As the temperature drops outside there is nothing like the smell of freshly baked cinnamon buns wafting through the kitchen.

This recipe yields 24 perfectly pocket sized cinnamon buns to be enjoyed at all times (even at three o’clock in the morning with a glass of milk).

Swedish cinnamon buns

For the dough:
300ml milk
42g (1 cube) fresh yeast
750g flour
150g butter
1 teaspoon cardamom pods
1 egg (room temperature)
1/2 teaspoon salt
100g sugar

for the filling:
75g butter
100g sugar
2 tablespoons ground Ceylon cinnamon

for the finish:
1 egg for the egg wash

Here’s what to do:

• Heat the milk until it is lukewarm. Dissolve the yeast in one cup of the warmed milk. Whisk in one tablespoon of flour and let the mixture rest for 15 minutes. Melt the butter in the remaining milk. Open the cardamom pods and grind the seeds in a mortar.
• In a mixing bowl combine egg, sugar, cardamom and the remaining flour. Add the yeast-milk-flour mixture and knead with a handmixer or your hands until combined. Cover the dough with a tea towel and let it rest in a warm place for about one hour until it’s doubled in size.

• Mix sugar and cinnamon. Melt the butter. Give the dough one last quick knead and split it in two parts. Roll out both parts into 5mm thick rectangles.
• Spread the butter onto each of the rectangles, then cover them with sugar and cinnamon. Roll up each rectangle and cut the rolls into 12 equal slices each.

• Cover two baking trays with baking paper. Place the slices on the baking tray, not too close to each other, and flatten them slightly. Cover the trays with tea towels and put them aside for about 30 minutes to allow the buns a final rise.
• Preheat the oven to 250°C.
• Beat the egg together with a tablespoon of water for the egg wash, apply with a brush.
• Bake the buns for 8 to 10 minutes, then let them cool on a wire rack.