Citrus Sourdough Cardamom Buns

The title might be quizzical, and you might wonder why we would combine citrus and sourdough in cardamom buns. But, trust me, this dough tastes so good that you can eat it all on its own (even without the cardamom). However, adding the cardamom skyrockets its flavor to another dimension. These citrus sourdough cardamom buns are not sour but delicate, with a creamy and pungent cardamom flavor. As I already wrote in the triple citrus babka post, there is something magical about the sourdough citrus dough. The subtleness and elegance of flavors are hard to resist. Pairing it with cardamom, light brown sugar, and butter elevates it to another level.

Cinnamon buns or rolls are the “crown jewels” of our Christmas holidays, but for the past two years, these little sourdough cardamom citrus buns have become quite a favorite for most of our family members, as some are not the biggest fans of cinnamon (what can you do but we still love them 🙂 ).

Of course, the well-known Swedish cardamom buns inspire this recipe. You can enjoy them any time of the year, but as the cold slowly sets in at the end of autumn, they turn into delightful “pick-me-up” treats.

Oh, and the aroma of the house after baking is quite magical as well.

Ingredients

Ingredients for the citrus sourdough cardamom buns are generally what you would expect in an enriched sweet dough, except in this recipe, we don’t use any milk but rather freshly squeezed orange juice instead. As you need quite a lot of juice, note that the juice and the eggs are the main liquids in the recipe, try to look for juicy and sweet oranges. Also, try to get organic unwaxed oranges since you will be adding the zest of one whole orange to the dough as well.

There is lots of cardamom in this recipe; we are making cardamom buns after all. For the best flavor and extra kick try to find cardamom seeds and grind them yourself right before adding them to the dough. The aroma is pungent, and it is so strong you will definitely feel that wonderful cardamom kick. Be careful not to inhale right after grinding the seeds; let the very small dusty particles settle. I like to add very finely ground cardamom to the dough, whereas in the filling, I add half very fine and half coarse ground. The cardamom seeds are quite crunchy, so having some rougher pieces adds to the texture.

Sourdough starter should be mature and very airy, with a creamy mellow flavor.

Borrowing the little trick from the sourdough doughnuts recipe, I often add a splash of rum infused with raisins to the sweet enriched dough. I find that this transforms the dough from the general sweet dough with linear flavor to a dough with deep rich flavor.

In this, and in many recipes, I like to use unprocessed sugar since it is less sweet and it packs additional flavor, so it’s like a twofer 🙂

The Recipe Formula

This recipe breaks down into three parts: levain, dough, and filling, listed in the order you prepare them. The Baker’s percentage values relate to the total flour weight, which for this recipe is 550g of T00 flour. We highlight this weight in bold and mark it as 100%. Remember, we calculate the Baker’s percentages for the levain separately from the main dough and filling ingredients. This distinction helps to clearly indicate the hydration level of the levain itself.

Levain formula:

Complete formula:

Filling Formula:

Notice that we don’t have to add lots of butter to the dough since the dough is already quite flavorful and rich due to the sourdough base as well as the inclusion of the orange juice. It is “rich” in taste and texture is not dry at all.

Baking Schedule

As with any sourdough recipe, it does require some time, and you can always adjust it to suit your needs and schedule. Note that the dough is handled much easier if it is cold, so I always prefer to have a long cold fermentation overnight. This enables the whole process to be spread out a bit plus you get a benefit from overnight fermentation on your gut health.

For example, if you want to bake earlier in the morning to serve the citrus sourdough cardamom buns for brunch, then you could make the dough in the late afternoon with shaping, final proofing, and baking the next day in the morning. In the following table I illustrate the timings for this scenario.

Step by step process for making the dough for the citrus sourdough cardamom buns

Let’s start with making the dough. As you can see from the pictures it is not too involved of a process, given that you are using a stand mixer. You can also do all this by hand, albeit it will take much more time and be quite messy, at least it is when I do it 🙂

Bulk Fermentation

After step 9. starts the bulk fermentation, which will generally take about 4 hours. This of course depends on the ambient and dough temperature. During these 4 hours you should perform coil folds twice after 1 hour each. After the second time you did the coil fold the dough should rest for additional 2 hours. Keep an eye on the ambient temperature and adjust if necessary.

At this point the dough should have risen by half. Lastly, place the covered dough into the fridge for the overnight cold fermentation.

How to Shape the Citrus Sourdough Cardamom Buns

There are numerous ways to shape cardamom buns, but I particularly favor this method. It yields a shape that ensures the dough isn’t too cramped. This results in a clean bake devoid of mushy and dense sections. Additionally, the broader surface area provides a delightful crunch at the bottom, thanks to the melting and caramelization of sugars.

Proofing & Baking the Citrus Sourdough Cardamom Buns

We’re almost at the finish line! After shaping your buns, arrange them on a baking tray. Cover with cling film and let them proof for about 2.5 hours at approximately 23ºC (73ºF). For this, I use the baking tray that accompanies the Rocco B40 ovens, which is lined with a non-stick baking mat.

Midway through the proofing process, begin to preheat your oven. I prefer setting my oven initially to 220ºC (430ºF). It is generally higher than what you would have for baking buns, but I find that this initial burst of heat helps the buns rise beautifully. Then after about 5min of baking at 220ºC (430ºF) you should reduce the temperature to 180ºC (356ºF). Subsequently, the reduced temperature ensures they bake thoroughly, maintaining the shape achieved from the initial rise.

Storing the Buns

I’m fairly confident these will disappear on the first day, but just in case you do have leftovers, here’s a tip: I store them on a wooden tray covered with a glass hood. The buns are at their best on the day they are baked, but they will remain fresh for several days; although the initially caramelized sugar on the bottom will lose its crunch over time.

If you’re craving that fresh-baked texture, toss them in a preheated oven (200ºC) for about 5 minutes. But be vigilant! They tend to burn quickly. They crisp up on the edges and are again about 90% soft in the middle (compared to the initial first bake). I tested this on day 3, 4, and 5 and they were really delicious.

5 from 1 vote

Citrus Sourdough Cardamom Buns

Dive into the magical world of citrus sourdough cardamom buns, where delicate flavors meet creamy cardamom and the aroma transforms your home into a festive haven.

Prep Time1 hour hr 45 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Fermentation13 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Total Time15 hours hrs 45 minutes mins

Servings 14 buns

Calories: 332.2 kcal

Print Recipe Email Recipe

Equipment & Tools

• 400ml glass jar for the sourdough starter
• Stand mixer with dough hook attachment
• Dough whisk
• Large mixing bowl
• 2 large baking sheets lined with parchment paper
• Kitchen scale
• Pastry brush
• Kitchen ruler (optional)

INGREDIENTS

 

MetricUS Customary

 

1x2x3x

SOURODUGH LEVAIN

• 25 g sourdough starter
• 100 g water (non chlorinated, room temperature)
• 100 g T00 (bread) flour (Mulino Marino, 14% protein)

WET INGREDIENTS

• 200 g sourdough levain (100% hydration)
• 289 g orange juice (freshly squeezed)
• 92 g granulated sugar (unprocessed)
• 1 tsp dark rum (good quality)
• 1 tsp vanilla paste
• 105 g eggs (~2 medium eggs, room temperature)
• 1 tbsp orange zest (unwaxed, organic)

DRY INGREDIENTS

• 550 g T00 flour (Marino Mulino)
• 1 tsp cardamom (freshly ground)
• 7 g salt (Himalayan)

OTHER DOUGH INGREDIENTS

• 100 g butter (unsalted, room temperature, plus more for the bowl and pans)

FILLING

• 86 g light brown sugar
• 96 g unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 3 tsp cardamom (freshly ground)
• pinch salt

EGG WASH

• 1 egg (small)

INSTRUCTIONS

MAKE THE SOURDOUGH LEVAIN

• Mix all the ingredients in the glass jar, cover, and let it rise at room temperature to least double to triple in size – Note 1.

MIX THE DOUGH

• Add all the wet ingredients into a bowl of a stand mixer and using a dough whisk mix until everything is evenly incorporated.
  
• Add the dry ingredients and mix on the low speed (2) until no dry bits of flour are visible about 1.5 minutes – Note 2. Cover and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
  
• Mix the dough on medium speed (4) for 10 minutes. The sides of the bowl should be clean, and the dough should cling onto the hook.
  
• Continue mixing and start adding butter one tablespoon at a time. Once all the butter is incorporated into the dough add another tablespoon. Repeat for the remaining butter pieces.

  It should take about 5 minutes. The dough should be shiny, very extensible, and passing the window-pane test.
  
• Transfer the dough to a clean, lightly buttered bowl. Fold the dough couple of times using the coil method to form a ball – Note 4.

  The desired dough temperature should be 25°C (77°F).
  

BULK FERMENTATION

• Cover and place on the kitchen counter. Rest for 1 hour.

  Fold the dough twice (Note 3) using the coil method. Cover and rest for 1 hour.
• Fold the dough once using the coil method. Cover and rest for 2 hours.

  The desired dough temperature should be 25°C (77°F).
• Place the dough into the refrigerator for overnight cold fermentation.

PREPARE THE FILLING ~ next day

• Mix all the ingredients in a medium bowl with small spatula until smooth.

SHAPE THE BUNS

• Take the buns from the fridge lightly dust the top surface of the dough and the working surface on the kitchen counter. Flip the dough from the bowl top side down.
  
• Lightly flour the dough and using your hands gently flatten the dough and shape the edges so that the dough resembles a rectangle shape.
  
• Dust the dough with flour and start rolling it out, from the middle outwards, applying light pressure to form a rectangle measuring about 50cm (19.7in) by 40cm (15.75in).

  As you roll the dough always make sure it is not stuck to the working surface. Check by fluffing your dough (using your hands try to gently lift the dough from all directions. Add more flour if needed.

  Once you have the desired size remove the excess flour from the dough and the work surface using a pastry brush.
  
• Spread the filling evenly into a thin layer over the ⅔ area of the dough along the longer edge.
  
• Fold the ⅓ of the dough without the filling over the ½ of the area with the filling. Brush the excess flour from the dough if there is any.
  
• Fold the remaining ⅓ of the area with the filling over the dough forming a flat log.

  Using the rolling pin gently roll out the "log" to even it out. The dough will extend to measure about 56cm (22in) in length.
  
• Cut the "log" into 14 pieces/strips each about 4cm (1.57in) in width.
  
• Take one dough piece and cut in half lengthwise leaving 1cm (0.4in) uncut at the top.
  
• Twist one half of the dough around the other to achieve a twisted texture.
  
• Take the twisted dough into your left hand (if you are right-handed) and hold it with you thumb and index finger at the point where the dough was not cut and start to twist the dough around the remaining fingers.
  
• Make a second loop around.
  
• Push the edge of the dough into the middle of the newly formed twisted bun.

  Place the bun on the baking sheet.

  Repeat with the remaining dough pieces.
  
• Cover the buns with cling film and leave to proof at the ambient temperature of around 23°C (73°F) for about 2.5 hours or until they are very light and puffy to the touch.
  

PROOFING AND BAKING

• Halfway through the proofing stage, preheat the oven to 220ºC/430ºF.
• Once the buns are proofed, make the egg wash by whisking an egg and lightly brush the buns.
• Place the buns in the oven and bake for 5 minutes at 220ºC/430ºF then lower the temperature to 180ºC/356ºF. Bake for about 10 minutes or until the buns start to take on the darker golden color.

  Repeat with the 2nd baking tray.
  
• Place baked buns on the cooling rack to cool to room temperature.

NOTES

1. The sourdough levain, when mature and ready to use, should be sligthly concave (curving downwards), and the levain should be airy and light.
2. Don’t overmix at this stage and start to develop the gluten. Don’t worry if there are some small lumps of dough, as these will be worked out in the second stage of the mixing process.
3. Twice means folding the dough in one direction and then doing the same thing in the opposite direction. For example, say you started the coil fold from top to bottom. Then You would do another coil fold from left to right by flipping the bowl 90º degrees clockwise.
4. Instead of a round bowl you can use a rectangular glass dish. This way after cold overnight fermentation the dough will already be shaped like a rectangle and there will be little reshaping by hand. Make sure you use the rectangular dish that is large enough to fit your dough after all the fermentation.

Did you make this recipe? I would love to see!Tag @itacdonev and hashtag #aifoodieland on instagram!