Name: VEGAN FINNISH CINNAMON ROLLS
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 24
Cuisine: Finnish
Ingredients: 5 deciliters oat milk; 22 grams dry yeast; 1 deciliter organic cane sugar; 1 tablespoon cardamom; 1 teaspoon salt; 13 deciliters wheat flour; 1,5 deciliters runny baking margarine; ½ deciliter runny plant butter; 1 deciliter cane sugar; 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar; 2 tablespoons organic ground cinnamon; 2 tablespoons water; 2 tablespoons sugar; 1/2 deciliters pearl sugar

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Cinnamon rolls are the symbol of traditions, family, and enjoyment to many. The fact that I don’t bake cinnamon rolls more often makes it even more special when I do! There are plenty of variations around the world, and the closest to this recipe is Swedish. Still, after years of wholehearted traveling, the only real cinnamon roll for me is Korvapuusti, the one that has the word home written all over it.

We call these beautiful cinnamon rolls “korvapuusti” in Finnish. The direct translation is something like a slap around the ears. What the heck? A slightly offputting name, I admit, but we Finns are a peculiar people. I think the name has stuck to these bakery staples because of the shape and look.

Ingredients

Dough

oat milk
dry yeast
organic cane sugar
ground cardamom
salt
wheat flour/all-purpose flour
runny baking margarine

Filling

runny plant margarine
cane sugar
vanilla sugar
organic ground cinnamon

Finishing

water
sugar
pearl sugar

The recipe

Mixing & waiting

Start by heating oat milk in a large bowl (the dough will double its size). Add dry yeast that is mixed with two deciliters of all-purpose flour into the warm oat milk and stir. Add sugar, salt, cardamom, and start adding in the flour, little by little. When you have a few deciliters of flour left, add the runny margarine and work the dough until everything is combined. Finish it with the rest of the four. Knead some. The dough is ready when it does not stick to the sides of the bowl. Cover it with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a draft-free place; a microwave is a perfect spot for thirty minutes or until the dough has doubled its size.

I find this waiting part to be thrilling. Waiting for the dough to rise is like gradual magic that cannot be rushed.

When I was a child, I remember that my older sister used to eat the dough raw. Mom had to hide the unbaked rolls from her to get some in the oven eventually. I could never figure out what the appeal was but now I know, it is the unbearably soft texture and pungent cardamom flavor. The dough is so gorgeous, I can’t blame her, can I?

Kneading, rolling & cutting

Now that the dough is ready, plump and full of beautiful air pockets, pour it on a flour-dusted table and give it some love by kneading it for a while to remove some of the most significant air pockets. When done, clean the excess flour off the table and take out your rolling pin.

Split the dough in two. Work with one at a time and roll it into a rectangular sheet 40 times 60 centimeters. It may appear quite thin, but that is just the way it is supposed to be. Next, spread the sheet with margarine, sprinkle with a generous amount of cane sugar that has the vanilla mixed in it, and the cinnamon! Remember that cinnamon is the soul of these delicacies, so go ahead and use it as much as you’d like. The more flavor, the better, right?

There are only two things to keep in mind when rolling up the cinnamon roll sheets; start rolling the dough from the longer end and hold the roll tight, especially in the beginning, and somewhat even. Make sure to leave the seam underneath. Nothing to be taken too seriously but to help you get the idea. And I remember someone once said that the baked goods always look like the baker, so always be proud of your creations!

Cut each roll to 12 pieces in rough triangles (see the image in below) First slanted to the right, then left so that the narrow end is about the width of your finger.

Show them rolls the finger

Now, this is the fun part; lift the pieces so that the narrow end is facing upwards and firmly press your index finger through the middle of the roll until it hits the table, it should look like something like in the photo below. As you do this, the edges will open up and create the unique layered look that reveals all the good stuff that looks that only these Finnish cinnamon rolls posses.

Lastly, transfer the cinnamon rolls onto a parchment paper-covered baking tray and paste them with the wash: the mix of oat milk and sugar. You can skip this step if you feel like it, but in my opinion, it will create a beautiful golden hue on the rolls when mingling with the heat of the oven. For the finishing touch, sprinkle some pearl sugar on each, glossy and sticky Korvapuusti. Pop the tray into the oven and bake about ten minutes.

Slip some of these buns into the freezer when they are fresh and enjoy them later!