Easter is a typical time for  buns, wreaths and other fine goodies made with yeast. I wanted to make a breaded bun filled with plum jam anyway and as I am smart enough to buy everything double when attempting to prep something on a bank holiday, I had leftover yeast and decided to try out some little swedish delights. It is one dough, that can be varied to different shapes and flavours. I found the recipe in Lecker magazine, written by the one and only Frau Horstmäään from Zucker, Zimt & Liebe.  She has a thing for Scandinavia, that is obvious. And in the last Lecker Bakery, there was a special on her scandinavian recipes. I have tried out Kanelbullar and Kanelknuter, both made from the same dough with different fillings and shapes. Yeast doughs are very easy, when you follow some simple rules.

Make sure, that the milk is not warmer that lukewarm, otherwise it might kill the yeast bacteria and your dough will be hard as stone. Do a pre-dough, even though most recipes don’t say so, Grandma taught me, so I’m doing it. Grandma also taught me never to use metal bowls or mixing appliances. Once you’ve mixed everything together, knead for 3 minutes longer. Then give your dough some rest at a warm spot, be patient and let the yeast do the work. There are some shortcuts like filling a bowl with warm water and put the bowl with your dough in there, sprinkle with a little flour and cover with a tea towel. Now on to the recipe, I have made some small adjustments. Kanel-Dough (enough for both Bullar and Knuter)

• 400 ml lukewarm milk
• 1 cube fresh yeast
• 800 g flour (+50g if it is too sticky)
• 150 g sugar
• pinch of salt
• 2 eggs at room temperature
• 150 g butter at room temperature

Heat up the milk until lukewarm, crumble in the yeast and dissolve. Sift the flour into a bowl and form a hole in the center. Fill the hole with the milk-yeast-mixture, sprinkle with a little sugar and let rest covered at a warm spot for 10 minutes. This is what my grandma called the pre-dough. Add the other ingredients and knead until everything is combined plus 3 more minutes. Then put back in the bowl, cover with a clean tea towel and let rest for 40 minutes at a warm spot. Split the dough in 2 halfs, one half for the bullar and one half for the knuter.

Bullar

• 50 g + 25g butter
• 75 g sugar (I am such a rebell, I did 60 g sugar and 15 g rock sugar)
• 2 tl cinnamon
• flour to roll out dough

Preheat the oven to 175° C with fan. Dust your work surface with flour, knead the dough on flour and roll to a large square (35 x 60 cm). Then melt 50 g butter and mix the sugar with the cinnamon in another bowl. Spread the melted butter and the cinnamon sugar over the dough. Cut in half lengthwise and then roll each part up to a long stick. Cut every stick in ca 10 pieces, each around 2 fingers wide. Place the small snaily things on the cut surface on a baking tray with parchment, leave space between them as they will grow. Cover with a tea towel and let rest at a warm spot for 10 minutes. Right before the Bullar go into the oven, sprinkle each of the little cuties with butter flakes, that’s what the other 25 grams are for. Only bake 1 tray at a time for 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. When I tried one fresh out of the oven I was very disappointed, but after putting them in a cookie tin over night, they’ve won my heart and made it to the Misters favourite list.

Knuter

• 50 g + 25g butter
• 75 g sugar (I am such a rebell, I did 60 g sugar and 15 g rock sugar)
• 2 tl cinnamon
• 100 g almonds flaked
• 100 g Marzipan (cold)
• flour to roll out dough

When your Bullars are ready for the oven you go on with the Knods. Dust your work surface with flour, knead the dough on flour and roll to a large square (40 x 50 cm). Then melt 50 g butter and mix the sugar with the cinnamon in another bowl. Spread the melted butter over the dough, then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar (except 2 tbsp to keep for later), scatter 75 g of the flaked almonds all over and grate the cold marzipan over the dough. Press all of that filling into the dough a little, then fold in half lengthwise and press it together a little more. Cut the whole plate into 2 fingers wide stripes. Take each of these stripes and twist it, stretching it a little, a little of the filling will fall out, but don’t worry. Then we go on folding the knots. Keep one end in your hand and twist the other end around your fingers twice to form 2 loops. Then tuck the end through both loops and ta-daaaa. Place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Cover with a tea towel and let them rest for 10 minutes.  Before they go into the hot oven, brush the knods with the 25 g melted butter and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar and almonds we kept for later. If much of the filling fell out while forming the loops, also sprinkle on top. Bake at the same temeprature as the bullar for 12-14 minutes. Unlike the Bullar, these can be enjoyed directly or kept in a cookie tin, but they won’t last long.