ok but, how beautiful are these swedish buns?

lately, i have been very into bread baking & yeast based recipes (you should see my freezer). baking with yeast always seems a little bit intimidating, but i promise once you start you will realize it is so simple! a few months ago i came across these swedish buns online & knew they were next on my list to conquer! instead of sticking with a more traditional cardamom spiced swedish bun, i wanted to do a little festive spin on them for the holiday season.. hello gingerbread!

gingerbread spices are just the coziest, much like pumpkin spice in the fall. the spices are included in both the dough itself & the filling. the recipe uses bob's red mill's all purpose flour, as well as bob's red mill's decorative sparkling sugar. the sparkling sugar adds a bakery finish & reminds me of a dusting of snow! these buns are best served fresh from the oven with a drizzle of honey. to create the traditional twist, i watched a few youtube videos until i got it almost perfect. instead of trying to explain in words how to properly knot the dough, i recommend checking out this video. after a few tries, you will be a swedish bun making pro. this year, change up those christmas morning cinnamon buns for these gingerbread swedish buns & watch them quickly disappear!

ingredients

for the brioche dough:

1 cup water, warm to touch
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted & cooled
6 tablespoons light brown sugar
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon fine salt
1/4 cup whole milk, plus more for topping
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon gingerbread spice (see notes)
5 1/2 cups bob's red mill's all-purpose flour
bob's red mill's white sparkling sugar, for topping

for the filling:

1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons gingerbread spice (see notes)

for the gingerbread spice:

1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

directions

for the brioche dough

in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with dough hook attachment add the water. sprinkle the yeast over the water & let stand for 5 minutes, until the yeast begins to activate.
in a separate small mixing bowl whisk together the butter, sugar, eggs, salt, milk & vanilla. once yeast is activated, transfer mixture to the stand mixer bowl. turn mixer to low speed.
add gingerbread spice & flour, one cup at a time until dough comes together. knead dough for 5 minutes, until smooth.
shape into a ball, transfer to a greased bowl & cover with damp towel. let rise for 2 hours, or until dough doubles in size.
on a lightly floured surface roll out dough to a thin rectangle. spread the filling evenly across the surface & fold dough into thirds (like folding a letter).
roll out dough again to an 18 by 12 inch rectangle. cut dough into 18 1-inch thick strips.
stretch each strip, twist & knot (see video). transfer to a lined baking sheet & repeat until no dough remains. each baking sheet should hold 6 to 8 rolls.
preheat oven to 350 degrees. as the oven preheats, cover the rolls with a damp towel & let rise for 30 minutes.
just before making, brush the top with milk & sprinkle with coarse sugar. bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown.
let stand for 5 minutes before serving! best enjoyed within 24 hours, but can be frozen for up to 4 weeks.

for the filling