Cardamom Buns

Cardamom buns are soft, slightly sweet rolls flavored with warm spice and topped with a cinnamon-sugar crust. The dough rises twice, which builds flavor and gives the finished bun a tender, open crumb. The key is letting time do the work: a slow rise makes these buns taste better than they would if rushed.

Ingredients for Cardamom Buns

Whole milk and butter warm the dough and keep it tender. Active dry yeast leavens the dough and needs warmth and time to work. All-purpose flour builds structure. Sugar feeds the yeast and sweetens the dough. Salt controls yeast and strengthens gluten. Cardamom pods are crushed and steeped in warm milk to infuse the dough with their warm, slightly floral flavor. Egg yolk brushed on top adds shine and helps the cinnamon-sugar crust stick. For the topping, cinnamon, sugar, and butter are mixed into a paste that fills and tops each bun.

Why This Cardamom Buns Works

The dough starts with cardamom steeped in warm milk, which extracts the spice’s flavor before the flour goes in. This gives you cardamom throughout the bun instead of just in pockets. The dough is mixed until it comes together, then kneaded by hand or machine until smooth and elastic. A long, cool first rise in the refrigerator overnight develops flavor and makes the dough easier to shape the next day.

After shaping, the buns rise again at room temperature until puffy and light. You can see and feel when they are ready: they should hold a gentle indent when you poke them with a floured finger, and the dough will look soft and pillowy. A brushing of egg yolk before baking gives the cinnamon-sugar topping something to cling to and creates a glossy, golden crust.

The buns bake at a moderate temperature until deep golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped on the bottom. This takes about 20 to 25 minutes. They continue to set as they cool, so let them rest on a rack for a few minutes before eating.

Mistakes To Avoid

Using milk that is too hot will kill the yeast and your dough will not rise. Milk that feels very hot to the touch is already too hot. Always use a thermometer or let hot milk cool until it feels warm, not hot, on the inside of your wrist.

Under-kneading the dough leaves it sticky and hard to shape, and the buns will spread instead of rising up. Knead until the dough is smooth and springs back when you poke it. If it still sticks to your hands, add a tablespoon more flour and keep going.

Skipping the second rise or stopping too early gives you dense, gummy buns instead of light ones. The buns must look and feel puffy and soft after the second rise, and a gentle poke should leave a slow-filling indent. If they look flat, they need more time.

Overbaking will make the buns dry inside and too dark on top. Watch them from the 15-minute mark onward. They are done when the top is deep golden brown and the bottom sounds hollow when you tap it. If you have an instant-read thermometer, the center should read 190°F (88°C).

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole milk
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 6 green cardamom pods
• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (438 grams)
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar (50 grams)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons water
• For the topping: 1/3 cup granulated sugar (66 grams)
• For the topping: 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• For the topping: 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Step-by-step Instructions

1. Heat the milk and butter together in a small saucepan over medium heat until the butter melts and the milk reaches 110°F (43°C), about 3 to 4 minutes. Crush the cardamom pods and add them to the milk. Remove from heat and let steep for 15 minutes. Strain out the pods and discard them.
2. Pour the warm milk into the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle the yeast over it and let sit for 1 minute until foamy on top, a sign the yeast is alive.
3. Add the flour, sugar, and salt to the mixer. Using the dough hook, mix on low speed until the dough comes together and no dry flour remains, about 2 minutes.
4. Increase the speed to medium and knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes, until smooth, elastic, and only slightly sticky. The dough should spring back when you poke it. If it is very sticky, add 1 tablespoon flour at a time and mix until it pulls cleanly from the sides of the bowl.
5. Form the dough into a ball, place it in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight or up to 18 hours. The dough will rise slowly and develop flavor.
6. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to take the chill off.
7. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and roll it into a 16 by 12 inch rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick.
8. Mix the softened butter, sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl until it looks like wet sand. Spread this mixture evenly over the dough, leaving a 1/2 inch border on all sides.
9. Roll the dough tightly from one long side to the other, forming a log. Cut the log into 12 equal pieces using a sharp knife, wiping the blade clean between cuts.
10. Place the rolls cut-side up in a 9 by 13 inch baking pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until puffy and soft, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. A gentle poke with a floured finger should leave a slow-filling indent.
11. While the buns rise, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
12. Whisk the egg yolk with 2 tablespoons water. Brush this mixture over the top of each bun.
13. Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are deep golden brown and the bottom of one bun sounds hollow when tapped. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a bun should read 190°F (88°C).
14. Let the buns cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool to room temperature before serving.