Norwegian Cinnamon Sun Buns (solboller)

Solboller are eaten in Northern Norway when the polar night ends and the sunshine returns. These buns truly embody all that sunshine brings—comfort, light, warmth, and coziness. The sweet dough is enriched with cardamom, rolled out and spread with butter and a cinnamon-sugar mixture, and baked with a dollop of homemade vanilla custard. When you take a bite, you can’t help but close your eyes and take in all of the spiced, doughy goodness. Make these in the winter when you crave some summer light.

TIP: If you are short on time and want to prep these the day before serving them, check out step #9 in the method.

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 2 hours (includes rise time)

Yields: 24 small buns

Ingredients:

For the dough—

• 1 1/4 cups whole milk

• 4 cups all-purpose flour

• 6 tbsp cane sugar

• 2 tsp active dry yeast

• 2 tsp freshly ground cardamom

• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

• 1 egg for the dough

• 1/3 cup salted butter, cut into tablespoons

• 1 egg and 1 tbsp whole milk for the egg wash

For the filling—

• 4 tbsp salted butter, at room temp

• 2 tbsp cane sugar

• 1 tbsp cinnamon

For the custard (same recipe as my skoleboller custard)—

• 2 cups whole milk

• 2 tsp vanilla bean paste

• 1/2 cup cane sugar

• 6 egg yolks

• 1/4 cup cornstarch

• 4 tbsp salted butter

• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Method:

1. Heat your milk in the microwave in 15-second intervals until it reaches a temperature of 110°F. If it goes over, let it cool back down to 110°F otherwise, it will kill your yeast :(

2. Combine the sugar, yeast, and warm milk in the bowl of your stand mixer with the dough hook attached. Stir gently, and let the mixture sit for 5 minutes or until it is nice and foamy.

3. Add the flour, cardamom, salt, and 1 egg into the yeast mixture and knead on low for 8 minutes. Add the butter slices and knead for an additional 5 minutes or so on medium speed until the dough is elastic and smooth. The dough should be soft. Take it out and shape it a bit and then place it back in the mixing bowl. Cover it with a kitchen towel and place in a warm area to rise for about an hour or until it is doubled in size. The rise time varies depending on the warmth and humidity of your home.

4. While the dough is rising, you can make the custard (this custard recipe makes a large portion so that you can save the rest for other recipes, like my Norwegian Vanilla Custard Coconut Buns). Place the milk and vanilla bean paste in a medium saucepan and heat on low until warm (but not boiling), about 2 minutes.

5. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, egg yolks, and cornstarch until there are no lumps and the mixture ribbons off of your whisk. Slowly pour your vanilla milk into the large bowl while whisking constantly. Transfer the custard back to the saucepan and place over medium-low heat. Stir constantly until the custard thickens, about 5-10 minutes. Lower the heat if you notice the egg starting to curdle. Once thickened, remove from heat and whisk in the butter and salt. Set aside to cool slightly.

6. Combine the butter, sugar, and cinnamon until fully incorporated in a small bowl for the cinnamon filling.

7. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper once the dough has doubled in size.

8. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a large rectangle measuring roughly 20x15 inches, using a rolling pin and more flour as needed to prevent sticking. Spread the filling evenly across the dough—all the way to the edges. It will feel like you don’t have enough filling, but just keep gently spreading it across, and it will be the perfect amount.

9. Roll the dough around the filling to form a long log, starting on one of the long sides of the dough. Using a sharp knife, cut the log into 24 equal-sized buns. Place the buns 1-2 inches apart on your large lined baking sheet, cover with a kitchen towel, and let rise in a warm spot for 30-45 minutes. If you want to serve these the next day, cover them with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, pull them out and let them come to room temp for about an hour. Then follow the method as follows below.

10. Preheat your oven to 400°F.

11. Using the back of a tablespoon, push down into the middle of each roll to create an indentation. Fill each indentation with about 2 tablespoons of custard.

12. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining egg with 1 tbsp of milk and lightly brush each roll with this (don’t brush the custard). Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown; alternatively, you can check the internal temperature of a roll. Once it reaches 205°F, you can pull them out of the oven. Remove the buns to a wire rack promptly to prevent the bottoms from getting too brown. Serve the buns at room temp. You can store the buns at room temp in a plastic bag or airtight container for 2 days. Enjoy!!