Christmas cardamom buns

MAKES 12 PREP + COOK TIME 2 HOURS (+ REFRIGERATION & STANDING TIME)

1 cup (250ml) milk, lukewarm 2 teaspoons (7g) dried yeast 2 tablespoons white sugar 2½ cups (375g) bread flour 1½ tablespoons freshly ground cardamom

65g unsalted butter, softened ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt

1 egg, beaten lightly

FILLING

200g unsalted butter, softened slightly

¾ cup (165g) white sugar 1½ tablespoons freshly ground cardamom

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt TOPPING

2 tablespoons white sugar 1 teaspoon freshly ground cardamom 1 Combine milk, yeast and 1 teaspoon of the sugar in a medium jug. Cover; stand in a warm place for 10 minutes or until frothy. 2 Place the flour, cardamom, butter, salt, remaining sugar and the yeast mixture in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix on medium speed for 8 minutes or until very smooth and elastic. (Or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 10 minutes.)

3 Turn dough onto a work surface; press out into a rectangle about 2cm thick. Make three slashes, 5mm deep, in top of dough. Cover with greased plastic wrap; refrigerate for 2 hours or until doubled in size.

4 Meanwhile, to make the filling, beat ingredients in the bowl of electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment just until well combined; do not overbeat (it should not be fluffy or too soft). 5 Preheat oven to 220°C (200°C fan-forced), with top and bottom elements on. Line two large baking trays with baking paper.

6 With a short side in front of you, roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into a 30cm x 38cm rectangle, about 3mm thick. Dot surface of dough with small spoonfuls of filling; gently spread filling over dough with an offset spatula. With the shorter side in front of you, fold the top third of the dough down over the middle third, then the bottom third up to cover the folded dough. Use a rolling pin to gently pat the dough to seal, then roll into a rectangle about 24cm x 30cm. With the long side in front of you, mark the dough at 2.5cm intervals, then cut into 12 even strips. Split each strip down the middle almost all the way but leaving 2.5cm joined at one end. Holding one strip of dough at the joined end, stretch and twist lightly, wrapping the dough twice around your fingers, overlapping slightly, like a bandage; fold the end over the top of the coil and tuck it underneath. Place on lined trays. Repeat shaping with remaining strips.

7 Stand, uncovered, at room temperature for 1 hour or until puffed and risen.

8 Brush the buns with egg; sprinkle with combined topping ingredients.

9 Bake one tray for 8 minutes; rotate tray and bake for a further 8 minutes or until deep golden and cooked through. Repeat with second tray. Cool on trays.

Suitable to freeze.