Basic Scandinavian Cardamom Dough Recipe

Cardamom dough
Matthew Phillips / Folio / Getty Images
  • 90 mins
  • Prep: 90 mins,
  • Cook: 0 mins
  • Yield: 2 loaves (26 servings)
Ratings (24)

By Kari Diehl

Updated 10/16/17

This simple, cardamom-spiced yeasted dough serves as the basis for many Scandinavian coffee breads, rolls, and buns.

What You'll Need

  • 2 1/2 cups milk
  • 1 1/2 cups butter (melted)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 2 tsp.
  • cardamom (freshly  ground from about 25 cardamom pods)
  • 2 pkg. dry active yeast (4 1/2 tsp.)
  • 8-9 cups flour (all-purpose or bread flour)​

How to Make It

  1. Heat milk to a light boil, turning off heat when it reaches the scalding point (with small bubbles across the top).
  2. Stir in melted butter, sugar, salt, and ground cardamom. Let mixture cool until “finger-warm” (still quite warm, but just cool enough to touch).
  3. Stir in yeast and let sit for 10 minutes.
  4. Add flour into mixture 1/2 cup at a time until dough is firm and pulls away from the side of your mixing bowl (Tip: If using a stand mixer, exchange the mixing paddle for the dough hook after you’ve added the first 5 cups of flour. Use the dough hook to mix and knead the dough as you add the remaining 3-4 cups of flour).
  1. Cover the dough in the mixing bowl with a clean towel and let rise until doubled, about an hour.
  2. Punch down the dough, then remove from bowl.
  3. On a floured counter, knead dough lightly until smooth and shiny.
  4. Divide dough into two halves and use to make braided loaves (vetebröd), buns, and/or cinnamon rolls (kanelbullar).
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
Calories 155
Total Fat 12 g
Saturated Fat 7 g
Unsaturated Fat 4 g
Cholesterol 31 mg
Sodium 156 mg
Carbohydrates 11 g
Dietary Fiber 0 g
Protein 1 g
(The nutrition information on our recipes is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. Individual results may vary.)