The SkandiKitchen Recipe: Cinnamon Wreath with Rye

I sometimes make this when I need a centrepiece for a big fika session or birthday party. Essentially, a big cinnamon bun with a bit of extra oomph.

INGREDIENTS
Serves 10–12

For the Dough:

25 g fresh yeast or 13 g dried yeast

80 g butter, melted

300 ml whole milk, at room temperature

50 g sugar

2 teaspoons ground cardamom

375 g white strong flour

80 g rye flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 beaten egg

For the Filling:

100 g butter (spreadable)

3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

125 g dark brown sugar

25 g caster sugar

70 g chopped toasted nuts, e.g. almonds and hazelnuts

For the Topping:

1/2 beaten egg mixed with a dash of milk

For Brushing Syrup:

icing sugar and warm water

piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle

Pour the mixture into a mixing bowl. Add the melted butter, sugar and cardamom and stir again. Add 250 g strong flour and all the rye flour, salt and egg. Mix until everything is incorporated. Work the dough until it almost stops sticking and has a shiny surface – about 5 minutes with a mixer using a dough hook, or 10 minutes by hand. The dough should only just reach the point of not being sticky. Leave to rise until it’s doubled (around 40 minutes). To make the filling, put the softened butter, cinnamon, cardamom and sugars into a bowl and mix well.

Tip the dough out on a floured surface and work it with your hands, adding more flour, until you have a good, mouldable dough that does not stick and can be rolled out. Cut the dough in half and roll each piece in a rectangular shape (around 50 cm x 40 cm/16 x 20 in.). Spread the butter mixture evenly across the dough. Add three-quarters of the chopped nuts across the surface. Roll the dough up lengthways so you end up with a long, tight roll. Place on a baking sheet and shape into a round circle, attaching the ends. Using scissors, cut slices almost to the base. Spread each roll out to the side and flatten slightly until you have done the whole wreath. Ensure the wreath is quite flat. Let the wreath rest again for 30 minutes under a clean dish towel.

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) Gas 6. Brush the wreath gently with the remaining egg/milk and bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes or until done. Brush at once with a very thin layer of warmed syrup, then sprinkle over the rest of the nuts and keep under a damp dish towel until cooled a bit. Once cooled, make the icing using a little icing sugar and a few drops of warm water and pipe over the wreath.

Recipe extracted from The SkandiKitchen Cookbook by Brontë Aurell (£15.99 from The SkandiKitchen).