Brown-Butter Cardamom Knots (Kanelknutar), Overnight Proofed

Method

1. Crack the cardamom pods with the flat of a knife, pick out the black seeds and grind them finely in a mortar. Warm the milk with the ground cardamom in a small pan on low heat for 1 min to infuse, then let it cool until lukewarm (about 37 °C) on your wrist.

   Add in this stepGreen cardamom pods 6Milk 110 ml

   low heat

2. Mix the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a bowl, add the cardamom milk, bring it together and knead on the worktop for 8 min until smooth. Add the soft butter in 3 or 4 pieces and knead for 6 min more. It turns slippery at first, then smooth again; it is ready when a small piece stretches thin enough to see light through without tearing.

   Add in this stepStrong white bread flour 200 gInstant dried yeast ½ tspSugar (for the dough) 25 gSalt 2 pinchButter (for the dough, soft at room temperature) 40 g

3. Shape the dough into a ball, put it in a lightly oiled lidded container and leave it at room temperature for 30 min, then refrigerate for at least 8 h (up to 12 hours). A small amount of yeast and a long, cold rise give deeper flavour, and cold dough with firm butter is far easier to shape.

4. Next day, put the filling butter in a 16 cm pan on medium heat and cook for 3 min, stirring, until the foam subsides, brown specks form on the bottom and it smells of toasted nuts. Pour it straight into a bowl, as it burns within seconds. Chill about 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until it is creamy and spreadable, then beat in the brown sugar, cinnamon and flaky salt.

   Add in this stepButter (for browning) 40 gLight brown sugar 30 gGround cinnamon 2 tspFlaky sea salt 1 pinch

   medium heat

5. Roll the cold dough on a floured surface into a rectangle of about 30×20 cm, with the 30 cm side running away from you. Spread the filling over it all, fold the bottom third up and the top third down over it like a letter, giving a three-layer strip about 10 cm deep, and press lightly with your palm.

6. Cut the strip crosswise into 2.5 cm wide pieces to get 8 strands. Hold each strand at both ends and stretch it to about 20 cm while twisting, wrap it once around two fingers, then push the free end up through the centre and tuck it underneath to make a knot. Space them on a lined tray, cover and proof for 1 h, until puffy and a gentle poke springs back slowly. Heat the oven meanwhile.

7. Brush the knots thinly with beaten egg and bake in the oven at 200 °C ×1 for 11 min per tray, until deep golden and they sound hollow when tapped underneath (×2 means two trays, baked one after the other).

   Add in this stepEgg (for brushing) 1

   oven

8. As the buns finish, bring the water and sugar to a boil in a small pan on medium heat and cook for 1 min, until the sugar has fully dissolved and the syrup is clear. Brush it over the knots the moment they leave the oven and scatter pearl sugar straight away so it sticks and the buns shine. The syrup is very hot: use a brush, never your fingers.

   Add in this stepWater (for the syrup) 30 mlSugar (for the syrup) 30 gPearl sugar 2 tbsp

   medium heat