We Knead To Bake #11 : Kanel Snegle/ Kanelbullar (Swedish Cinnamon Snails/ Rolls)

A lot of last month and this one too, have been quite busy and I did end up picking comparatively easier bread this month for the “We Knead To Bake” group to bake. It’s a bread I had marked as one I definitely wanted to make, and easy they might be, but they are very, very good as you will find endorsed by all those who did bake them.

I have made Cinnamon Rolls flavoured with cardamom before, but these rolls are a little different because they involve the use of a refrigerated starter and so take a little longer to make.

This month’s bread is the Kanel Snegle (Cinnamon Snails) or Kanelbullar (Cinnamon Buns) which is the Swedish version (and probably the original version) of the popular American Cinnamon Rolls. The Swedish version are and not sticky like their American counterparts and are also less sweet. They’re are delightfully aromatic, soft and moist, and perfect with a cup of tea/ coffee whether for breakfast or in the evening.

The Swedish Kanel Snegle/ Kanelbullar is less about sugar and more about the spices in it – cardamom in the dough and cinnamon inside the Snails/ Buns. Whether you call them Snails or Rolls (coiled shape) or Buns (twisted and rolled up) depends on how you shape them.

Scandinavian celebratory breads tend to be all about spices and warmth so you will find a lot of their breads scented with cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, aniseed, etc.

You will find these rolls/ buns in some form in various countries across Europe, perhaps differently shaped and made with a slightly different recipe.

So they’ll be Franzbrotchen in Germany and Austria, Korvapuusti in Finland, Skillingsbollen in Norway and Brioche/ Pain a la Canelle in France.

Kanel Snegle/ Kanelbullar are traditionally made on the 4th of October every year in Sweden to celebrate “the Day of the Cinnamon Bun” but can be found in bakeries all through the year. There are different ways of shaping this confectionery and I have detailed two types here – the typical “snail” shapes which much like that of the regular Cinnamon Roll, and the “twist”

Typically the traditional filling in these buns is just butter, sugar and cinnamon, but there are versions that also use almonds with this filling and that’s what I have done here. Kanel Snegle/ kanelbullar usually come baked in white paper cases, and the nice thing about this is that the filling stays in the buns and doesn’t get left behind on the baking sheets!

I found some videos on shapingthese rolls quite useful.

One way of shaping is to just roll up the dough with filling like jelly/ swiss roll style and cut them into pieces. This is the typical Kanel Snegle. The other way is to fold the dough over the filling and cut it into strips. Then slightly pull/ elongate strips and twist like a rope and then roll it up, tucking the end underneath the bun.

The third slightly more complicated and prettier bun is made by cutting the strips into half lengthwise leaving one end attached (see pictures and video for details) like “trousers/ pants”. Then each “leg is twisted and then rolled up to form a bun.

The recipe below is adapted and tweaked from a variety of recipes which were more or less the same. Some recipes mention using bread flour, but most use plain flour and that’s the way I went.

As I mentioned before, this recipe involves the preparation of a starter which is refrigerated overnight. It will rise quite a bit so make sure your container has enough of free space to allow the dough to expand.

These Kanel Snegle freeze quite well, so you can make the full batch of twenty and freeze them for later use. Just warm them up in the microwave or the oven whenever you want one or two.

Kanel Snegle/ Kanelbullar (Swedish Cinnamon Snails/ Rolls)

We Knead To Bake #11 : Kanel Snegle/ Kanelbullar (Swedish Cinnamon Snails/ Rolls)

A.

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Ingredients

  

For the Starter:

• 1 cup milk warm
• 2 tsps yeast instant
• 2 cups all-purpose flour

For the Dough:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp salt (if using ed butter, otherwise 1 1/2 tsp)
• 6 to 8 pods cardamom , powdered
• 2 tsps lemon zest
• 1/3 cup caster sugar
• 60 g butter , soft at room temperature

For the Filling:

• 75 g butter , soft at room temperature
• 1/2 cup brown sugar light , loosely packed (or 1/3 cup caster sugar)
• 2 tsps cinnamon
• 1/3 cup ground almonds coarsely

For the Topping:

• 1/4 cup milk (or egg wash if you eat eggs)
• sugar sugar Pearl or large crystals

Instructions

 

• Mix together all the ingredients for the Starter into a sticky dough, in a large bowl. Place the Starter dough in an oiled bowl and loosely cover it and then refrigerate it. Remember the dough will rise quite a bit so use a container that has enough room for this.
• The next day, about 30 minutes before you are ready to start on the dough, take the Starter out and leave it at room temperature. As always this can be kneaded by hand or in the processor. Iu2019m giving instructions for using the processor.
• Tear the Starter to large pieces and drop into the processor bowl. Now sift together the flour, cardamom and salt into a bowl. Add this, the lemon zest and sugar to the bowl and run the processor till well mixed.
• Now add the soft butter and knead well until you have a smooth and elastic dough. If your dough feels dry, add a little milk or if it feels wet then add a little flour till you have the required consistency of dough.
  
• Now turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and then roll it out into a approximately rectangle about 20u201d by 12u201d in size. Make the filling by mixing/ creaming together the soft butter, brown sugar and cinnamon with a fork or spoon into a spreadable paste. Depending on which shape you are going to make your Cinnamon Buns, spread the filling either all over your dough rectangle, or over half of it.
• Sprinkle the coarse almond powder over this and then either tightly roll the dough jelly/ Swiss roll style and cut it into 20 equal pieces with a sharp knife. Place these, cut side down on a lightly greased baking sheet leaving space between them, or in white cupcake cases. (See images 1 through 3)
• Otherwise fold the dough over in half and cut into 20 long strips with a sharp knife, twist and shape them as desired. Place these, cut side down on a lightly greased baking sheet leaving space between them, or in white cupcake cases. (See images 4 through 8)
• Let them rise for about 10 to 15 minutes till they look a little puffy but not swollen up. Brush the Snails/ Buns with milk (or egg wash) and sprinkle with pearl sugar, large sugar crystals or brown sugar (whatever you have on hand).
• Bake them at 200C (400F) for about 15 minutes till theyu2019re cooked, golden brown and sound hollow when tapped. If theyu2019re browning too quickly, turn down the temperature by about 20C (65F) and bake them till done.
• Let them cool on wire racks. You can serve them warm or at room temperature. You can freeze these Kanel Snegle for whenever you feel like having one. This recipe makes about 20 Kanel Snegle/ Kanelbullar.

Notes

These are being YeastSpotted!

Just in case you haven’t seen my previous post, I’m giving away a copy of Ricki Heller’s “Naturally Sweet Gluten-Free” and the giveaway is open till the 30th of November, 2013. Please see the post for details.