1In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and instant yeast. Mix well.
2Add the warm milk and use the hook attachment to mix on LOW speed until incorporated.
3Increase speed to Medium and gradually add the softened butter.
4Knead 8-10 minutes, until a soft and smooth dough.
5Transfer to a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm environment for 1-2 hours, until doubled in size.
6Preheat oven to 400F.
7Line two baking pans with parchment paper.
8Combine all filling ingredients in a bowl and use a fork to mix until a smooth filling.
9Roll out the risen dough on a floured surface to a 20" x 16" rectangle.
10Spread the filling evenly over half of the surface lengthwise.
11Fold the dough in half so the bland side covers over the filling.
12Slice lengthwise into 12-16 equal-sized strips (depending on how large you want to make the cardamom buns).
13Wrap each strip around four fingers 3-4 times, then cross over the center and tuck the end underneath.
14Place on the prepared baking pans 3-4" apart.
15Cover loosely with plastic wrap to rise 30 minutes to 1 hour, until doubled in size.
16Combine the ground cardamom and sugar in a small bowl. Mix well.
17Brush each bun with the beaten egg, then garnish generously with the cardamom-sugar.
18Bake in the middle rack for 15-20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking, until deeply golden on top.
19Let cool at least 10 minutes before enjoying warm!
Ingredients
4 cups All Purpose Flour or bread flour
0.5 cup Granulated Cane Sugar
1 tsp. Fine Baking Salt
1 tbsp. Instant Yeast
1.5 cups Milk warm to touch
4 tbsp. Softened Unsalted Butter
8 tbsp. Softened Unsalted Butter
0.5 cup Granulated Cane Sugar
1 Optional Zest of Orange
4 tsp. Finely Ground Cardamom Seeds
0.25 tsp. Fine Baking Salt
1 Egg beaten
0.33 cup Granulated Cane Sugar
4 tsp. Finely Ground Cardamom Seeds
Equipment
stand mixerhook attachmentgreased bowlplastic wrapovenbaking pansparchment paperforkfloured surfacesmall bowl
Tips
Store cardamom buns in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
For longer storage, wrap each bun tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 months.
Reheat frozen buns in the oven or microwave to enjoy fresh-baked softness.
You could probably switch out the instant yeast with 75 grams of active sourdough starter, and make the dough around 7pm the day prior and let rise overnight. Then, start the process the next morning, allowing a little more rising time for the second rising!