Kanellängd (Swedish Cinnamon Braid)
Kanellängd is a Swedish cinnamon bread made by rolling sweet cinnamon filling inside yeast dough and shaping it either into a twisted braid or a scissor-cut fanned loaf. It’s baked until golden and perfect for sharing with coffee or tea.
Ingredients
Dough:
- 1 tbsp (7g) instant yeast
- 1 cup (250 ml) milk, lukewarm
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup (75g) butter, softened
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cardamom optional
- 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour
Filling:
- ⅓ cup (75g) butter, softened
- ¼ cup (50g) sugar or (100g) brown sugar
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
Topping:
- 1 egg + 1 tbsp milk for egg wash
- Pearl sugar optional
Simple syrup (optional):
Equal parts of sugar and water
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons sugar
Instructions
Prepare the dough:
- In a bowl, combine all-purpose flour, ground cardamom (see notes), and salt. Mix well, then add the instant yeast and sugar.
- Add the lukewarm milk gradually and knead (by hand or mixer with a dough hook) for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Add the softened butter, one tablespoon at a time and knead until the butter is incorporated.
- Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise 1–1.5 hours until doubled in size.
Make the filling:
- Mix softened butter, brown sugar and cinnamon until smooth and spreadable.
Shaping
- Once the dough is doubled in size, transfer it to a floured surface and divide the dough into two equal parts.
Shape the Kanellängd (Scissor Cut Method 1)
- Roll out one portion of the dough into a large rectangle, while keeping the other portion covered with a clean towel or plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out.
- Spread half of the cinnamon filling evenly over the dough.
- Roll the dough up tightly from the long edge, forming a log. Pinch the ends together.
- Place the log on a parchment-lined baking sheet, seam-side down.
- Use clean scissors to make deep angled cuts along the length of the dough (every ~1 inch / 2.5 cm), cutting almost to the bottom, but not all the way through.
- Slightly tilt each cut piece to alternate sides, forming a zigzag or feathered pattern.
- Cover and let rise for another 30 minutes.
Shape the Kanellängd (The braid method 2)
- Roll out the second portion of the dough into a rectangle.
- Spread the remaining cinnamon filling evenly over the dough.
- Fold the dough in half lengthwise, then gently roll it out just a bit to seal. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into three equal strips along the long side.
- If the strips appear flat, gently roll each one into a tube shape to make braiding easier.
- Braid the strips and tuck the ends underneath. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Cover and let rise for another 30 minutes.
Bake:
- Preheat the oven to 200°C.
- Brush the braid with a beaten egg and sprinkle with pearl sugar.
- Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until golden brown.
Simple syrup:
- In a small saucepan, combine sugar and water.
- Heat over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves completely.
- Bring to a gentle simmer for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat.
- Let the syrup cool to room temperature before using.
- After the kanellängd is baked and still warm, gently brush the simple syrup all over the surface using a pastry brush.
- This will give it a shiny glaze and keep the bread moist and sweet.
- Let the syrup soak in before slicing and serving.
- Let the Kanellängd cool on a wire rack before slicing. Enjoy with a cup of coffee!
Notes
If you're using active dry yeast, don't forget to activate it first in lukewarm milk (38–43°C).
Let it sit for 5–10 minutes until it becomes foamy—this means the yeast is alive and ready to make your dough rise! Freshly ground cardamom has a much stronger, more fragrant flavour than pre-ground, and it adds amazing depth to baked goods like kanellängd. Freshly ground cardamom Remove the seeds (if using whole pods). Gently crack open the green cardamom pods with the pestle. Take out the small black seeds and discard the husks. Add only the seeds (not the husks) to the mortar. You can grind a small batch at a time for best results. Use the pestle in a circular motion to crush the seeds. Press down firmly and keep grinding until you reach a fine or slightly coarse texture, depending on your recipe. Freshly ground cardamom is very fragrant and best used right away. About 10 pods give you roughly 1 teaspoon of ground cardamom. If storing, keep it in an airtight container for a few days at most.
Let it sit for 5–10 minutes until it becomes foamy—this means the yeast is alive and ready to make your dough rise! Freshly ground cardamom has a much stronger, more fragrant flavour than pre-ground, and it adds amazing depth to baked goods like kanellängd. Freshly ground cardamom Remove the seeds (if using whole pods). Gently crack open the green cardamom pods with the pestle. Take out the small black seeds and discard the husks. Add only the seeds (not the husks) to the mortar. You can grind a small batch at a time for best results. Use the pestle in a circular motion to crush the seeds. Press down firmly and keep grinding until you reach a fine or slightly coarse texture, depending on your recipe. Freshly ground cardamom is very fragrant and best used right away. About 10 pods give you roughly 1 teaspoon of ground cardamom. If storing, keep it in an airtight container for a few days at most.