Swedish Vanilla Buns

If, like me, you love vanilla, you have to try these Swedish vanilla buns or vaniljbullar. I can assure you they are the perfect accompaniment to coffee, no matter what time of day you have it. The dough flavored with cardamom and the creamy vanilla filling go together beautifully, and the result is delicate, balanced, and very aromatic.

These sweets are inspired by the traditional kanelbullar or braided cinnamon buns. Although their popularity is relatively recent, vanilla buns have become stars of Swedish bakery windows, standing out for their fluffy texture and the creaminess and delicacy of their filling.

You may think they are a little labor-intensive, but I recommend making the filling cream the day before and letting it cool in the fridge, covered with cling film touching the surface. Besides having a better consistency, it is ideal for getting organized. The next day, all you will need to do is prepare the dough for the vanilla buns with the help of the best assistant, the Ankarsrum mixer, shape them, spread the filling, and give them the required rest before baking, so you can enjoy them slowly at tea time.

Here is the recipe for Swedish vanilla buns. You have to try them, because they are spectacular!

Ingredients

Ingredients for the bun dough

• 50 g fresh baker's yeast
• 500 ml whole milk at room temperature
• 1.5 tablespoons freshly ground cardamom
• 200 g melted butter
• 180 g invert sugar
• 1 egg at room temperature
• approx. 950 g wheat flour (add a little more if needed, up to 1 kg)
• 1.5 teaspoons salt
• A little melted butter to brush over the buns when they come out of the oven.

Ingredients for the cardamom sugar

• 1 tablespoon freshly ground cardamom
• 125 g sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar

Ingredients for the vanilla cream

• 5 eggs
• 130 g sugar
• 1/2 vanilla bean (scrape out the seeds and simmer the pod as well)
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 pinch of salt
• 400 ml whole milk at room temperature

Preparation

Preparation of the vanilla cream

1. In a saucepan, mix the eggs, the sugar, the vanilla seeds and half the pod, the cornstarch, and the pinch of salt. Add the milk at the end and stir to combine everything well.
2. Heat the mixture over low heat, stirring constantly.
3. When you see the mixture thicken, remove it from the heat before it starts to boil.
4. Remove the pod and put the cream in a bowl. Cover it with cling film touching the surface and, once it has cooled a little, refrigerate.

Making the dough

1. Put the melted butter in the bowl of your mixer Ankarsrum and add the milk, the invert sugar, the ground cardamom, and the salt. Mix the ingredients with the roller.
2. Check that the mixture is no hotter than 37º C and add the crumbled yeast. Stir to dissolve it well. If the temperature is higher, let it cool to 37º C so you don't damage the yeast.
3. Start adding the flour little by little (not all at once) and mix at low speed. Add the 950 g of flour until you get a smooth, slightly sticky dough. If you see that you need a little more flour, add the rest gradually.
4. Knead at low speed for about 10-12 minutes, until the gluten develops.
5. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest at room temperature for an hour to rise (between 22-25º C).
6. Once the time is up, lightly flour the work surface and turn out the dough without handling it too much.
7. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a rectangle.
8. Cut strips about 1 cm wide.
9. Take two strips and braid or twist them together.
10. Shape them into a spiral and place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
11. Take the cream out of the fridge and whisk it well to loosen it up a little.
12. Put the vanilla cream in a piping bag and pipe it into the center of each spiral.
13. Cover the buns with cling film or a cotton cloth and let them rise for about 45 minutes at room temperature (between 22-25º C).
14. While the buns rest, preheat the oven to 225º C.
15. Once the time is up and the oven is hot, bake the buns for about 15 minutes.
16. When you take them out of the oven, brush them with melted butter and sprinkle cardamom sugar over the top.
17. Let them cool on a wire rack before trying them. With a hot tea or a good coffee, they are absolutely delicious!

Tips

• If you have just discovered vanilla buns, but haven't tried cinnamon buns yet, you can see how to make Kanelbullar here.
• And if you want to try another sweet Swedish treat, you won't be able to resist Semlor, soft buns filled with almond cream and whipped cream. You're going to love them!