Voisilmäpulla - Finnish Butter Eye Buns
Cardamom-scented buns with a butter-and-sugar crunch
Ingredients
- 1½ c milk warmed to about 110 F
- 65 g sugar about ½c + 1 Tbsp
- 3½ tsp active yeast
- 1½ tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 200 g unsalted butter 10½ Tbsp
- 1 egg
- 640-690 g AP flour 4½-5 c
- 1 tsp vanilla
Filling
- 1-1½ sticks salted butter
- granulated sugar to top
Finishing
- 1 egg beaten
- Swedish pearl sugar
Instructions
- Whisk the sugar, yeast, cardamom, and vanilla into the warm milk. Set aside for 5-10 minutes until foamy
- Melt butter and allow to cool to luke warm.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the milk mixture with the butter, and add the salt. With the mixer running, add about half of the flour and the egg.
- Continue to add flour until a smooth dough comes together. Knead in the mixer for abouout 5 minutes, or by hand for 10, until dough is smooth and elastic. Oil a bowl, place the dough in it, turning once to coat. Cover and allow to rise in a warm place for 45min-1hr or until doubled.
- While dough is rising, cut butter for filling into 30 small cubes and place in the freezer.
- Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 30 equal balls (45g ea). Roll into smooth balls and place on baking sheet. Allow to rise another 30 minutes. While dough is rising, preheat oven to 400 F.
- Once risen, press a deep hole into the center of each bun. Place a cube of frozen butter in the hole, and top with a little granulated sugar (enough to fill the rest of the hole and cover the butter).
- Beat the egg into an egg wash, and coat the bun (avoiding the centers). Sprinkle with Swedish pearl sugar.
- Bake for about 15 minutes, until golden brown and delicious.
