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Homemade Sweet Rolls - Basic Bun Recipe (Boller)

Flatlay of sweet rolls in a basket. Wooden background.

 

Homemade Sweet Rolls or Sweet Buns are nothing like the store bought version. They have got deliciously crispy exterior and juicy interior that melt on your tongue. And the cardamom is a must for super flavorful sweet rolls. Just imagine the smell when these are baking! Sweet buns are very popular in Scandinavia, so they are often called Scandinavian buns, Swedish buns (but hey what about Norway!), or Swedish cardamom buns, or just cardamom rolls. Seems like we have a lot of names for the things we love, right.

 

Hands holding a basket of sweet rolls.

 

There's so much you can do if you master this recipe. And if you look closely, this is the recipe I've used in all my buns or rolls. Let it be these Best Ever Cinnamon Rolls, or the Christmas version Saffron Buns or these fabulous Vanilla Custard and Coconut Sweet Buns. I honestly will never switch it out, it is always working for me. And if you read on I will tell you all my secrets for the most amazingly soft and fluffy sweet buns!

 

Closeup of an torn open sweet bun. Sweet rolls in a basket in the background.

 

Troubleshooting: Why doesn't my rolls turn out good?

 

I'm beginning with this, because it is super important. If you're not accurate when it comes to dough recipes, they will just not turn out as good. Number 1 is to be accurate. Especially when it comes to these things:

 

  1. Measurements.

    highly recommend a kitchen scale for making buns (in general) and really any cake. It's not that important in many other things, such as most dinners. But here - for crying out loud - use a scale. If you don't own one, get one now. It will make your life so much easier and your sweet rolls super fluffy and spongy. Trust me on this.

  2. Temperature.

    I would also recommend having a thermometer, not that it is that important in this recipe. But it's very important when it comes to making chocolates or lemon curd (and who doesn't want to make that). However, temperature is very important. The liquid you combine with the yeast must be lukewarm in order to work properly. And if the yeast doesn't like the temperature, it will not make fluffy sweet rolls. That will be your punishment.

  3. Kneading.

    Now in the life of stand mixers, this is a lot easier than it used to be. I recommend kneading the dough for at least 10-15 minutes. You should also stop sometimes and using a spatula to get the dough down from the sides. I actually prefer to use a hand mixer, because it's easier to really tell when the dough is done, but a stand mixer is a lot easier on your arm muscles. It should start to let go of the bowl and forming a nice ball. It's slightly sticky to the touch but not sticking to the bowl any longer.

  4. Rising.

    The rule of thumb when it comes to rising is that it should rise to doubled in size. And then do it again in a later stage. The first rising takes about at least 1 hour, up to 1.5 hours. It will depend on the temperature the dough is rising in. As I mentioned above, yeast is very sensitive to temperature. Not only when you make the dough, but also when it rises. I prefer to rise it in a temperature between 68-77F (20-25C), but it's not that scientific. I've just discovered that this yields the fluffiest soft rolls.

 

Closeup of sweet rolls on a cooling rack.

 

And don't be frightened by this list, I'm being especially thorough because buns and doughs are my specialty and my heart when it comes to food. It isn't that difficult if you just follow these 4 tips. Be accurate when it comes to measurements and temperature, and don't rush kneading and rising. YOU CAN DO THIS!

 

Fresh vs. Dry Yeast for Sweet Rolls

 

This is the hard part in making this recipe for International readers as well. I am an avid believer in using fresh yeast. I know it's not that common in for example the United States, so that is why I'm stating it. Fresh yeast can usually be found in the dairy section near the butter. I think the baked goods turn out better with fresh vs. dry yeast, as they get fluffier and a little sweeter.

 

Sweet rolls on a rack. Wooden background.

 

However, if you still want to use dry yeast, be my guest. It's nothing wrong with dry yeast, but I usually reserve it for pizza doughs or similar kinds of doughs. And because I'm awesome I'm giving you an easy conversion here:

 

  • For every 10g of fresh yeast, use 1 teaspoon dry yeast. (0.35 oz)
  • Dividing or multiplying by 3: From fresh to dry divide by 3 to get the amount in dry yeast.
  • 5 teaspoon dry active yeast, instant yeast, rapid-rise yeast yields 50g (1.7 oz) fresh yeast (which is what this recipe calls for). You may use less yeast, but it's a possibility that your dough needs to rise even longer.

 

Read more about fresh yeast conversion here. Okay, then that's out of the way, we can finally make some delicious sweet rolls!

 

A basket of sweet rolls on a beige kitchen towel. Hand reaching for one.

 

How to Make Homemade Sweet Rolls

 

For the step by step photos, I've added some numbers for you to follow along.

 

Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl - flour, sugar, salt and cardamom. (I am truly hoping you don't need a step by step photo for this). 1. In a medium saucepan, melt butter, pour the milk in and wait until the mixture is lukewarm (not warm!). This is very important or else the fresh yeast will refuse to co-operate. 2. Mine was at 38C (100F). When you've got the right temperature, you can pour it over the crumbled fresh yeast. Stir to combine. 3. Then add this wet mixture into the flour mixture along with 1 egg.

 

6 step by step photos to show how to make Sweet Rolls

 

4. Knead together. Either get it in a standmixer and mix on medium for 10-15 minutes, or until the dough lets go of the bowl. You may need to stop occasionally to scrape the dough from the edges, with a spatula. You can also use a hand mixer, which is my preferred way as it's easier to really get a feel of the dough. 5. Mix until the dough is fluffy and no longer clings to the bowl. If you feel like this isn't going to happen, add a tablespoon of flour at the time to help with the process (this is usually not necessary, but it can depend a little on the egg or if the measurements weren't accurate enough).

 

6. Add a little flour on top, and place a kitchen towel or plastic wrap over the bowl. 7. Leave it in a warm place (or at least not ice cold and drafty!) for about 1-1.5 hours, until the dough has doubled in size.

 

3 Step by step photos to show kneading and rising of sweet rolls

 

8. Take the dough onto a lightly floured surface and start to knead a little with your hands and form a long tube of dough. Cut into equal parts, about a handful each. 9. Start to form a ball with your hands and place on a plate with parchment paper. Cover with a kitchen towel, let them rise to double in size again, this time about 40 minutes. Brush with egg wash (one egg mixed with a fork).

 

Flatlay of halved sweet rolls with brown and white cheese.

 

Place in the middle in a pre-heated oven of 410F (210C) for about 12 minutes. They are done when they make a hollow sound when you tap on the underside of a roll. Place them on a rack, wait a feew minutes before you dig in.

 

Hand spreading butter on a halved sweet bun. Open rolls in the foreground.

 

How to Serve Sweet Buns

 

You can eat them as is, or cut them in half and spread butter on each. I prefer butter and Norwegian brown goat cheese (Geitost). If you've suddenly found yourself in Norway (or a Scandinavian specialty store), please try this! Some find it too strong and use milder brown cheeses, such as Gudbrandsdalsost or Fløtemysost. But nevertheless, brown cheese is the way to go here. But, if you don't have this, try some homemade jam, store-bought jam, mild cheeses, cream cheese, or simply - nothing. They are delicious anyhow.

 

Halved sweet rolls with white cheese and brown cheese. One taken a bite of.

 

Next bun recipes I would love to try are these butter coconut buns from Food Delicacy, meyer lemon morning buns from Tutti Dolci, homemade hamburger buns from Kylee Cooks, and these vegan banana bread cinnamon rolls from Ambitious Kitchen. There are so many delicious carby buns and rolls recipes out there, but this is definitely where I'll start!

 

Flatlay of sweet rolls in a basket. Wooden background. Horizontal.

 

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I’d love to hear your thoughts. Comment below or tag me @thegingerwithspice on Instagram. And don’t forget to Pin it for later!

 

 

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📖 Recipe

Homemade Sweet Rolls or Sweet Buns

Homemade Sweet Rolls or Sweet Buns

Yield: 25 buns
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Inactive Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 32 minutes

Crispy exterior and juicy interior that melts on your tongue. Mastering this recipe makes it so easy to transform them into many different recipes!

Ingredients

  • 8 cups all-purpose flour (1000 grams). I highly recommend using a scale for this recipe!
  • ½ cup + 1 tablespoon sugar (120 grams).
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoon cardamom
  • 2 ¼ cups milk (500 milliliters, 1% or whole milk are best)
  • ½ cup + 3 tablespoons salted butter (160 grams)
  • 1.7 ounces fresh yeast (50 grams) See notes below**
  • 1 egg (+ 1 for brushing)

Instructions

  1. Mix dry ingredients: Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl - flour, sugar, salt and cardamom.
  2. Mix wet ingredients: In a medium saucepan, melt butter, pour the milk in and wait until the mixture is lukewarm, around 100℉ (38℃).
  3. Crumble the fresh yeast*. Pour the lukewarm butter mixture over and stir until combined. Pour this liquid into the flour mixture along with one egg.
  4. Knead together: You may use a stand mixer or a hand mixer. Knead until the dough is fluffy and no longer clings to the bowl, at least 10 minutes. You may need to stop occasionally and scrape the dough down from the edges. It should be slightly sticky to the touch but not clinging to the bowl. 
  5. First rise: Add a little flour on top, and place a kitchen towel or plastic wrap over the bowl. Leave it in a semi-warm place for about 1-1 ½ hours, until the dough has doubled in size.
  6. Shape: Take the dough onto a lightly floured surface and start to knead a little with your hands and form a long tube of dough. Cut into equal parts, about a handful each. Start to form a ball with your hands and place on a sheet pan with parchment paper.
  7. Second rise: Cover and let them rise to double in size again, this time about 40 minutes. Brush with egg wash (1 egg mixed with a fork). Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 410℉ (210℃).
  8. Bake: Place on the middle rack in the pre-heated oven for about 12 minutes. They are done when they make a hollow sound when you tap on the underside of a bun. Place them on a rack, wait a few minutes before you dig in.
  9. Serve with butter, jam, brown cheese, cream cheese - whatever you want!

Notes

* IIf you use instant dry yeast you need approx. 5 teaspoon of dry yeast (1 sachet in Norway, and 2 in the US). Combine with the dry ingredients. You can use less yeast if you want, it will just take longer to rise.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 25 Serving Size: 1 bun
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 229Total Fat: 6.3gSaturated Fat: 3.7gCholesterol: 22mgSodium: 144mgCarbohydrates: 37.2gFiber: 1.5gSugar: 5.9gProtein: 5.9g

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or tag @thegingerwithspice on Instagram, I'd love to see!

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Lisa M

Saturday 19th of November 2022

What kind of flour, milk and butter is recommended? All purpose or cake, whole, unsalted/salted? Thank you

Stine Mari | Ginger with Spice

Saturday 19th of November 2022

I always use all-purpose flour and salted butter for these (but unsalted is fine too). Both whole and 1% milk work really well. Hope this helps!

Robert

Thursday 18th of November 2021

My wife is Italian and I am Norwegian. We are both good cooks and love to try new recipes. She makes homemade pasta and just started baking. My first attempt at the Viking bread was OK, but the second batch was great. I was going to make rolls for the holidays and came across this recipe. I remember them from home and am waiting for the dough to rise. Can't wait. I followed as close to your suggestions as possible. The truth of the roll will be in about two more hours. I'll let you know how it turns out. We are hunting for Jetost now (Ski Queen).

Stine Mari | Ginger with Spice

Tuesday 23rd of November 2021

Hi Robert! That is so fun! I'm so glad you found this recipe, it's one of my favorite things to make in the kitchen. And the smell when baking is amazing! I have a separate category on my blog for Scandinavian recipes in case you want other things to make too. Geitost really makes a difference, so I hope you can find it. Enjoy the rolls, I hope they are as you remembered them to be!

Vinny

Sunday 11th of July 2021

What type of flour are we talking about here ?

Stine Mari | Ginger with Spice

Sunday 11th of July 2021

If not otherwise stated, I always use all-purpose flour.

ashok

Monday 22nd of February 2021

My Family Loved it. I am definitely sharing Guys, Thanks For sharing this Great Recipe. this recipe and this website with my friend. Hope they also love it. Thank you again for sharing such a great recipe.

Stine Mari | Ginger with Spice

Monday 22nd of February 2021

Thank you so much. :)

Saya

Monday 4th of January 2021

I just had two of the rolls after letting them cool, and they're perfect! They taste like the ones I buy when I'm in Sweden. I'm very pleased with the results- thank you so much for a great recipe!

Stine Mari | Ginger with Spice

Saturday 16th of January 2021

Thank you so much! I'm glad they give the same feeling!

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