On October 4, we celebrate cinnamon bun day, a day when around seven million cinnamon buns are sold and where over half of Sweden’s population eats this classic pastry. Below we list a bunch of good and different recipes for cinnamon buns.
The cinnamon bun has been high on the Swedes’ coffee list since the early 1900s, and since 1999, cinnamon bun day has been celebrated on the fourth of October. The cinnamon-scented pastry is an important element for many and a favourite among home bakers. In his time, Gustav Vasa was known for his interest in sweets, and even then large quantities of cinnamon were imported to his court.
TIPS from the Home Baking Council!
- Use white syrup for juicier buns. Use the same amount of white syrup as sugar.
- Use ingredients at room temperature: milk and butter should not be refrigerator cold, but neither should they be heated/melted.
- Allow plenty of time to work the dough: 10 minutes by machine or 10-20 minutes if you do it by hand. This makes the dough smooth and glossy and the buns fluffy and juicy.
- Leave the dough under plastic wrap or a towel, preferably in a warm place (e.g. on top of the stove).
- Bake in paper moulds to get tall, nice buns.
- Vary the taste by using other types of sugar in the filling. Replace caster sugar with cane sugar for a crunchier tone or brown sugar for a crunchier flavour with liquorice notes. For a delicious caramel tone use half light muscovado cane sugar and liquorice, tone uses dark muscovado cane sugar.
Cinnamon buns – basic recipe
Ingredients
approx. 40 buns or 4 lengths
150 g butter or margarine, room temperature (or 1½ dl liquid)
5 dl milk
50 g (1 pack) yeast for sweet doughs
1 dl granulated sugar or white baking syrup
½ tsp salt
if necessary 2 tsp crushed cardamom
800 g (approx. 1.4 l) Kungsörnen Wheat flour from refined kernel wheat
Cinnamon Filling:
150 g of room-warm butter or margarine
1 dl caster sugar
2 tbsp cinnamon
or Chocolate and hazelnut filling:
Spread 50 g of soft butter on the rolled dough
Sprinkle on 2 tablespoons of sugar
50 g of chopped dark block chocolate
50 g of chopped hazelnuts
or Almond pulp and orange filling:
Spread 50 g of soft butter on the rolled dough
Sprinkle on 2 tablespoons of caster sugar mixed with the finely grated peel of a well-washed orange
Coarsely grate 100 g of almond mass and spread it over
or Nutella filling:
Spread 50 g of soft butter and 100 g of Nutella on the rolled dough.
For brushing:
1 egg
Pearl sugar or chopped almonds
Do as follows: (approx. 120 minutes):
1. Heat the milk to 37°C (finger warm).
2. Crumble the yeast into a 3-4 l dough bowl. Pour over the milk and stir. Add the shortening in pieces, sugar or syrup, salt and any cardamom.
3. Measure the flour. Pour it airily directly from the bag into a litre measure. Do not shake the measure. Add the flour but save ½ dl for baking.
4. Work the dough vigorously, about 5 minutes by machine or 10 minutes by hand, until it feels smooth.
5. Let the dough rise covered with a baking cloth for about 30 minutes.
6. Work the dough down with a machine or knead it lightly on a floured board. Divide the dough into 4 parts. Roll out each part into an oblong cake.
7. Mix the ingredients for the filling of your choice and spread a thin layer on the cake. Roll up into a roll.
8. Leave the loaves on a wire rack under a baking sheet.
Buns: Cut the roll into 10 parts and place them cut side up in paper forms or on trays covered with baking paper. Leave to rise under a baking sheet for about 40 minutes. Heat the oven to 225-250°C. Brush with egg and then bake the buns in the middle of the ovrange5-10 minutes.
Cut lengths: Cut the jacket in the roll and put one tab on the left, the next on the right, etc. Leave to rise under a cloth for about 30 minutes. Heat the oven to 200°C. Brush with egg and then bake the lengths in the lower part of the oven, for about 20 minutes.
