WHEN TO USE CARDAMOM RECIPES

Steps:

• Prepare the dough: In a small saucepan set over medium-low heat, bring the milk to 105 to 110 degrees. Remove it from the heat and pour it into a small bowl. Sprinkle the yeast on top, give it a quick whisk and let it rest a few minutes to dissolve and activate. If the yeast looks like it’s clumping, whisk it gently.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the flour, sugar, butter, cardamom, salt and the yeasted milk. Mix on the lowest setting until just combined and beginning to form a dough, 1 to 2 minutes. Continue on low to knead dough, about 2 minutes. It should go from shaggy and coarse to smooth and shiny. Working inside the bowl, give the dough a couple more kneads by hand to bring it together. You can also knead the dough entirely by hand on a work surface. (It’ll take 8 minutes or so.)
• Line a 9-by-13-inch quarter sheet pan with parchment paper and dump the kneaded dough out onto it. Using your hands, pat and shape the dough into a large rectangular block. Make 4 or 5 shallow, 1/4-inch-deep slashes in the dough with a knife. Cover the baking sheet with a damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and transfer the dough to the refrigerator to chill for 2 hours.
• Make the filling: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, cardamom and salt on low speed just to form a granular paste. (It should resemble marzipan.) Don’t overbeat it: You don’t want it to be too soft or get fluffy. You can also do this by hand in a bowl, combining the ingredients with a spatula or bench scraper.
• Line two 13-by-18-inch baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator — it will have risen, but don’t be surprised if the rise isn’t significant — and let sit at room temperature for a few minutes so it’s not so stiff that you can’t roll it out. Place the dough on a thick silicone mat or a very lightly floured work surface and use a rolling pin to roll it out to a roughly 15-by-18-inch rectangle a little more than 1/8-inch thick, with the shorter side facing you. As you roll it in both directions, pause occasionally between rolls to relax the dough by patting it, lifting it and pulling it to straighten out any ripples.
• Dot the surface of the dough with mounds of the filling. Using an offset spatula, gently spread the filling all over the surface of the dough.
• With the short side of the dough facing you, fold the top third of the dough down over the middle third of the dough, then fold the bottom third up to cover the remaining dough.
• Go over the dough with the rolling pin a couple of times, vertically, to flatten the edges, and stretch it a few more inches before cutting and shaping. You want a 12-by-16-inch rectangle (the longer side will be facing you). If any filling oozes out, use your offset spatula to remove it so your workstation doesn’t get sticky.
• Using the straight edge of a ruler and a pastry cutter (or very gently using a small, sharp knife), trim any uneven edges. Cut the dough vertically into 16 1-by-12-inch-long strips. Starting from the end, gently wrap one strip around the tips of your index, middle and fourth finger (or just the index and middle if you’ve got strong hands), like a bandage, two or three times, letting the dough overlap and working cautiously so it doesn’t tear. Place your thumb on top of the wrapped dough, on the side closer to your wrist, to secure the shape, then loop the remaining end of the strand over and through the center of the bun, tucking it under at the base of the bun. You should have a rounded bun made out of bandage-like strips. The knotted part will be unexposed, hidden at the bottom.
• Place each bun on the prepared baking sheets as you go, patting it down for a flatter shape. Space the buns evenly (you can eyeball it). Leave them to proof at room temperature, uncovered, for about 1 hour. They should expand and soften.
• Meanwhile, heat oven to 450 degrees.
• Finish the buns: In a small bowl, using a fork or whisk, beat the egg together with 1 tablespoon water until well combined and frothy.
• Grind the cardamom pods in a spice grinder, making sure you break down the tough outer husks. Transfer the ground spice to a small bowl and whisk it together with the sugar.
• Lightly brush each bun with the egg wash, and generously sprinkle the tops of the buns with the cardamom sugar, using about 1/2 teaspoon per bun.
• Bake for 8 minutes, then lower temperature to 375 degrees, rotate trays completely (180 degrees and top to bottom, bottom to top) and continue baking for an additional 12 minutes. The surface of the buns should be golden brown. (Some butter may seep out of the buns and pool — that’s normal — but if you’re worried that it will burn on the trays, cover the buns with parchment paper toward the end of baking, once they’ve reached the desired color.)
• Let the buns cool for 10 minutes before eating, so the spiced, sweet buttery goo that pools around their edges can harden into crispy candylike edges, or let them cool entirely.

Steps:

• For the dough: Combine flour, sugar, yeast, cardamom, cinnamon, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk to combine. In a separate, small bowl, whisk together the water, eggs, vanilla, and oil until thoroughly combined. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix with the dough hook on low to medium speed until a dough starts to form. Continue to knead on medium speed for 10 to 12 minutes, scraping the sides as necessary, until the dough is smooth, soft, slightly sticky, and elastic. (Alternatively, you can combine everything in a large mixing bowl and then knead by hand for 12 to 15 minutes or until the dough is smooth and soft. Add flour if it gets too sticky but not too much).
• Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, cover it with plastic or a clean towel, and place in a warm place until doubled in size (depending on the temperature in the room it takes around 1 to 1.5 hours).
• For the filling: Combine granulated sugar, flour, espresso powder, cardamom, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
• To form the wreath: hen dough has doubled, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 24-inch by 12-inch rectangle. Drizzle over the butter and use a pastry brush to evenly spread over the surface of the dough, leaving a clean ½-inch border on the top and bottom. Sprinkle the filling mixture over the dough in an even layer, again leaving a clean ½-inch border on the top and bottom.
• Using a pizza cutter or knife, divide the dough in half the long way. Starting from the inside to the outer edge, roll each side up into a tight roll and pinch to seal. Arrange the rolls so they’re seam-side down. Braid the two strands together and place on the prepared baking sheet. Connect the ends to form a wreath. Cover with plastic or a clean towel and allow to rise until doubled in size, about an hour.
• Place an oven rack in the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Beat the egg with a splash of cold water and brush the top of the wreath. Sprinkle with pearl sugar or turbinado sugar. Bake until the wreath is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped. Begin checking at 30 minutes.
• Allow to cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar, if using. Tear apart and eat. This is best on its first day but would make really good French toast on day 2 or 3. Store at room temperature in an airtight plastic bag or container.