Cà Lüina
Background and origin
Kanelbullar first became known in Sweden in the 17th century, when sugar and spices such as cinnamon from the Orient and the Arab world reached Europe via trade routes. At that time, cinnamon was still a relatively expensive spice, used primarily by the upper classes. However, access to sugar and cinnamon increased in the 18th century as trade routes expanded and the prices of these ingredients fell.
In the 19th century, as more people in Sweden had access to sugar and spices, the recipe for kanelbullar became more widespread. It was passed down from generation to generation, and the pastry increasingly became a part of everyday Swedish culture.
The dough for kanelbullar is traditionally based on yeast dough filled with butter, sugar, and cinnamon, then rolled into a spiral shape. The wavy shape, reminiscent of a snail, is characteristic.
In the 20th century, kanelbulle became increasingly popular in cafés and bakeries. In 1920, a "Kaffekalas" (coffee and cake) custom was even established in Sweden, where a kanelbulle is served with a cup of coffee – a ritual that is still very popular today.
Ingredients
For the yeast dough
250ml whole milk
25g fresh yeast or one sachet of dry yeast
75g soft butter
450g white flour
50g sugar
1 pinch of salt
For the cinnamon filling
90g soft butter
40g sugar
10g cinnamon
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1 pinch of ground cardamom
For decoration
1 beaten egg
Sugar granules
Preparation
Step 1
Heat the milk in a pan until lukewarm. Remove 6 tablespoons and dissolve the yeast in it.
Step 2
Dissolve the butter flakes in lukewarm milk . The milk should not be hot.
Step 3
Put flour, sugar and salt into a mixing bowl.
Step 4
Add the yeast mixture and milk with butter and knead by hand for several minutes until you have an elastic, smooth dough. The dough should be moist but not sticky and should easily come away from the bowl.
Step 4
Form the dough into a ball and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place, covered, for about 1 hour. It should roughly double in size.
Step 5
Remove the dough from the bowl and roll it out into a rectangle measuring approximately 40 x 60 cm.
Step 6
For the cinnamon filling, mix the soft butter with sugar, cinnamon, cocoa powder and a pinch of cardamom and spread this mixture evenly over the dough rectangle using a spatula.
Step 7
Now fold the dough twice to the third point so that 3 layers of dough lie on top of each other and the filling is enclosed between the layers.
Step 8
Use a pizza cutter to cut 2-3cm wide strips parallel to the short side. Carefully twist the dough strips, form them into small knots, and place them at intervals on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Step 9
Cover the cinnamon rolls loosely with a light kitchen towel and let them rise for another 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C (top and bottom heat) .
Step 10
Brush the cinnamon rolls with the beaten egg , carefully sprinkle with the granulated sugar and bake for about 15 minutes until golden brown.