Some recipes stay with you for a lifetime – and this is one of them for me. I’ve known Mommo’s bullar since I was a child. More than 25 years ago, I copied the recipe from my grandmother – my Mommo – and I still bake my bullar from that very recipe today.
Bullar are a true classic in Sweden and Swedish-speaking Finland. You’ll find them in practically every bakery and almost every café – preferably enjoyed with a good cup of coffee, of course. They come in many different variations, but for me, the classic ones with cinnamon, cardamom and pearl sugar are still the very best.
My bullar are made from a soft yeast dough flavored with cardamom, filled with cinnamon and sugar, and shaped using a simple cutting technique that gives them their characteristic look. I’ll show you exactly how to do it step by step below.
At a Glance
🕒 Reparation time: 20 minutes
⏳ Dough rising time: 1–1 ½ hours
🔥 Baking time: approx. 10–15 minutes
👩🏼🍳 Difficulty: easy
Ingredients (for about 2 baking trays)
- ½ liter (500 ml) plant-based milk (e.g. oat milk), lukewarm
- 20 g fresh yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 ½ dl sugar (= 150 ml)
- 150 g plant-based margarine, soft
- 12–13 dl wheat flour (= 1200–1300 ml)
- 2–3 tsp freshly ground cardamom
- Plant-based margarine, for spreading
- Cinnamon, for sprinkling
- Sugar, for sprinkling
- Plant-based milk, for brushing
- Pearl sugar, for sprinkling
Instructions
- In a large bowl, dissolve the fresh yeast in the lukewarm plant-based milk.
- Add the salt, sugar and cardamom, then work in the soft margarine.
- Gradually add the flour and knead until you have a smooth dough.
- Cover the bowl and leave the dough to rise in a warm place for about 1–1½ hours.
- Preheat the oven to approx. 225°C.
- Once the dough has risen, divide it into two equal portions and briefly knead each half again.
- Place one half on a lightly floured work surface and roll it out into a large, thin rectangle.
- Using a tablespoon, spread a thin, even layer of margarine over the dough.
- Sprinkle generously with cinnamon and sugar, then roll up the dough tightly from one of the long sides.
- Using a dough scraper or knife, cut the roll diagonally, alternating the direction of each cut so that every piece has one narrow side and one wide side.
- Place each piece on a baking tray lined with baking paper, with the narrow side facing upwards. Gently press down the narrow top with your thumb. This makes the individual cinnamon layers fan out slightly at the sides.
- Brush the bullar with plant-based milk and sprinkle with pearl sugar. Repeat with the second half of the dough.
- Bake immediately, without a second rise, for about 10–15 minutes, or until beautifully golden brown. Depending on their size, they may need a little more or less time.
Notes
- Cardamom is especially aromatic when you crush whole cardamom seeds in a mortar just before adding them to the dough.
- Instead of pearl sugar, chopped almonds also work beautifully. Alternatively, drizzle the slightly cooled bullar with a simple sugar glaze.
- The exact number of bullar will vary depending on how thickly you cut the roll. Smaller bullar will bake a little faster, so their golden-brown color is the best indication that they’re ready.
- Stored in an airtight container, the bullar will keep for about 4–5 days – although they’re definitely at their best freshly baked.
- Bullar freeze very well. Once thawed, warm them in the oven at 180°C for about 5–10 minutes and they’ll taste almost freshly baked again.
Looking for more Scandinavian recipes?
You’ll find more of my Swedish and Finnish recipes here:
