Bästa bullar!

Here is my recipe for buns! I found this recipe in a Swedish cooking periodical, and translated it. Some measurements/ingredients/instructions might not be what you are used to, so I have adapted/paraphrased them... except for white syrup (vit sirap), I haven't figured out a good replacement for that yet.

"Baka bästa bullen" (from Matglädje)

Ingredients:

Dough:

• 50g fresh yeast (or 25g dry yeast… about 2 tbsp)
• 5 dl lukewarm milk (500mL)
• 100g butter (just under ½ cup) 
•  1 ½  dl white syrup (might want to do some googling to find a substitute… I haven’t found anything except *this* and I haven't tried it)
• 1 ½  tbsp cardamom
• 1 ½ tbsp cinnamon (adjust these to your preference) 
•  2 pinches salt
• 12 dl flour (5 cups)

Filling:

• 50 -100 g of melted butter (¼ to ½ cup) 
• ½  dl sugar (50mL or just under ¼ cup) 
• 2-3 tbsp vanilla sugar (or, icing sugar and a pinch of vanilla extract)

Brushing:

• 1 egg 
• Pearl sugar

Tools:

• Small bowl
• Whisk 
• Spatula
• Spoon 
• Large bowl 
• Rolling pin 
• Knife 
• Greased baking sheets 
• Pastry brush

Bring butter to room temperature.

Stir in yeast to warm milk until dissolved (5min or so). 

Mix milk, yeast, butter, syrup, spices, salt, and flour.
Knead the dough until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
Leave to rise for approximately 1 hour.
Punch down the dough once, about halfway through. Longer leavening gives more flavour.

While waiting, mix together filling (it’s easier to spread when butter begins to solidify again).

Put the dough on a floured surface and knead gently.
Divide in half (if you like… easier to work with a smaller piece at once).
Roll out into a large rectangle.
Spread the filling evenly over dough using a spoon.
Fold over lengthwise, and cut the dough into about 2 cm wide strips.
Cut each strip into two legs (imagine V shape).
Twist each leg separately, and tie legs pressed together into a loose knot.
Place on greased baking sheet and leave covered at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 250 C. 

Gently press a finger into the dough … print should disappear quickly (then it’s ready to go).

Brush gently with beaten egg and sprinkle with pearl sugar.
Bake in middle of oven 8-10 minutes until brown. 

VARIATIONS:

-          Mix 2 tbsp cardamom into the dough, and mix cinnamon into the filling. Instead of folding over and making legs etc, just roll the dough into a tube and cut off ‘slices’ (traditional swirly cinnamon bun style).

-          Or, don’t use any cinnamon, and top with sugar and chopped almonds.