Description
Delicately cardamom- and cinnamon-spiced braided buns. Great for breakfast, dessert or as an afternoon snack!
Ingredients
Scale
For the dough:
- 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 1 cup milk
- 1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For the filling:
- 3 tablespoons Bob’s Red Mill date sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
For the topping:
- 1 egg, beaten
- Pearl sugar, for sprinkling (optional)
Instructions
- In small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in milk. Check temperature of milk-butter mixture — when it reaches 110 to 120°F, remove from heat (or, if it’s too hot, remove from heat and let cool until it reaches the correct temperature). Pour in large bowl or bowl of stand mixer. Stir in yeast. Let sit 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in separate large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, cardamom and salt.
- Add flour mixture to yeast mixture. Stir until just combined. Knead by hand on lightly floured surface 10 to 15 minutes until dough is smooth, soft and elastic; OR, knead with dough hook in stand mixer on medium speed 5 minutes until dough is smooth, soft and elastic. Shape dough into ball. Place in clean bowl. Cover bowl with towel and let dough rise in warm place 1 hour until doubled.
- Meanwhile, prepare filling: In small bowl, stir date sugar and cinnamon until well combined.
- Punch down risen dough. On lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 12-by-18-inch rectangle, short end toward you. Spread softened butter on bottom third of dough (closest to you). Sprinkle with date sugar-cinnamon mixture.
- Fold top third of dough down and bottom third of dough up, like a letter. Use sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut dough into 12 6-by-1-inch strips. Use knife or pizza cutter to cut each strip three-quarters of the way up lengthwise. Twist both ends, then tie in knot. Tuck ends under. Repeat with remaining buns, then place buns 2 inches apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Cover with towel and let rise 30 minutes.
- Heat oven to 400°F. Uncover buns and brush tops with beaten egg. Sprinkle with pearl sugar, if desired. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until buns are golden brown and baked through.
Notes
- If you can’t find or don’t want to use date sugar, regular granulated sugar works great!