tea towel and allow it to rise until doubled in a warm space (45 minutes - 1 1/2 depending upon how hot or cold your home is).

- Once the dough has been thoroughly kneaded, roll it out into a long rectangular shape, around 15 x 30cm.

- Whisk the filling ingredients together in a bowl then spread over the dough. Fold the rectangle in half then cut into 12 2-3cm strips. Stretch each strip and then roll it around your index and middle finger, into a coil. Pull the last bit of the strip under the coil and then over the top, securing the end of the strip under the coil (see YouTube videos for a better visualisation of this- or simply roll the rectangle like a log for a simplified version - equally as tasty!).

- Pop them not a lined tray and cover them with a tea towel again. Allow them to rise for a further 40 minutes. The dough should 'bounce back' when lightly pressed.

- While they rise, preheat the oven to 190 degrees c, fan. Once the buns are ready, brush the tops and sides with beaten egg and sprinkle some sugar on top of the buns. Pop them in the oven until golden, around 10-12 minutes.

- Remove from the buns from the oven and allow the buns to cool for at least 15 minutes before eating and serving with a nice cup of coffee for a Swedish 'Fika'!