Korvapuusti (Finnish Cardamom Cinnamon Buns) - with sourdough option
Course: Bread
Cuisine: Finnish
Prep Time: 30 minutesminutes
Cook Time: 30 minutesminutes
Proof the dough twice:: 3 hourshours
Total Time: 4 hourshours
Servings: 14slices
Calories: 433kcal
Author: Marvellina
Learn how to make Finnish style sweet buns scented with cardamom and cinnamon filled with buttery cinnamon sugar. It is such a delicious treat you can bake to celebrate the holidays or as a sweet morning buns or to accompany your afternoon tea.
If you use sourdough, prepare the sweet stiff levain the night before. Mix all ingredients for sweet stiff starter. Cover loosely with a plastic wrap or a lid. It takes about 7-10 hours to triple
Prepare the dough:
I use approximately 10 cardamom pods. I use a pestle to crack the shells and then get all the seeds out and coarsely grind them with the pestle. You can use a coffee grinder or spice grinder to do so. The coarsely ground is what most Finnish will use in their pulla recipes. It gives a really good and more intense cardamom aroma. Alternatively, you can always use store-bought ground cardamom too for convenience
Dissolve active dry yeast in warm water in a mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Let it sit for 10 minutes until foamy. If you use instant yeast, you can skip this step
If you use sourdough, add all of the sweet stiff starter into the mixing bowl of a stand mixer
Add sugar, salt, ground cardamom, water, and egg. Add the flour. Use the dough hook to stir the mixture a bit so the flour won't fly around when you start the mixer. Knead on the lowest speed for 2-3 minutes and then increase to speed 2 and knead for 3 minutes and then speed 4 for another 3 minutes or until it forms a dough that clears the side of the bowl, but not smooth yet
Add the softened butter in 3 batches. Once all the butter is in, increase speed to to 4 and knead for 5-8 minutes or until the dough is elastic, smooth, and satiny. Add the raisin and knead at the lowest speed to just distribute the raisins
First proofing:
Lightly oil the bowl, cover with a kitchen towel or loosely with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until double in volume. if it's colder, it may take longer to proof the dough
For sourdough version, it may take 2 - 2 1/2 hours or longer for the dough to double at a warm place. It took mine about 2 1/2 hours
Shaping:
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Knock out all the gas and divide the dough into 2 equal portions of dough. Cover with a cling wrap to prevent them from drying. Rest for 15 minutes to relax the gluten
Work with one dough at a time. Roll the dough out into a roughly 14 x 18-inch rectangle with the same thickness throughout if possible
Spread the filling evenly on the surface using an offset spatula. Roll the dough up tight starting from the long side near you, into a log. Use a serrated knife to cut into triangle (refer to the photo above), you'll get about 7 whole pieces and two end pieces
Place the dough on its widest part down. Use your finger or a chopstick or a skewer to press down the middle of the dough so the two sides will flip up revealing more of the spiral pattern (refer to photo above if you aren't clear). Put them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper about 2 inches apart
Final proofing:
Cover the doughs and put in a warm place. This may take 40 minutes to 1 hour or longer for it to be puffy and almost double in size. For sourdough version, allow about 2-3 hours for the dough to be puffy. Preheat the oven to 400 F (204 C) for a conventional oven, 15 minutes before the end of final proofing. Lower the temperature by 20 F or 15 C if you have a convection oven
Baking:
Mix the egg yolk with the milk and brush on the top. Sprinkle with pearl sugar on the top. Place the baking sheet on the middle rack and bake the loaves for 10-12 minutes, or until nicely golden brown. You may need to tent with aluminum foil if it gets browned too fast. Cool on a rack, covered with a kitchen towel for a soft crust