Finnish Cardamom Rolls

These Finnish Cardamom Rolls are the Finnish version of cinnamon rolls. These beautiful buns come with a heavenly cardamom scented dough with a cinnamon sugar filling. They are are sweet, flaky and delicate treasures that can be enjoyed at only 152 calories per roll.

A few years ago when I visited my mother in law in Romania, she taught me how to make our popular walnut roll. I had written the recipe in my little notebook and have treasured it since and shared the recipe with you all.

Ever since then I have conquered one of what has to be a miracle in the culinary world. I have learned to make that walnut roll myself which is the quintessential holiday dessert in Romania. No holiday is complete without it.

What Is Pulla?

But after all these recipes that I have baked, it never ceases to amaze me when I find a recipe that completely intrigues me and makes me fall in love. And this is what’s happened here with these Finnish cardamom rolls. I have fallen in love with them.

These rolls are sweet, flaky and delicate treasures that should be thoroughly enjoyed. Cardamon bread is actually very common in Finland. This sweet cardamom bread is actually called Pulla and these rolls are called Korvarpuusti.

But Pulla is a sweet bread that many Finns enjoy plain, but it’s most delicious when baked with butter, cinnamon and sugar. I can relate to this because Romanians also have a lot of sweet breads. Another great example is this poppy seed roll which are very popular, especially around the holidays.

Cardamom Rolls

• Milk – We want to use milk to help allow our yeast to bloom. Warm up your milk carefully – not too hot not too cold.
• Sugar – Just a bit of sugar. It’s the food our yeast eats  that allows it to become active and to sweeten the dough.
• Yeast – This is arguably the most important ingredient in this whole recipe. I’ve made sure to include a section below that gives you all the info you could possibly need for handling your yeast.
• Eggs – 2 large eggs kept at room temperature.
• Butter – unsalted butter as usual to control the salt in our baked goods.
• Salt – to bring all the flavors together. No baked good is complete without a bit of salt.
• Cardamom – the main ingredients in these rolls. Cardamon is very strong and aromatic. It has a spicy, herbal, citrusy character and goes very well with cinnamon and other spices.
• Flour – we need all purpose flour.

Filling

• Sugar – white granulated sugar.
• Cinnamon – 3 tsp of ground cinnamon.
• Butter – unsalted as usual.

Other

• Egg – for egg wash to brush over the rolls so they’re nice and golden.
• Turbinado sugar – for sprinkling over the rolls. Regular sugar can be used instead.

How To Make Finnish Cardamom Rolls

Make The Dough

1. Prep the yeast: In a small bowl combine the milk, 1/2 cup of sugar, the yeast and stir. Let the yeast mixture sit for about 10 min until it froths up and bubbles.
2. Make the dough: In the bowl of your mixer add the eggs, butter, cardamom, salt. Using the paddle attachment, mix everything together. Add the yeast mixture and continue mixing until well combined. Change to the dough hook and adding a cup of flour at a time mix until you add all the flour. If the dough is too sticky add a bit more flour, but continue mixing until the dough separates from the bowl and forms into a ball.
3. Let the dough rise: Grease a large bowl with cooking spray and place the dough in it. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean damp kitchen towel and let the dough rise until it doubles in size.
4. Make the cinnamon sugar: In a small bowl combine the sugar and cinnamon together for the topping. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Assemble The Rolls

1. Assemble the rolls: Add a bit of flour to your work surface. Punch the dough gently and place it down on the work surface. Cut the dough into 4 equal pieces. Working with one piece at a time, cover the other rolls so that they don’t dry out. Roll each piece about as thin as you can, should be about 12 inches by 18 inches. With a brush or a knife smear some butter onto it. Make sure it’s nicely buttered. Sprinkle some of the cinnamon sugar over the entire surface, as much as you want. Roll it into a tight log starting from the narrower side. Line up the dough log in front of you and cut it slightly on the diagonal, alternating up and down, so that the slices are fat ‘v’ shapes, with the point of the ‘v’ about 2 cm (3/4 inch) and the base about 5 cm (2 inches). Place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough pieces.
2. Preheat your oven to 350 F degrees.
3. Bake: Let the rolls sit for about 30 minutes to rise. Brush the rolls with egg wash and then sprinkle with Turbinado sugar or plain sugar. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until golden.

The Oven Is The Best Place For Your Dough To Rise

Your oven is a great tool for baking recipes like these that require allowing the dough to double in size. Preheating your oven to 200 F degrees will ensure that your oven is nice and warm at a good consistent temperature for your little sweet rolls in the making. It will also protect it from any breezes floating through the kitchen and will ensure your rolls turn out just like mine! Just make sure to turn off the oven before placing the dough in there.

Make Ahead Finnish Rolls

These Finnish cardamom rolls are great because they could definitely be made ahead. Prepare everything as stated in the recipe up until step 5 where you place the rolls in the baking pan. Simply cover them up tightly with plastic wrap and store them in the fridge overnight.

The rolls should continue to rise in the fridge but if by morning they have not doubled in size, turn your oven on to 200 F degrees until it warms up, then turn it off. Place the pan in the oven for about 30 to 45 minutes until the rolls double in size. Then you can bake them as instructed.

Can You Freeze These Rolls?

You absolutely can! Prepare everything in the recipe as stated up to and including step 5 where you place the rolls on the baking sheets. Wrap the pan in two layers of plastic wrap. Freeze for 8 hours up to 6 weeks.

The night before you want to bake the Finnish cardamom rolls, thaw them out in the refrigerator, still wrapped. They will thaw overnight. Finish the rest of the steps to bake them.

Get The Most Out Of Your Yeast

1. Always check the expiration date on your yeast and make sure it hasn’t expired. All your yeast products whether it’s in a jar or a package should be stamped with a “Best if Used by” date. Always make sure you check this date, even when you purchase the yeast.
2. To keep your yeast fresh and longer lasting, unopened yeast packages or jars should be stored in a cool or dry place such as your cupboard.
3. However, you can also store your yeast in the fridge or freezer. If you do store it in the freezer and need to use yeast for your baking, make sure you take out the amount you need and let it sit at room temperature for at least half hour before using.
4. Once your yeast package or jar has been opened, you must refrigerate the yeast or freeze it in an airtight container.
5. One thing to remember about your yeast, is that it is a living organism and over time it will lose activity, even if you’ve never opened the jar or package. So if you don’t bake often, buy the smaller yeast packages rather than a big jar of yeast.
6. If after dissolving the yeast in the lukewarm milk with the sugar, the yeast didn’t start to froth up, do not continue with the rolls, your dough will not rise.

More Delicious Recipes From My Kitchen:

• Hawaiian Sweet Rolls
• Parker House Rolls
• Texas Roadhouse Rolls
• Jelly Filled Rolls
• Sticky Buns
• Cinnabons Cinnamon Rolls
• Apple and Pecan Cinnamon Rolls
• No Knead 1 Hour Cinnamon Rolls
• Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls
• Strawberry Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing