3 1/4 cups all-purpose unbleached flour, plus more to flour surfaces
1 teaspoon of cardamom powder
1/4 teaspoon of salt
5.3 tablespoons of butter (at room temperature)
Oil to grease bowl
CARDAMOM FILLING
4 1/2 tablespoons of butter (at room temperature)
1/3 cup of dark brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons of cardamom powder
CARDAMOM TOPPING
1/4 cup of water
1/4 cup of light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste
1 teaspoon of granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon of cardamom powder
CARDAMOM DOUGH
Oil a large bowl and set aside.
In a bowl, add yeast to the lukewarm milk with 1 tsp. light brown sugar (milk that has been heated) and stir until yeast has dissolved. Let activate for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, add cardamom with spice grinder or mortar and pestle. In the bowl of your stand mixer, fitted with whisk attachment, mix together flour, light brown sugar (less 1 tsp.), cardamom, and salt.
Change the attachment to the dough hook attachment.
After yeast has been activated, add your yeast/milk mixture to the flour mixture and mix on low until dough begins to come together. Increase speed to medium-low and add cubed butter in handfuls. Once all the butter has been added, increase speed to medium/medium-high and knead for about 5 minutes. You want this to be a fairly loose dough, so whatever you do, don't over knead.
Scrape dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape it into a bun, tucking the edges toward the center. Place in your greased bowl, seam side down and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Place bowl in a warm place and let it rise for at least 40 minutes.
CARDAMOM FILLING
In the bowl of your stand mixer, fitter with paddle attachment, combine butter, dark brown sugar, the cardamom, and mix together on medium-low until creamy and smooth.
FORMING
Line baking sheets with parchment or Silpat mats and set aside.
Roll out dough into a 13” x 21” rectangle on a lightly floured surface.
Spread filling onto the rolled out dough rectangle with silicone spatula or offset spatula so that it covers the entire area from edge to edge.
Mark 7" sections on the 21" side with the back of a knife so that you have three equal sections. Fold left side to the middle, than fold the right side over the left side. Turn the dough so that the openings are on the left and right sides and roll out the dough slightly.
Using your ruler and sharp knife or pastry wheel, cut 2 cm strands. You should have 15-20 strands.
Starting from the end, wrap one strand around the tips of your thumb and four fingers (three if you have big hands) twice, twisting slightly as you wrap, then slip your thumb out of the roll, loop the strand around one last time then tuck the end and your thumb loop into the bottom. Repeat with all strands.
Place buns on your pre lined baking sheets, (giving enough room for dough to rise and spread during proofing and baking), cover with a kitchen towel and let rise for about 30 minutes.
While proofing, preheat oven to 435°F (at least 30 minutes before baking)
CARDAMOM TOPPING
While rolls are proofing, heat water, light brown sugar, and vanilla bean paste in a small saucepan on high until sugar has dissolved completely. Set syrup aside. Combine cardamom and granulated sugar in a small bowl.
BAKE
Bake proofed rolls for 7-8 minutes or until tops are golden brown.
Immediately brush tops with syrup and sprinkle with cardamom-sugar.
