Norwegian Cinnamon Buns
by Nigella. Featured in HOW TO BE A DOMESTIC GODDESS
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Introduction
The Northern Europeans, and especially the Scandinavians, are wonderful bakers and eating these for breakfast or tea on a cold winter's day makes me feel grateful for a climate many moan about. But then, I've always thought that bad weather has its compensations, most of them culinary.
For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
The Northern Europeans, and especially the Scandinavians, are wonderful bakers and eating these for breakfast or tea on a cold winter's day makes me feel grateful for a climate many moan about. But then, I've always thought that bad weather has its compensations, most of them culinary.
For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
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Ingredients
Makes: 20
Metric
Cups
For the dough
- 600 grams plain flour
- 100 grams sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 x 7 grams sachets/envelopes easy-blend yeast
- 100 grams unsalted butter
- 400 millilitres milk (at room temperature)
- 2 eggs (at room temperature)
For the filling
- 150 grams soft unsalted butter
- 150 grams sugar
- 1½ teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 egg (beaten), to glaze
For the dough
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 x ¼ ounce sachets/envelopes instant yeast
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1⅔ cups milk (at room temperature)
- 2 eggs (at room temperature)
For the filling
- 10 tablespoons soft unsalted butter
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1½ teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 egg (beaten), to glaze
Method
- Combine the flour, sugar, salt and yeast in a large bowl. Melt the butter and whisk it into the milk and eggs, then stir enough of this into the flour mixture to give a soft dough. Mix to combine and then knead the dough either by hand or using the dough hook of a food mixer until it's smooth and springy. Form into a ball, place in an oiled bowl, cover with clingfilm and leave it to rise for about 25 minutes.
- Heat the oven to 230°C/210ºC Fan/gas mark 8/450°F.
- Take one-third of the dough and roll it or stretch it to fit your roasting tin or large brownie tin — measuring 33cm x 24cm (9 x 13inches), lined with baking parchment bottom and sides — this will form the bottom of each bun when it has cooked. Roll out the rest of the dough on a lightly floured surface, aiming to get a rectangle of roughly 50 x 25cm (20 x 10 inches). Mix the filling ingredients in a small bowl and then spread the rectangle with the buttery cinnamon mixture. Try to get even coverage on the whole of the dough. Roll it up from the longest side until you have a giant sausage. Cut the roll into 2cm slices (¾ inch) which should make about 20 rounds. Sit the rounds in lines on top of the dough in the tin, swirly cut-side up. Don't worry if they don't fit snugly together as they will swell and become puffy when they prove. Brush them with egg and then let them rise again for about 15 minutes to let them get duly puffy.
- Put in the hot oven and cook for 20-25 minutes, by which time the buns will have risen and will be golden-brown in colour. Don't worry if they catch in places — see mine in the picture. Remove them from the tin and leave to cool slightly on a rack — it's easy just to pick up the whole sheet of parchment and transfer them like that — before letting people tear them off, to eat warm.
- Combine the flour, sugar, salt and yeast in a large bowl. Melt the butter and whisk it into the milk and eggs, then stir enough of this into the flour mixture to give a soft dough. Mix to combine and then knead the dough either by hand or using the dough hook of a food mixer until it's smooth and springy. Form into a ball, place in an oiled bowl, cover with clingfilm and leave it to rise for about 25 minutes.
- Heat the oven to 230°C/210ºC Fan/gas mark 8/450°F.
- Take one-third of the dough and roll it or stretch it to fit your roasting tin or large brownie tin — measuring 33cm x 24cm (9 x 13inches), lined with baking parchment bottom and sides — this will form the bottom of each bun when it has cooked. Roll out the rest of the dough on a lightly floured surface, aiming to get a rectangle of roughly 50 x 25cm (20 x 10 inches). Mix the filling ingredients in a small bowl and then spread the rectangle with the buttery cinnamon mixture. Try to get even coverage on the whole of the dough. Roll it up from the longest side until you have a giant sausage. Cut the roll into 2cm slices (¾ inch) which should make about 20 rounds. Sit the rounds in lines on top of the dough in the tin, swirly cut-side up. Don't worry if they don't fit snugly together as they will swell and become puffy when they prove. Brush them with egg and then let them rise again for about 15 minutes to let them get duly puffy.
- Put in the hot oven and cook for 20-25 minutes, by which time the buns will have risen and will be golden-brown in colour. Don't worry if they catch in places — see mine in the picture. Remove them from the tin and leave to cool slightly on a rack — it's easy just to pick up the whole sheet of parchment and transfer them like that — before letting people tear them off, to eat warm.
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What 6 Others have said
I did find I needed to add quite a bit more flour than in the recipe to be able to form the dough into a ball (otherwise was too sticky) but may havebeen the type of flour I used.
These are an extra special treat! The recipe works perfectly and yields picture perfect cinnamon buns. Cooking with yeast really is an addictive past time, and the chapter from "Domestic Goddess" really makes it easy and fun. I make a cream cheese icing in a separate bowl and serve it alongside. These have never failed to impress!
These buns are to die for! Great recipe - I find there is too much milk though and use about half of what is in the recipe
Absolutely delicious, easy to follow and the result is outstanding! I did add some nutmeg and ground ginger to the filling mix as I love the combo.
I am new at this and it should be noted that all ingredients should be at room temperature. My milk mixture wasn’t warm enough to engage and dissolve the yeast. And hand kneading I wouldn’t recommend.
An old Finnish friend of mine makes her cinnamon rolls the same way... but adds cardamom to the filling. It adds a glorious earthiness.