Sweden takes pride in celebrating its rich food culture, and October 4th, known as Cinnamon Bun Day or Kanelbullens Dag, is a particularly aromatic occasion. This special day is not just a treat for those with a sweet tooth but a nationwide event where Sweden revels in the warm, spiced sweetness of cinnamon buns.
The tradition began in 1999, launched by the Swedish Bakers’ Association (Hembakningsrådet) to mark its 40th anniversary. The choice of date was intentional — autumn was picked to avoid overlapping with other popular culinary traditions such as semlor, waffles, meatballs, or surströmming.
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Discover Sweden’s Capital of Fika: A Journey Through Alingsås’ Rich Bakery Tradition
In 1733, the Swedish king granted one of the country’s first bakery licences to Anders Sundgren in Alingsås. Despite its modest size, Alingsås was emerging as one of Sweden’s key industrial cities at the time. The industrial boom saw more women entering the workforce, leaving little time for home baking, which led to the rise of bakery businesses. Today, Alingsås boasts around twenty cafés, with three recognised in the prestigious White Guide’s ranking of Sweden’s top cafés.
Explore Alingsås, often referred to as Sweden’s Capital of Fika, through a guided fika tour. Running throughout most of the year, and with special Christmas-themed tours during the festive season, these tours offer an immersive experience in Swedish fika culture. Visitors sample iconic Swedish treats, such as cinnamon buns, princess cake, and the traditional seven kinds of cake, at some of the city’s oldest and most beloved cafés.
The guided tour provides insights into the sustainable practices of local cafés, the history of fika in the area, and the cultural significance of this cherished Swedish tradition. The tour concludes with fika served in a traditional setting, offering a perfect taste of Alingsås’ deep-rooted bakery heritage.
Go on, Bake at Home
Makes approximately 40 cinnamon buns.
Ingredients:
Starter:
- 50 g of fresh yeast
- 2,5 dl of room-tempered whole milk
- 100 g caster sugar
- 350 g wheat flour
Finish:
- 2.5 dl of room temperature whole milk
- 150 g of granulated sugar
- 200 g butter cut into pieces
- 10 g of salt
- 750 g wheat flour
- 1 egg
- 3 tbsp of freshly ground cardamom
Filling:
- 200 g room temperature butter
- 200 g caster sugar
- 3 tbsp cinnamon
- 2 pinches of salt
Method:
- Begin with the starter. Dissolve the yeast in the milk by hand or in a stand mixer. Add the sugar and flour and work everything to an elastic dough, about 5 minutes in the stand mixer or 10 minutes by hand. Cover the dough and leave to rise to double size in room tempered place for about 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the filling by just mixing sugar, butter, cinnamon and salt. Also, prepare the cardamom sugar if you want to use it for topping. This is done by mixing caster sugar and freshly ground cardamom. Set all this aside (at room temperature).
- Add the ingredients for the finish to the starter and work the dough elastic, about 15 minutes by hand or 10 minutes in a stand mixer. Don’t cheat with this; you want a lot of gluten in the dough and a really elastic dough.
- Form the dough into a thin rectangular “sheet” about 60×60 cm on a surface dusted with flour. This is done by using a rolling pin. (You might need to add some more flour underneath the dough once or twice, meanwhile forming the dough with the rolling pin.) Spread the filling over the entire dough and fold 1/3 of the surface from the top down to the centre. Then fold 1/3 of the surface from the bottom of the sheet over what you just folded. This is called a “threefold”. Cut this into strips that are about 2 cm wide. (about 80 grams/bun) Here you can choose if you want to twist each strip and twin it into a knot. Or, if you prefer, roll the strip to a spin and fold the edge of the strip under the bun. Place the buns on trays covered with parchment paper and cool to chill. Place the trays in a cool place like a basement (but not a fridge). Allow to rise for 4-5 hours. Then take the trays to room temperature and allow to rest until they are fluffy and about twice as large.
- Brush with egg wash before baking and sprinkle with nib or cardamom sugar (see instructions above). Bake in the middle of the oven at 225 °C (435 °F) until the cinnamon buns get a golden brown colour.
- Let the buns cool and freeze the cinnamon buns that are not to be eaten the same day or possibly the following day.
Recipe by Lisa Lemke
See also: Beyond Meat Honey & Garlic Marinated Steak Stir Fry
