Every bakery in Stockholm sells cinnamon buns, and every one of them sells more cardamom buns, because Swedes figured out some time ago that cardamom, with its perfume of citrus and pine, does what cinnamon does but with more interest. The buns are made from a soft, enriched dough that is itself spiced, spread with a cardamom-sugar butter, folded and cut into strips, then twisted and knotted into a shape that looks like it requires a degree. It does not. It requires the dough to be cold enough to handle and a willingness to make a mess.
Two things matter. The first is the cardamom: buy green pods, remove the seeds and crush them coarsely in a mortar or with the bottom of a pan. Pre-ground cardamom has lost most of what makes it worth using. The second is patience with the dough, which is sticky by design and becomes manageable only after a rest in the refrigerator.
Ingredients, for 14 buns. For the dough: 500 grams strong white flour; 75 grams sugar; 7 grams instant yeast; 1 teaspoon fine salt; 2 teaspoons freshly crushed cardamom seeds; 250 milliliters whole milk, lukewarm; 1 egg; 100 grams unsalted butter, soft. For the filling: 125 grams unsalted butter, very soft; 100 grams light brown sugar; 2 tablespoons crushed cardamom seeds; a pinch of salt. For finishing: 1 egg, beaten; 50 grams sugar and 50 milliliters water for a syrup; pearl sugar or more crushed cardamom to scatter.
Make the dough. Mix the flour, sugar, yeast, salt and cardamom in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the milk and egg and mix until shaggy, then knead, by hand on an unfloured counter or with a dough hook, for 8 minutes until smooth and elastic. Add the soft butter in pieces and keep kneading until it is fully incorporated and the dough is glossy and pulls away from the bowl, another 6 to 8 minutes. It will be soft and a little sticky. Cover and let it rise until doubled, about 90 minutes, then press it down, cover again and refrigerate for at least an hour, or overnight.
Fill and shape. Beat the filling ingredients together into a smooth paste. On a lightly floured counter, roll the cold dough into a rectangle about 50 by 35 centimeters, with a long side toward you. Spread the filling over the whole surface. Fold the top third down over the middle, then the bottom third up, like a letter, to make a strip 50 by about 12 centimeters. Roll lightly to seal and even it out. Cut the strip crosswise into 14 pieces about 3.5 centimeters wide.
To twist a bun, hold a strip at both ends, stretch it gently to about 30 centimeters, and twist the ends in opposite directions so the strip becomes a rope. Wrap the rope twice around three fingers of one hand, tuck the end through the middle and under, and set the knot on a lined baking sheet. If it looks uneven, it is correct. Space the buns well apart, cover loosely and let them rise for 60 to 75 minutes until puffy.
Bake and glaze. Heat the oven to 220 degrees Celsius. Brush the buns with beaten egg and bake for 10 to 12 minutes until deep gold; they burn quickly at the edges, so watch them. While they bake, dissolve the sugar in the water in a small pan and simmer for 2 minutes. Brush the hot buns with the syrup the moment they come out, and scatter with pearl sugar or a little more cardamom. They are at their best within three hours and can be frozen, then warmed for 5 minutes in a hot oven. Serve with coffee, in the afternoon, without apology.
A version of this article appears in print on Oct. 12, 2026, Section C, Page 15 of the European edition with the headline: Swedish Cardamom Buns Are Better Than Cinnamon Buns, and Stockholm Has Known for Years.
