Cardamom Buns

Imitation can only get you so far

I’m re-uploading an updated version of this recipe because I’m a complex person who likes to improve. Aren’t you?

This last year could largely be summed up by Zeno’s Paradox. Essentially, I head towards a goal but it only feels like I’ll only ever gain a fraction of the distance needed to reach it. This results is an infinite number of tasks that never amount to the idealized goal…I think. Leaving me to ask, is the goal the problem or is the problem having goals?

I’ve been lusting after and reverse engineering recipes to hang my amateur hat on over the past year. I’ll think that I’ve had the most perfect sweet thang in the world and want to replicate it at home. Honestly, I blame Claire Saffitz for this phenomenon. But even if I have a clear memory of the pastry I am trying to emulate, the process is going to veer into uncharted water and trying to stay on course may only harm my efforts. So I’ve been choosing to step out of expectations and move into something more akin to letting my inner voice come through.

Cardamom buns are no exception.

I’ve had exactly two professionally made cardamom buns in my life. One in New York, one in Barcelona. Both unique from each other and lean into their differences. One was very dense and chewy while the other was airy and light. Both are living their truths, but my truth naturally lies somewhere in between the two.

The physical properties I know cannot be replicated. I don’t have the conditions or ingredients needed to make (and repeat) the final product like they can. But luckily emotions are much more flexible. That’s what the cardamom bun is to me. An emotional journey.

Flavor-wise, I arrived relatively quickly when I realized you should always be using freshly ground cardamom. I know it’s a pain but the pre-ground stuff taste like ash. Getting the texture right was a whole nother story. I think it came down to using gluten in my favor. I treated this much like I would brioche and kneaded the hell out of it. A long, slow rise in the fridge let everything relax and ready for the trauma that was shaping the buns. When shaping, I used gravity to my advantage. The more I forced the dough to go somewhere it didn’t want to, I had to adjust. But in the end, we got there.

I hope you have an emotional journey.

Non-negotiables

• stand mixer

• kitchen thermometer

• ruler

• pizza or pastry cutter

• pastry brush

Dough

• 300g whole milk, room temp

• 5g active dry yeast

• 500g AP flour

• 6g kosher salt

• 85g cane sugar

• 1 tbsp freshly ground cardamon

• 85g unsalted butter (softened to room temp)

Filling

• 120g unsalted butter (softened to room temp)

• 1/2 cup light brown sugar

• 1/4 cup cane sugar

• 1 tbsp AP flour

• pinch of salt

• grated fresh nutmeg

• zest of 1/2 and orange

• 1 tbsp cardamon

Topping

• 1 tsp ground cardamon

• 1 tbsp cane sugar

• 2 egg yolk, splash of milk

This recipe is designed to fit on any home kitchen counter or limited space. Makes 10-12 buns.

Recipe

Whisk together milk and yeast in the bowl of the stand mixer. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, and cardamon. Dump dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and add butter. Affix dough hook and turn on medium low speed for 5-6 minutes. Turn off and cover with a kitchen towel for 5 minutes. Turn on medium speed and knead for an additional 15 minutes.

Remove dough, give it a couple of kneads by hand and gentle shaping and place in a lightly greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let proof in the fridge overnight. 12-24 hours.

Next Day

Combine ingredients for filling.

Remove dough from fridge. Lightly flour a work surface and roll out the dough to a rough 12x18 rectangle. Use your hands to stretch the corners to get it as close to a rectangle as possible. Spread butter mixture with a spatula evenly across the entire surface.

Starting from the short end, fold 1/3 of the dough over itself, then the other 1/3 on top like a letter. Wrap the dough and let it rest in the fridge for 15-20 minutes at this point. Roll out the dough slightly to 15x12. With the shorter side facing you, use a ruler and cut 12 1-inch strips. *The two strips on the end will be a little shorter and can be used as practice.

Using your hands, gentle elongate and roll the strips to 24”-26”. Place one end on the inside of your non-dom hand and wrap the around your fingers a couple times. Use the last 6” to bring it over the top and tuck it on the other side. Forming a loop similar to a planetary ring.

Place buns on two parchment lined baking sheets and cover with an inverted baking sheet or greased plastic wrap to proof. Time will vary but you’re looking for the dough to become puffy and spring back not quite all the way when poked. 1 - 1.5 hours.

Once proofed, Preheat oven to 425. Combine cardamon and sugar in a small bowl. Brush buns down with beaten egg yolks + milk all over and top with cardamon/sugar mixture. Place both pans in the oven and bake for 7 minutes. Lower temperature to 350, rotate pans (and racks) and bake for an additional 6-7 minutes or until browned and baked to an internal temp of 190. *The buns dry out quickly so it’s best not to exceed 200.

Butter spillage is fine and normal!

Let buns cool on a wire wrack and eat when they’re still slightly warm. They’re amazing leftover the next day too.

Enjoy!