Korvapuusti is Korvapuusti

There's no translation for these beloved Finnish buns. If you try to translate, you might get something like "ear slap" or "ear tree" and we all know that is not a proper name for the most comforting cinnamon bun you will ever find. It's not just the fluffy, layered, floral cardamom bun, or the light cinnamon-sugar filling that makes these stand out. It's also the smell that these buns bring to your home during baking. The first time I smelled this, I opened the computer and started this blog. I don't know why or how the Finnish version of a Cinnamon Roll can bring such joy, but there's even a day to celebrate the bun. Every year on October 4, Finns enjoy the buns at home and in coffee shops to celebrate baking traditions. The beautiful spiraling shape, the colors that range from deep molasses to a creamy latte - they're as beautiful as they are tasty.

Of course, no one will share their bun secrets, but after several attempts, I'm going to share what I have learned! I've tried various recipes. I've forgotten the egg wash, forgotten the pearl sugar, and shaped them upside down! No matter what, they were always tasty. However, through this practice I've been able to improve my recipe. I prefer the buns to be less sweet, so I've reduced the filling. I've slightly increased the cardamom to ensure that flavor comes through when you bite into the fluffy bun. Luckily, the recipe needs almost no kneading, which is good because I'm still working with one wooden spoon and one mixing bowl since we just moved to Finland!

I hope you enjoy!

p.s. Kaija made the snowflake potholder you see in the photos.

Korvapuusti Recipe

Bun Dough Ingredients

• 11 g hiivaa 11 g dry yeast

• 2.5 dl kevytmaitoa 1 cup 2% Milk

• 1 kananmuna 1 egg

• 1 dl sokeria ½ cup sugar

• 1 tl suolaa 1 tsp salt

• ½ rkl kardemummaa ½ tbsp cardamom

• 7 dl vehnäjauhoja 3 cups wheat flour

• 80 g voita ⅓ cup butter

Filling Ingredients

• 75 g voita ⅓ cup butter

• ¾ dl fariinisokeria ⅓ cup brown sugar

• ¾ dl sokeria ⅓ cup sugar

• 1 rkl kanelia 1 tbsp cinnamon

Directions

Prep the Dough and Rise

1. Dissolve the yeast in the milk with 1 tsp sugar. Do this in a medium size mixing bowl - eventually all of your dough will be here. Allow to awaken for about 10 minutes or until bubbly.

2. Combine dry ingredients. Mix the sugar, salt, cardamom, and 2 dl flour in a separate bowl.

3. Add egg to milk. Once your yeast/milk is ready, add the egg and stir until well mixed.

4. Add dry ingredients to milk. Stir until well combined and smooth.

5. Gradually incorporate the rest of the flour 1 dl at a time into the dough, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

6. Add the melted butter and stir into the the dough. All of this can be done with a wooden spoon and/or fork.

7. Knead the dough for two minutes by turning it over on itself and folding it. Return the kneaded dough to a greased bowl.

8. Let the dough rise under a cloth in a draft-free place until doubled in size. This may take an hour or so depending on the temp of your space. Mix your sugars and cinnamon for filling and set aside for later.

Shape the Dough and Second Rise

1. Prep your work surface with flour. The roll you’re making will be quite long, so make sure you have ample room to work. You will also need to slice this roll, so I like to have a cutting board nearby to transfer sections of the roll onto in order to make my cuts.

2. Turning the dough out onto your work surface. It should be leggy and have a slightly stringy texture. Although you’ve just let it rise, we’re going to knock it down. Adding a bit of flour along the way, you want to gently knead the dough. You can actually hear the air popping out of the dough. This is okay, don't panic. Once we shape the buns, they will have a chance to rise again into fluffy dream buns.

3. Once you’ve kneaded 2 - 3 times to shape into a ball, you want to roll the dough out to a rectangle shape. The dough should feel soft and fluffy and easy to roll. It will start to shrink a bit so just keep rolling and pulling very gently on the edges to get the shape you want.

4. Spread the softened butter over the entire surface of the dough. Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon mixture on top.

5. Roll the sheet of dough into a log starting from the long edge. Leave the seam on the underside. Cut the rolls diagonally into triangular pieces with a sharp knife. Move the cut pieces to a sheet pan with the narrow point upwards.

6. To shape the rolls, you're going to push down on the center while using the other hand to hold the top and bottom of roll to maintain some oval/circular shape.

7. Brush the rolls with egg and sprinkle with pearl sugar.

8. Cover with kitchen towel and allow to rise until doubled in size.

Bake

1. Bake at 225 C (425 F) for 8-10 minutes or until deliciously golden. Allow to cool completely before storing in airtight container. Freezes well. Warm gently before serving.

2. Share with friends and serve with coffee.