Swedish Rhubarb Cardamom Buns are just another version of the classic cinnamon rolls or cardamom buns, with a little seasonal twist. Add fresh rhubarb to the filling, a little bit of almond paste, and you get a delicious pastry to enjoy for breakfast or as Swedes do, for fika!
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As you may know if you’ve been there once, Sweden is the paradise of family-friendly pastries and other baked goods you can enjoy for fika (i.e. coffee break), starting with the traditional cinnamon rolls. Together with their cardamom version, they are the Number 1 pastries in the country, and come with endless possible variations. You can play around with spices, custard or almond fillings, but also with seasonal ingredients: berries, apples, pears, etc. Today’s recipe is inspired from many years of my life in Sweden and it features rhubarb, a vegetable Swedes are crazy about as soon as spring is showing up after a long, cold, and most of the time white winter.
What is fika?
The art of fika is a Swedish concept that consists in having a coffee break with someone, usually with a few pastries on the side. But more than a simple coffee break, fika is a whole way of life in Sweden, strongly linked to the idea of socializing and bringing people together in a very informal way. This can happen anytime of the day, and in all aspects of life. You can have fika with just a couple of friends, a date, but also with a few colleagues (believe it or not, but it’s often around fika that the most important decisions are taken in a company).
Swedish Rhubarb Cardamom Buns
For this rhubarb cardamom buns recipe, the dough is pretty much the same as the one you would use for traditional cinnamon rolls or cardamom buns. It’s a basic yeast dough recipe which, unlike most French brioche dough recipes, doesn’t require much effort or time (even if you knead by hand). Then, it’s important to give the dough a proper rising time, about 1 hour, until doubled in size.
Tips about cardamom. The little trick to Swedish buns is to add some cardamom to the dough. In order to get as much flavor from cardamom as possible, I recommend you use cardamom seeds and grind them at the very last minute (in any case, do not go for ready-to-use ground cardamom). I also like to add a few whole or hardly ground cardamom seeds to the dough.
Easy yeast guide for cardamom buns
The recipe of these Swedish rhubarb cardamom buns call for 1.2 ounces (35g) fresh yeast. The best practice is usually to crumble fresh yeast into a bowl, then whisk it with just a few spoonfuls of lukewarm milk and a little bit of sugar to activate the yeast. Make sure you don’t use hot milk however or you may kill the yeast. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes, until mixture is bubbling slightly. Then it’s ready to use.
Now depending on where you are, you may not have fresh yeast available at hand. No worries, you can still make this recipe using instant dry yeast or active dry yeast. The difference between these two is that the first one can be added to all the ingredients directly while the second one needs to be activated the exact same way fresh yeast is. Personally, I activate instant dry yeast too when using it for this recipe, just in case, and it works fine.
Perfect yeast ratio for these cardamom buns:
- Fresh yeast: 1.2 ounces (35g)
- Active dry yeast: 0.6 ounces (17g)
- Instant dry yeast: 0.4 ounces (11g)
In other words, to convert from fresh yeast to active dry yeast, multiply the fresh quantity by 0.4. To convert from fresh yeast to instant dry yeast, multiply the fresh quantity by 0.33.
A few words about the rhubarb filling
For this recipe, I simply prepared a basic rhubarb compote, slightly sweetened (because you will then brush the buns with a sugar-water syrup, you don’t need much sugar here) and sprinkled some almond paste all over. In the recipe note, I also include a super easy homemade almond paste recipe, in case you’re having a hard time to find it in your grocery store.
Also, very important to note: do not go heavy on the filling. Because you will need to shape the dough as explained below, you absolutely want to avoid all the possible mess if filling is spreading out of the dough. To prevent this, I recommend you roll out the dough into a large rectangle that is a little thinner than you would love to (the dough is living and will continue to rise during the process). Then, spread the rhubarb compote into a thin, even, layer, leaving a border all around. Slightly sprinkle almond paste on top, and proceed to the folding part.
How to shape Swedish buns?
One question I’m often asked when I bake Swedish cinnamon buns or cardamom buns is: how do you shape them into such a cute knot? A picture quick video tutorial is worth a thousand words, so without any further ado, here’s how to:
Or follow this step-by-step guide:
- First, roll the dough into a large rectangle.
- Spread the filling on half of the dough, lengthwise (go easy when spreading the filling: you don’t want it too thick or the next steps will be messy).
- Fold the empty side over the other one with the filling.
- Cut strips sideways, about 0.8-inch (2 cm).
- Wrap one strip around the tips of your fingers x2 times, twisting slightly as you wrap.
- Loop the strip around one last time then tuck the end part into the bottom of the knot.
Possible shaping variations
If this process still seems intimidating to you, there are other options for folding these buns. Use the same yeast dough, and choose one of the folding methods below:
- The cinnamon roll-style: Simply spread the filling onto a large rectangle then roll it out on the longer side. Cut thick rolls out of the dough, and voilà! This easy folding method also allows you to have a more generous filling inside the bun.
- The star bread style: This looks a little advanced but thanks to my little video tutorial it should turn out just fine.
- The braided bread style: Place the filling in the center and watch my little step-by-step guide at the bottom of the recipe for the folding part.
More traditional Swedish fika pastries:
- Classic Swedish Cinnamon Rolls “Kanelbullar”
- Easy Swedish Cardamom Buns + also this version
- Cinnamon Star Bread like a “kanelbulle”
- Swedish Raspberry Cardamom Buns
- White Chocolate Cardamom Wreath
- Swedish Saffron Buns “Lussekatter”
- Saffron Braided Bread with Vanilla Cream
- Swedish Blueberry Vanilla Buns
For rhubarb lovers:
- Sumptuous Meringue Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
- Rhubarb Crumble Bars
- Chia Pudding with Rhubarb-Strawberry Compote
Swedish Rhubarb Cardamom Buns
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 8 mins
- Total Time: 2 hours 8 minutes
- Yield: 30 buns 1x
- Category: Breads & Brioches
- Cuisine: Swedish
Swedish Rhubarb Cardamom Buns are just another version of the classic cinnamon rolls or cardamom buns, with a little seasonal twist. Add fresh rhubarb to the filling, a little bit of almond paste, and you get a delicious pastry to enjoy for breakfast or as Swedes do, for fika!
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Ingredients
For the dough:
- 1.2 oz (35g) fresh yeast*
- 1½ cup (36 cl) milk
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ cup (120g) butter, melted
- ½ cup (100g) white sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon cardamom, freshly ground
- 6¼ cups (750g) all-purpose flour
For the rhubarb filling:
- 3.5 ounces (100g) almond paste**
- 17 ounces (about 500g) fresh rhubarb, rinsed and diced
- 1/4 cup (50g) sugar
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
For brushing:
- ¼ cup (6 cl) water
- ⅓ cup (50g) sugar + 3 Tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground cardamom
Instructions
For the dough:
- Crumble the yeast* in a bowl and stir in a few Tablespoons of lukewarm milk and a teaspoon of sugar. Let sit for about 5 minutes before using, until yeast is completely dissolved and the mixture slightly bubbling.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the yeast, milk, and combine with melted butter.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and knead the dough for approx. 15 minutes by hand or 10 minutes using a stand mixer. The dough is ready when it slaps the sides of the bowl and it has a smooth texture (it should not be sticky anymore).
- Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and let rise for 30 minutes, until the dough has almost doubled in size.
For filling and assembling:
- In a saucepan placed on medium heat, add diced rhubarb with sugar and lemon juice. Let simmer until the mixture turns into a compote. Set aside and let cool.
- Flip the dough onto a slightly floured worktop. Knead a little to reshape it, and roll into a large and thin rectangle (the dough will continue to rise during the process so it’s better to have it a little too thin than too thick at this step).
- Spread the rhubarb filling on half of the dough lengthwise and sprinkle the almond paste all over. Make sure you don’t overload with filling (you may have some leftovers and it’s ok) and leave a 0.5 inch (1 cm) border on the sides.
- Fold the empty side onto the filled one.
- Using your ruler and sharp knife or pastry wheel, cut about 0.8-inch (2 cm) strips sideways.
- To shape the buns: starting from the end, wrap one strip around the tips of your thumb and four fingers (three if you have big hands) twice, twisting slightly as you wrap, then slip your thumb out of the roll, loop the strip around one last time then tuck the end and your thumb loop into the bottom. If you’re having trouble, watch the video below. Repeat with all strips.
Rising, baking and brushing the buns:
- Place buns on a previously lined baking sheets, giving enough space for dough to rise and spread during proofing and baking. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise for about 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Once the oven temperature is ready, place the buns in the oven and bake for 7-8 minutes on middle rack, until tops are golden brown.
- For brushing: while buns are baking, heat water and sugar in a small saucepan on high until sugar has dissolved completely. Stir and set syrup aside. In a separate bowl, mix the remaining Tablespoon of sugar with cardamom.
- Remove buns from the oven and immediately brush with syrup. Sprinkle the sugar-cardamom mixture over and let cool completely before serving.
Notes
* If using instant dry yeast or active dry yeast, check the detailed instructions and conversions in the recipe post.
** For homemade almond paste, proceed as followed: In a mixing bowl, combine together 2/3 cup (75g) almond flour, 1/3 cup (50g) confectioners sugar, 1/2 Tablespoon honey, 1 Tablespoon water, and 2 drops almond extract until a paste forms. Shape into a log, wrap up in cling film and place in refrigerator to chill for about 15 minutes.
Did you make this recipe?
Lastly, if you make this Swedish Rhubarb Cardamom Buns, be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, letting me know how you liked it. And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Thank you and enjoy!
Alex
Hey Del! I just came across your blog looking for exactly this type of rhubarb Swedish buns and these look amazing, I can’t wait to make them this weekend! One question though, how would you recommend storing them? It’s only two of us so eating 30 buns in a couple of days might be a bit much haha!
Can you freeze them before or after baking?
Delphine Fortin
Hi Alex! Oh I know the feeling being two around many many Swedish buns, I’ve been there believe me 🙂 So what I do is either invite some people or organize a potluck, OR just bake them, let them cool, then store in an airtight bag (ziploc bag). And so, whenever I have a little craving, I just take one out from the freezer, warm up in the microwave (or if I’m in the mood to wait a little longer in an 200°F/100°C oven), and enjoy! Del
Bekky
Finding your blog is the best thing that’s happened to me this year! I want to make everything!
Delphine Fortin
Oh this is SO nice of you, thank you so much for your kind words! 🙂 Del