Kanelgifflar: Swedish Cinnamon Crescents
Kanelgifflar: Swedish Cinnamon Crescents are sweet, cinnamony, and slightly sticky.
Karlsbaderdeg
For this recipe I have changed out the usual bun dough I use, called vetedeg in Swedish, for karlsbaderdeg. This dough, karlsbad dough in english, is richer than vetedeg. It has more butter, eggs, and a little baking powder. It is very common to make this type of dough by making vetedeg and blending it with some leftover short crust pastry dough. In this way bakeries can use up all the scraps of short crust pastry and nothing has to go to waste. The bakery I worked at made karlsbaderdeg by mixing vetedeg and danish dough. There are 1000 ways to skin a cat and all of these options are delicious. My version doesn’t include scraps of anything as I didnt think that was practical for someone making a one off batch.
Gifflar
The name gifflar actually refers to its shape. Gifflar are supposed to be crescent shaped, like a croissant. That has changed a bit in the last few decades because of Pågen gifflar. Pågen is a brand that sells ready to eat baked goods. Think Nestle, or Pepperidge Farm. Bags of cinnamon gifflar are sold everywhere, in every grocery store and at every gas station. They are two bite sized and shaped like a sideways cinnamon roll, not a half moon.
Shaping
When trying to make my own at home I decided to go for the sideways cinnamon roll look instead of a croissant. I was trying to directly copy the look of the Pågen ones. I think nowadays most people in Sweden would think of this shape when they think kanelgifflar, instead of the crescent.
No matter how you shape Kanelgifflar: Swedish Cinnamon Crescents, they are so good. I love them with a cup of coffee for fika, or as a sweet breakfast treat (very American of me, a Swede would never eat something so sweet for breakfast!)
Kanelgifflar: Swedish Cinnamon Crescents
Ingredients
Karlsbad Dough
- 250 g water
- 720 g all-purpose flour
- 100 g sugar
- 175 g salted butter
- 12 g baking powder
- 50 g fresh yeast
- 4 g salt
- 1 large eggs
Filling
- 180 g softened butter
- 75 g sugar
- 50 g brown sugar
- 10 g cinnamon
- 3 g vanilla sugar
- 3 g salt
Egg Wash
- 1 egg beaten
Brown Syrup Simple Syrup
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp water boiling
Instructions
Karlsbad Dough
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine water, all-purpose flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, fresh yeast, and salted butter.
- Using the hook attachment, mix on slow for 5 minutes to bring the dough together.
- After 5 minutes, increase the speed to medium-fast and let the dough mix for 15 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces. Flatten into thin, long rectangles and wrap them tightly in plastic wrap. Chill the dough in the refrigerator until they are completely cold.
Filling
- Mix softened butter, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla sugar, and salt until smooth and well combined.
Assembly and Baking
- Roll out each chilled dough into a very thin, very long rectangle.
- Spread the filling evenly over the dough.
- Roll up the dough tightly from the longer side, creating a log.
- Cut the log into 50g slices and place them on a tray lined with parchment paper.
- Proof, covered in plastic, for 30 minutes.
- While proofing, beat an egg for egg wash and mix the brown sugar and boiling water together to make simple syrup.
- Once the buns are looking fluffy, pillowy and proofed, brush all over with egg wash.
- Bake them in a 200C/400F oven for 4-5 minutes or until golden brown.
- As soon as they are out of the oven brush with the brown sugar syrup.
- Let cool before enjoying.