Cinnamon braids kanelbullar
Fragrant Swedish kanelbullar are full of cardamom and cinnamon. Thanks to the sugar syrup, they remain beautifully soft and shiny. The simple dough can be shaped in two ways, and the result is an honest homemade pastry that will warm both body and soul.
Ingredients · Servings 24 pieces
- Dough:
- 900 g plain flour
- 400 ml whole milk
- 100 ml whipping cream 31-33%
- 100 g softened butter
- 70 g caster sugar
- 80 ml maple syrup
- 40 g fresh yeast
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Cinnamon filling:
- 250 g softened butter
- 120 g dark cane sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 10 g plain flour
- Sugar syrup:
- 50 g caster sugar
- 100 ml of water
- To decorate:
- almond flakes
- granulated decorative sugar
Method · 1 h 45 min
- Crumble the yeast into a bowl, add the milk, cream and sugar. Stir to dissolve the yeast.
- Add maple syrup, eggs and ground cardamom.
- Mix the flour with the salt and gradually work it into the dough. Finally, add the softened butter and knead to form a smooth, elastic dough that is not sticky.
- Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for approximately 1.5 hours, or until it doubles in size.
- Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Mix the softened butter with cane sugar, cinnamon and flour until smooth.
- Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and divide into 2 parts. Roll each part into a rectangle about 1 cm thick. Spread the cinnamon filling evenly over the surface, fold the dough into thirds and roll out lightly again to connect the layers. Then cut into strips and shape into plaits – either by classic rolling or braiding.
- Place the Kanelbullar on a baking sheet lined with baking paper or in a muffin tin, cover with a towel and let rise for about 30–45 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 175 °C.
- Bake the leavened plaits for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
- Meanwhile, boil the water and sugar to make a syrup and let it cool.
- While the kanelbullar are still hot, brush them with sugar syrup to make them shiny and soft. You can sprinkle them with sliced almonds or granulated sugar for decoration.
