Adapted from Woman Scribbles Blog
Time: About 2½ hours

Ingredients for 16 buns

Dough

• 300 ml warm water (105 – 110 F)
• 85 g unsalted butter melted and cooled slightly
• 6 tbsp sugar
• 4 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
• 3 large eggs lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup powdered milk
• 640 g (5 cups) all purpose flour + up to 1 cup for dusting

Filling

• 100 g (1 stick) unsalted butter softened
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp ground cardamom

Egg Wash and Glaze (optional)

• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp milk
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• orange zest and juice from 1/2 orange
• cardamom to taste

1.) Making the dough

In a large mixing bowl, combine water, melted butter and sugar. Sprinkle in the yeast and let stand for about 8 minutes until foamy.

Add the eggs, milk powder and salt and stir everything together. Add 5 cups of flour, one cup at a time, stirring until a soft dough is formed. Turn it over into a floured surface and knead for about ten minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Use just enough flour from the remaining 1 cup during kneading until the dough is no longer sticky.

Shape kneaded dough into a ball and place back into the bowl for the first rise. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for about an hour, until doubled in size.

2.) Making the filling

Stir together softened butter, sugar, cinnamon, and cardamom until combined. Set aside.

3.) Assembling the buns

Roll dough into a 15×21 rectangle. With an offset pastry knife, spread the soft butter on the surface and sprinkle with sugar, cardamom and cinnamon. Starting on the short side of the dough, fold 1/3 of it into the center, then fold the other third over to center too, covering the first flap (letter fold). Roll the folded dough to 10 inches wide.

Cut 1/2 inch wide strips of dough so that folded side is on the top and bottom of the strip. You will be able to make about 16 strips. To assemble the rolls, take one strip, hold one end with your thumb and next three fingers. Wrap the strip around your fingers two times, covering the thumb as well, then pull the dough under and slip it through the opening where your thumb is. Pull it upwards and let it cross over the bun and tuck it in the other side.

5.) Final rise

Prepare 2 baking sheets with a Silpad or parchment paper. Place each roll on the sheets and cover loosely with a clean dish towel for another hour long rise.

6.) Baking

Preheat oven to 325°F. Make egg wash by combining an egg with 1 tbsp milk and brush it on the risen rolls before baking them. Sprinkle with a little sugar and bake for about 18 minutes until lightly golden.

7.) Glazing

Using a whisk, combine orange juice, zest, cardamom and powdered sugar in a medium sides bowl, stirring until it is uniform in consistency. Spread the glaze over your warm rolls.

Enjoy!

Variation: Meyer Lemon Buns

Instead of cardamom and cinnamon filling, use lemon.

• 100 g (1 stick) unsalted butter softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• Zest from 2 – 3 Meyer lemons

While the dough is rising, in a small bowl, mix together the sugar and lemon zest. Set aside. The sugar draws out moisture from the zests to create a wet sand consistency (so don’t be alarmed when you see this). Spread butter and lemon/sugar mixture on the rolled out dough (step 3 above). Proceed as outlined above.