Ingredients
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1 tablespoon dry active yeast
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1/4 cup sugar
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1 1/3 cups lukewarm milk
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4 whole eggs, plus
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2 large egg yolks
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1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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2 teaspoons salt
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6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
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1 teaspoon ground cardamom
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1/2 lb unsalted butter, softened
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2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
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1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
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1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
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1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
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1/2 cup currants
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1/2 cup finely ground walnuts (use a food processor)
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2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
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12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- For the dough, sprinkle yeast and sugar over milk in a large mixing bowl; let stand until yeast bubbles, about 5 minutes.
- Whisk eggs and yolks together in a small bowl.
- Whisk in vanilla and salt.
- Sift flour and cardamom together and set aside.
- Stir egg mixture into yeast.
- Add butter and mix by hand until butter looks like small curdles.
- Mix in enough flour mixture to form a loose dough.
- Turn dough onto work surface sprinkled with remaining flour mixture.
- Knead, incorporating remaining flour, until dough is smooth and springs back slightly when touched, about 5 minutes.
- Place dough in a greased bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.
- For the filling, mix filling ingredients except butter; set aside.
- For the glaze, grease sides of 2, 10-inch round cake pans (not spring-form).
- Pour half melted butter into each pan; sprinkle each evenly with half brown sugar; set aside.
- Punch down dough and turn it onto a lightly floured work surface.
- Roll it out into an even 18 x 12-inch rectangle, about 1/4-inch thick.
- Brush dough with melted butter (see filling ingredients) and sprinkle with filling, leaving a 1/2-inch border on long sides.
- Use a rolling pin to embed filling into dough.
- Fold long edge of dough over twice and then proceed to roll dough into a tight log.
- Use dental floss to slice log into 12, 1 1/2-inch pieces.
- Place buns, cut side down, into prepared pans.
- Cover with a damp cloth and let rise by 50%, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375°.
- Bake until bun tops are golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.
- For the syrup, bring honey and butter to simmer over low heat in 2-quart saucepan.
- Simmer until thickened slightly, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Bring 2 burners to low heat.
- As buns come out of oven, pour hot syrup over them and place each pan over a warm burner.
- Using oven mitts to hold each pan, shake to distribute syrup and caramelize glaze, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Use a thin spatula to separate buns from edge of pans and each other.
- Immediately invert buns in each pan onto a rimmed baking sheet.
- Cool for 10 minutes and serve.