Melt in the mouth, light, fluffy, buttery cardamom brioche buns cooked with a cinnamon and cardamon sweet butter swirled throughout, and finished with either a vanilla butter icing or a sprinkle of pearl sugar. Make 4 large or 6 medium rolls
Make the brioche dough: weigh the flour, sugar, yeast and salt into the bowl of a freestanding mixture and stir to mix.
Mix the warm milk with the eggs and beat to mix. Remove 1 x 15 tablespoon of the mixture and set aside to use as your egg-wash. Store this covered and in the fridge over night.
Pour the milk and eggs into the flour mix and roughly stir with a spoon. Attach the bowl to the free-standing mixer and, using the dough hook, beat on speed 2 for 5 minutes.
The dough may well rise up the dough hook. Keep an eye and if it does this, use a spatula to scrape it off and then continue, on speed 2.
Slowly add the soft butter, 10 – 15g at a time, and beat on a slow speed, until incorporated. This will take around 7 – 10 minutes.
Transfer to an oiled mixing bowl. Cover and leave to rise until doubled in size. This normally takes between 1- 2 hours depending on how warm it is. If the room temperature is cold, I put mine in the oven set on dough setting at 42°C and it takes around 2 hours.
Now transfer to the fridge for at least five hours. This is a very important step. The dough is very soft and almost impossible to work with at room temperature. When cold, it is a stiffer dough and easier to work with. You need to work quickly though, or the butter will melt as you work it and it will become too soft
Make the Cinnamon Butter: weigh all the ingredients into a bowl and thoroughly mix.
Now shape the dough: Line a 20cm/8-inch square baking tin with baking parchment and lightly oil it.
When ready, take the dough out of the fridge, lightly flour the top of the dough, knock back with your hand and then remove from the bowl onto a lightly floured work surface.
Very quickly knead until smooth. Do not over-knead or the butter will melt and the dough will be too soft to work with.
Flour the dough and shape it into a large rectangle using a rolling pin and your hands to shape the dough. The dough should measure 20cms x 25cm.
Evenly spread the cinnamon butter over the surface of the dough.
Roll tightly width wise (i.e. from the end measuring 20cms) and cut into 4 rolls.
Place in prepared baking tin and brush gently with the egg wash you saved from the day before.
Cover with oiled cling film and leave in the fridge overnight.
Now shape the dough: Line a 23cm/9-inch round baking tin with baking parchment and lightly oil it.
Make as above but roll the dough into a rectangle measuring 30cms x 35cm.
Spread the cinnamon butter. Roll tightly width wise (i.e. from the end measuring 30cms) and cut into 6 rolls. Continue as above.
Remove the rolls from the fridge and leave to rise until doubled in size. The rolls need to come to room temperature before the yeast will activate so this normally takes between 1 – 3 hours. If the room temperature is cold, I put mine in the oven set on dough setting at 42°C.
Five minutes before you want to cook them, preheat the oven to Fan Oven 200°C/220°C/425°F/Gas 7.
If using pearl sugar, sprinkle it over the Cinnamon Buns now.
Put the buns in the centre of the preheated oven and immediately turn it down to Fan Oven 180°C/200°C/400°F/Gas 6.
Cook the buns for 15 – 20 minutes until the tops are golden brown. Check the buns after 10 minutes, you will more than likely have to cover loosely with foil to ensure they don’t get too brown.
Take out of the oven. Leave for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack. Cover with a damp cloth as they cool. This prevents them from drying out.
If you are adding pearl sugar, sprinkle it over the buns before cooking in the oven.
Take out of the oven. Leave for 5 minutes and then transfer to transfer to a wire rack. cover with a damp cloth as they cool. This prevents them from drying out.
Serve warm or at room temperature. Delicious with fresh fruit.
If you would prefer a Vanilla Butter Icing, mix the icing sugar, butter and vanilla extract together.
Slowly add the milk until you achieve a thick, smooth, pouring consistency.
Drizzle over the buns 15 minutes after you take them out of the oven.
Serve: delicious served for breakfast, brunch or morning coffee.
Equipment:
Timings:
You need to start making these rolls the day before you want to cook them. You can make either 4 large rolls or 6 slightly smaller ones. All details given below. Bear in mind –
First Day:
Second Day: