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Finnish · Scandinavian

Korvapuusti (Finnish cinnamon rolls)

Contains egg (no meat or fish)

Korvapuusti

Cardamom-scented yeasted buns rolled with butter, sugar and cinnamon, cut into wedges and pressed into their 'slapped ear' shape. Finland's favourite coffee bun.

Korvapuusti (Finnish cinnamon rolls) is a Finnish pastry from Finland, ready in about 2 hours 12 minutes and made with cardamom, all-purpose flour and cinnamon. It serves 16 and is rated intermediate to cook.

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Prep
30 min
Cook
12 min
Rest
1 h 30 min
Total
2 h 12 min
Serves
16
Level
Intermediate
Calories
240

Ingredients

16 buns

For the dough

For the filling

To finish

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Stir the yeast into the lukewarm milk (opens in a new tab) with the sugar (opens in a new tab), cardamom (opens in a new tab), salt and egg (opens in a new tab). Work in the flour, then the softened butter (opens in a new tab), and knead until smooth and elastic.

  2. Step 2

    Cover and leave to rise in a warm place until doubled.

    • Step 3

      Roll the dough into a 30 × 50 cm rectangle. Spread with the softened butter (opens in a new tab) and sprinkle evenly with brown sugar (opens in a new tab) and cinnamon (opens in a new tab). Roll up tightly from the long side.

    • Step 4

      Cut the roll into 16 trapezoid wedges, alternating the angle of the cut. Stand each wedge on its wide side and press down firmly in the middle with two fingers so the layers fan out to the sides.

      • 8 min

    • Step 5

      Leave on lined trays to rise for 30 minutes. Brush with beaten egg (opens in a new tab) and sprinkle with sugar (opens in a new tab).

        Fresh herbs scattered over a finished dish
        How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

      • Step 6

        Bake until deep golden.

      About this dish

      Origin
      Finland · Commonly attributedPart of the wider Nordic cinnamon-bun family; the wedge-cut 'ear' shape is typically Finnish.More food from Finland
      Dish
      Snack · Breakfast · Pastries · Breads & flatbreads
      Cooking method
      Oven-baked
      Taste
      sweet, aromatic / warmly spiced, buttery
      Diet
      Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No nut ingredients
      All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free
      Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
      Good for
      Freezer-friendly · Child-friendly · Festive & celebration
      Cook more with
      Cardamom · All-purpose flour · Cinnamon · Milk · Dried yeast · Sugar
      Techniques
      Baking · Kneading · Fermentation

      Allergens

      • Contains: Milkfrom milk, butter
      • Contains: Eggsfrom egg
      • Contains: Wheatfrom all-purpose flour
      • Contains: Glutenfrom all-purpose flour

      Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

      Nutrition

      240 kcal per serving

      Calculated

      1 serving ≈ 74 g · recipe makes 16

      Where the energy comes from

      • Protein 8%
      • Carbohydrate 58%
      • Fat 34%
      Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
      NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
      Energy240 kcal325 kcal
      Protein4.8 g6.5 g
      Carbohydrate35 g47.3 g
      Net carbohydrate33.8 g45.6 g
      Sugars10.5 g14.2 g
      Added sugars9.6 g12.9 g
      Fibre1.3 g1.7 g
      Fat9.1 g12.3 g
      Saturated fat5.4 g7.2 g
      Trans fat——
      Cholesterol45 mg61 mg
      Sodium151 mg204 mg
      Salt equivalent0.4 g0.5 g
      Vitamins & minerals per serving
      Potassium
      80 mg
      Calcium
      38 mg
      Iron
      1.7 mg
      Magnesium
      11 mg
      Vitamin A (RAE)
      82 µg
      Vitamin C
      0 mg
      Vitamin D
      0.3 µg
      Vitamin B12
      0.1 µg
      Folate (DFE)
      105 µg

      How these numbers were made

      • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
      • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
      • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
      • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

      Good to know

      Tips

      • Freshly ground cardamom seeds are what makes Finnish pulla taste like pulla.

      Serve with

      • Serve with strong filter coffee — Finland drinks more coffee per person than almost anywhere.

      Storage

      • Best on the day; freeze cooled buns in a bag for up to a month.

      Reheating

      • Refresh frozen buns in a 160 °C oven for 5 minutes.

      Variations

      • Kanelbullar (Sweden): Swedish cinnamon buns are knotted or rolled rather than cut into ears.

      Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

      Recipe DNA

      How this dish is built

      Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

      Structure

      For the dough

      Used in steps 1, 3, 5

      Baker’s notes

      Customise in Bread & Bakery

      Timeline and readiness cues

      1. Mix and knead · about 30 min

        Weigh everything. Knead until smooth and elastic: a small piece stretches thin enough to see light through (the windowpane test).

      2. First rise (bulk) · about 1 h

        About doubled, domed, jiggly, with bubbles on the sides. A floured finger poked in leaves a dent that fills slowly.

      3. Final proof · about 30 min

        Poke test: the dent springs back slowly and only partly. Springs back fast = needs longer; doesn't spring back = over-proofed, bake now.

      4. Bake · about 12 min at 220 °C

        Deep golden; bread sounds hollow when tapped underneath, or reads 93–96 °C inside (enriched breads 88–90 °C).

      5. Start to finish: about 2 h 12 min. Times are a guide — warmth changes everything; follow the cues.

      The dough

      The dough in baker's percentages. Flour = 100%.
      IngredientRoleWeightBaker’s %
      All-purpose flourFlour500 g100%
      MilkOther liquid258 g51.5%
      ButterFat75 g15%
      SugarSugar70 g14%
      EggEgg50 g10%
      Dried yeastYeast7 g1.4%
      CardamomOther4 g0.8%
      SaltSalt3 g0.6%
      Total flour
      500 g
      Hydration
      —
      With milk, eggs…
      52.3%
      Wholegrain
      0%

      Hydration = water ÷ flour × 100. Milk is about 87% water and eggs about 75%, so they’re shown separately as “with milk, eggs…”.

      • Salt 0.6% — on the low side (1.8–2.2% is typical for bread).
      • Sugar 14% — an enriched, sweet dough; rises more slowly and browns quickly.
      • Fat 15% — a rich, tender dough.

      If something goes wrong

      • Dense, heavy loaf

        Likely causes

        • Under-kneaded (weak gluten)
        • Under-proofed
        • Old or dead yeast/starter
        • Too much wholegrain flour without extra water

        What to do

        • Knead to the windowpane stage
        • Proof by the poke test, not the clock
        • Test yeast in warm water with sugar; feed the starter and use it at its peak
        • Add 5–10% more water for wholegrain flours and give them a rest
      • Gummy or wet crumb

        Likely causes

        • Under-baked
        • Sliced while hot
        • Hydration too high for the flour

        What to do

        • Bake to 93–96 °C inside (cakes: clean skewer)
        • Cool completely on a rack before slicing
        • Reduce water by 3–5% or use a stronger flour
      • Spreads flat / no oven spring

        Likely causes

        • Over-proofed
        • Weak shaping (no surface tension)
        • Oven not hot enough
        • Too much water for the flour

        What to do

        • Shorten the proof; bake when the poke springs back slowly
        • Shape tightly so the skin is taut
        • Preheat fully (30+ minutes; with a stone or Dutch oven, 45)
        • Lower hydration or use bread flour
      • Collapsed or sunken middle

        Likely causes

        • Oven door opened too early
        • Too much leavening or sugar
        • Under-baked centre
        • Over-proofed yeast dough

        What to do

        • Don't open the oven for the first two-thirds of baking
        • Measure leaveners exactly with spoons, levelled
        • Test the centre before removing
        • Proof less
      • Pale crust

        Likely causes

        • Oven too cool
        • Too little sugar or no milk/egg for browning
        • Over-fermented (yeast ate the sugars)

        What to do

        • Check the oven with a thermometer
        • Brush with egg wash or milk
        • Shorten the fermentation
      • Burnt bottom

        Likely causes

        • Tray too close to the heat
        • Dark tray absorbs more heat
        • Too much sugar in the dough

        What to do

        • Bake on the middle shelf
        • Double up trays or use a light-coloured one
        • Lower the temperature 10–15 °C and bake a little longer
      • Cracked or domed top

        Likely causes

        • Oven too hot (crust sets before the centre rises)
        • Too much leavening
        • Overmixed batter

        What to do

        • Lower the oven 10–15 °C
        • Use the exact leavening amount
        • Fold just until combined
      • Big holes or tunnels

        Likely causes

        • Overmixed batter (cakes, muffins)
        • Air trapped while shaping bread
        • Uneven proof

        What to do

        • Mix quick breads only until no dry flour shows
        • Degas gently and shape tightly
        • Proof covered in an even, warm place
      • Dough didn't rise

        Likely causes

        • Dead yeast (expired or killed by hot liquid)
        • Kitchen too cold
        • Salt in direct contact with fresh yeast
        • Starter not active

        What to do

        • Liquid should be lukewarm (no hotter than 40 °C)
        • Proof somewhere warm (an oven with just the light on)
        • Mix the salt into the flour, not onto the yeast
        • Feed the starter until it doubles in 4–8 hours
      • Over-proofed (sour smell, collapses when scored)

        Likely causes

        • Too warm
        • Too much yeast
        • Left too long

        What to do

        • Knock back, reshape and proof again briefly (yeast doughs)
        • Use less yeast or a cooler proof
        • Set a timer and check early with the poke test
      • Dry or crumbly

        Likely causes

        • Too much flour (scooped, not weighed)
        • Over-baked
        • Too little fat or sugar

        What to do

        • Weigh flour, or spoon it into the cup and level
        • Check 5 minutes early
        • Don't cut fat or sugar by more than a quarter without another moisture source

      Reviews & corrections

      Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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