I’m often ask where to I get my inspiration from when baking.
Sometimes from cookbooks and other blogs, sometimes from bakeries and restaurants, and few times by just cleaning out the pantry.
You might think that all the recipes I share are just the result of my wonderful baking skills (I’m modest I know) but you’d be surprised to find out how many times I bake and don’t write about.
There’s a lot of trial and error involved. Some require more than just one testing.
I have notes in my kitchen and I always go back to recipes that just don’t turn out the way I like them.
That’s just life of a baker and I got used to it.
The idea of adding ground cardamom to bread came from some cardamom pods I found while cleaning the pantry.
I rarely bake with cardamom, sometimes I just add it to rice pudding, but even so it seems like it takes forever until I finish the small little bag I bought a while back from a Middle Eastern market.
A side note : buy cardamom pods, not ground and grind it when you need it.
Being born in Romania I got familiar with the Turkish and Middle Eastern culinary influences at an early age.
My grandma used to add cardamom to teas, rice and bread puddings and even sprinkle some over french toast.
The cardamom pods were on my mind a while before deciding to make some cardamom flavored breakfast buns.
The first time I made these buns was a few weeks ago and they turned out so good hubby immediately placed an order for some more.
Only the second time I added more cardamom powder, used coconut milk instead of dairy milk and sprinkled some coconut flakes on top, just before baking.
If the first time were good, the second time they carried me away on a sunny Mediterranean beach.
The wonderful cardamom aroma takes over your kitchen while baking and especially when you take them out of the oven and the coconut sweetness is like a breeze of fresh sea air.
Bake these buns, make a cup of tea and let yourself carried away.
Yields 12 buns
Cardamom Flavored Buns, soft and light with a coconut-y touch
15 minPrep Time
20 minCook Time
2 hrTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 1/4 cup (30 grams) bread flour
- 1 tsp Red Star Platinum yeast
- 1/4 cup water
- 3 cups (360 grams) whole wheat flour
- 4 tbsp (56 grams) melted butter
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) canned coconut milk
- 2 tbsp melted butter + shredded coconut (optional)
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl add 1/4 cup bread flour, the teaspoon of yeast and 1/4 cup lukewarm water.
- Stir and leave at room temperature until the mixture resembles a sponge, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the 4 tablespoons melted butter, the egg, cardamom, salt and sugar and with the dough hook on add the flour.
- When all the flour is added slowly add the coconut milk and mix until the dough is cleaning itself from the sides of the bowl.
- Knead for 3-4 more minutes, 10 if you're kneading by hand, and place the dough into a greased bowl, cover with plastic foil and leave at room temperature until doubled in volume.
- When risen, take the dough out of the bowl and divide it into 12 balls.
- Place them on a baking sheet, cover with plastic foil and leave to rise again.
- Meanwhile, heat the oven to 400F.
- When the buns almost doubled in side, brush them with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and sprinkle some shredded coconut on top.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes.
- Enjoy while still warm.
Sending love your way,
Roxana
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