Cinnamon Rolls

DrygastDrygast, 2021-05-01

Lovely Swedish cinnamon rolls.

 

  • Servings20 Portions
  • AllergensEggs, Milk, Wheat

 

  • Rest Time60 min
  • Cook Time30 min

Lovely Swedish cinnamon rolls that is a must for a proper fika.

Cinnamon roll, which is also known as "kanelsnäcka" and "kanelsnurra", occurs mainly in northern Europe and North America and is a pastry that is mainly made from wheat flour with a filling of sugar and cinnamon. In Sweden, it is known that the cinnamon roll has existed in some form since at least the 1850s, but the variant that is today known as the cinnamon roll was probably created in the 1920s. Despite this, it took until the 1950s before the cinnamon roll became common.

Common ingredients in the cinnamon roll are butter, milk, yeast, flour, sugar and cinnamon. It is also common to season the dough with cardamom, which I did in this recipe. After rolling out the fermented dough, distribute the filling evenly and roll everything up and then cut the dough into individual rolls. The rolls are placed in paper molds, brushed with eggs and pearl sugar sprinkled before baking. Although pearl sugar seems to be most common as a topping in Sweden, there are many other varieties such as almond and frosting instead.

If you do not plan to eat all the rolls immediately, you can advantageously freeze the rolls as soon as they have cooled. They stay very well in the freezer for a few weeks and usually thaw quite quickly - about the time it takes to get to the company you had intended to treat. You can also freeze buns that have been fermented, but have not yet been baked. This can of course be really nice to pick out of the freezer, thaw on a plate, brush and then bake in the oven before the guests arrive, which fills the kitchen with the wonderful aroma of freshly baked cinnamon bun.

I have seen a tip that you can brush the buns with syrup, which I have tested and think works really well. Mix 1 part sugar (about a tablespoon is enough for this recipe) with 2 parts hot water and let the sugar dissolve in the water. Brush immediately after the buns come out of the oven and are still hot. Also try replacing the caster sugar in the filling with brown sugar or muscovado sugar for a slightly darker color and a different flavor combination. Another variant I have seen is to use wheat "vetemjöl special" instead of regular wheat flour, but I have not tested this at the time of writing. Other variants you can try are to replace the filling with butter and nutella or butter and grated almond paste.

In Sweden, cinnamon roll day is celebrated on the 4th of October. The idea to give the roll its own day comes from the Home Baking Council when it turned 40 in 1999. The day quickly became popular and was written in many almanacs.

Ingredients

Dough
Filling
Toppings

Nutrition Facts*

 TotalServing100 g
Energy4586.82 kcal229.34 kcal402 kcal
Carbohydrates518.36 g25.92 g45.43 g
Fat257.98 g12.9 g22.61 g
Protein55.79 g2.79 g4.89 g
Sugar175.37 g8.77 g15.37 g
Salt3.19 g0.16 g0.28 g

* The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using the ingredients available in the database. Info will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Directions

Dough
  1. In a pan - melt the sugar and add the milk. Heat to 37°Celsius (~98 Fahrenheit).
  2. Transfer the milk/butter mix into a food processor. Add the dry yeast, stir gently and leave it for 10 minutes.
  3. Start the food processor (with a dough hook attached) and add the rest of ingredients for the dough. Run it for about 5-10 minutes or until the dough detaches from the bowl.
  4. Cover the dough with a baking cloth and leave it to rest for at least 30 minutes.
Filling
  1. Leave the butter in room temperature until softened (30-60 minutes).
  2. Mix the butter, cinnamon and sugar into a paste.
Cinnamon Rolls
  1. Put the dough on a slightly floured workbench (use a pastry mat if needed) and roll it to a rectangle about 40x30cm (~16x12 inches).
  2. Spread the filling on top and roll-up.
  3. Cut into 20 equal peices and place each roll in a cupcake mould.
  4. Cover with a baking cloth av let rest for at least 30 minutes, preferably an hour.
  5. Pre-heat the oven to 250 Celsius (~480 Fahrenheit).
  6. Brush with egg, sprinkle pearl sugar.
  7. Divide the rolls on 2 baking trays and bake (one tray at a time) in the middle of the oven for 8-9 minutes.