Bierocks are buns stuffed with cabbage and meat. They sound delicious, but individually making and stuffing all of those buns sounds like a lot of work. Fortunately, symbol found this recipe in Cook's Country for a casserole version; rather than stuffing individual buns, an entire baking dish is filled and then topped with bread dough.

This was a great success, although we had to trim the dough somewhat after cooking to fit everything into the fridge.

Bierock Casserole

Cook's Country, April/May 2015

Ingredients

• Dough
• ¼+¾ C whole milk, divided
  
• 1 tbsp instant yeast
• 1 tsp + 5 tsp sugar, divided
• 2 C all-purpose flour
• 1¾ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 tbsp butter, melted
• Filling
• 3 lbs lean ground beef¹
• 1 small cabbage, cored and finely chopped, about 8 C
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 6-8 oz (170-225g) American cheese or mild cheddar, chopped
• 2 tbsp yellow mustard
• 1 egg, beaten with 1 tbsp water
  

Directions

1. Microwave ¼ C milk until warm, 15-20 seconds.
2. Stir in yeast and 1 tsp sugar and let stand until bubbly, ~5 minutes.
3. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and remaining sugar in a large bowl.
4. Add yeast mixture, melted butter, and remaining milk to form a sticky dough.
5. Knead until it forms a smooth ball, ~2 minutes.
6. Return to the bowl, cover, and rise for 30 minutes.
7. While the dough is rising, heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large² pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat.
8. Add the beef, cabbage, and onions to the pot and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, for ~5 minutes.
9. Uncover and continue to cook until beef is browned and cabbage is wilted, 10-15 minutes; if you are adding the cabbage in stages it may take longer.
10. Mix in flour and cook for 1 minute.
    
11. Drain (either by draining the pot or removing the filling to a bowl using a spider).
12. Mix in cheese and mustard.
13. Pour mixture into a 9×13" baking dish and let cool for 10 minutes; while cooling, preheat the oven to 375°F.
14. Brush the rim of the dish with the egg wash.
    
15. Roll dough out into a rectangle and drape over the dish.
16. Fold sides in so that it is flush with the edges of the dish, and crimp edges.
17. Brush with egg wash.
18. Cut 9 venting slits into it.
19. Bake until crust is golden brown and filling bubbly; 15-20 minutes.
20. Let stand 20 minutes on a wire rack, then serve.
    

---

¹ We used a roughly 1:1 mix of actual ground beef and Beyond Meat ground beef substitute, with great success. ^Back
2 I'm not kidding about the "large". If you can't fit everything in, add the meat first, break it up and cook it a bit, then add the cabbage a bit at a time -- it'll reduce as it cooks. ^Back

I love this bread! It is so, so good! The crust is perfect, the crumb is just right, the flavour is excellent. It's easy to adjust the inclusions to your taste. And the timing is pretty laid back.

The first time I made it, I made it with dried cranberries and slivered almonds and followed the proportions given in the original recipe. The second time I opted for dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds to make it school safe and upped the hydration a little bit. I also played around with the timing and hydrations levels in the starter/preferment. I think the first preferment worked better, but the higher hydration in the second batch was an improvement.

Fruit and Seed Semolina Sourdough

Slightly adapted from Sourdough.com

Ingredients

First Preferment

• 13g starter (100% hydration)
• 26g hard (strong/bread/high grade) whole wheat flour
• 26mL water

Second Preferment

• first preferment
• 83g hard whole wheat flour
• 83mL water

Dough

• 230g fine semolina flour
• 233g hard whole wheat flour
• 275mL water
• second preferment
• 10g coarse sea salt
• 1g malt syrup mixed w/ 10g flour
• 22g olive oil
• 7g fennel seeds
• 70g nuts and/or seeds of your choice
• 110g dried cranberries

Directions

Morning or early afternoon of Day 1

1. Combine the starter, flour, and water for the first preferment and mix very well.
2. Let stand, loosely covered, at room temperature for 4-8 hours. (4 hours for warmer rooms, 8 hours for cooler.)

Evening of Day 1

1. Add the flour and water for the second preferment to the first one and mix very well.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the semolina flour, whole wheat flour, and water for the dough and mix until combined.
3. Loosely cover both containers and let stand at room temperature overnight (8-12 hours depending on room temperature).

Morning of Day 2

1. Add the preferment to the flour-water mixture and fold/knead it in.
2. Work in the salt and malt-flour mixture as well.
3. Cover and let stand at room temperature for one hour.
4. Add the olive oil and fennel seeds to the dough and stretch and fold it/knead the dough until the new ingredients have been incorporated. (It's okay if they're not evenly distributed at this point.)
5. Flip the dough over, cover, and let stand for another hour.
6. Add your preferred nuts and seeds and work them in as above.
7. Turn the dough over again, cover, and let stand for another hour.
8. Add the cranberries (or other dried fruit) and work it in as above. (One again, it's okay if things are a little uneven at this point.)
9. Flip the dough, cover, and let stand for an hour.
10. If the dough seems lively and light at this point, you may proceed with shaping. If not stretch it and fold it again and return it to its covered bowl for another hour. Keep repeating the hourly stretching process until the dough has reached a good level of activity. This may take 8 hours or more in a cool room.

Afternoon/Evening of Day 2

1. Once the dough is pleasantly airy and supple, place it on a lightly floured surface and press it flat.
2. Fold the dough into thrids (like a letter) and press it down a bit again.
3. Roll it up jelly-roll style, starting from a short side to form a loaf.
4. Place the loaf in a floured banneton, cover, and chill for 8-12 hours.

Morning of Day 3

1. If dough was still sluggish before shaping, allow the loaf to stand at room temperature for an hour or two before baking.
2. Preheat oven to 230°C (450°F).
3. Grease a baking sheet and sprinkle it with cornmeal.
4. Boil a few cups of water.
5. Carefully turn the loaf out onto the prepared baking sheet.
6. Lightly brush the surface with water and sprinkle with a bit of cornmeal if desired.
7. Once the oven is preheated, slash the loaf as desired.
8. Pour several cups of boiling water into a large pan and place it on the bottom oven rack.
9. Bake the bread on a rack set above the pan of boiling water.
10. Bake at 230°C (450°F) for 15 minutes.
11. After 15 minutes, carefully remove the pan of boiling water and reduce the temperature to 180°C (350°F).
12. Continue baking for another 20-30 minutes.
13. When loaf looks and smells done, remove it from the oven and tap the underside. If it sounds hollow it's done, otherwise return it to the oven for another 5-10 minutes.
14. Once loaf sounds hollow when tapped, turn off the oven. Leave the loaf in the warm oven for 10 minutes.
15. Remove bread from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

I picked up some frozen lamb's feet from the local Halal grocery store and have been trying to decide what to do with them. I debated between a few different recipes but, in the end, I liked the look of this one the best. I didn't make too many modifications: just reduced the chilies (for Kidlet compatibility) and added some tomatoes (because I found another paya recipe that called for tomatoes and I had some that needed to be used).

The flavour was excellent, but the broth was somewhat lacking in body. I think I'd probably try reducing the water next time. The author also suggested chickpeas as an optional inclusion. I didn't use any this time, but I think I'd like to try some if I make this again. I think it'd also be nice with the oil swapped out for ghee.

Mutton Paya

Slightly adapted from Tasted Recipes

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp. ghee
• 1 onion, halved and sliced
• 2 black cardamom pods
• 3 green cardamom pods
• 2 (7cm) cinnamon sticks
• 2 star anise
• 8 black peppercorns
• 5 whole cloves
• 1 Tbsp. cumin seeds
• 1 Tbsp. garlic paste
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. ginger paste
• 450g stewing lamb, mutton, and/or beef
• 300g lambs' feet
• 1-2 tsp. sweet paprika
• 1 tsp. ground Kashmiri chilies
• 1-2 tsp. chili powder
• 1 Tbsp. coriander seeds, gound
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/2 Tbsp. ground turmeric
• 1/2 c. roasted split chickpeas (optional)
• 1 c. diced tomatoes (optional)
• 1 c. water
• 2-4 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Heat ghee over medium heat.
2. Add onion and cook until softened.
3. Add black cardamom, green cardamom, cinnamon sticks, star anise, peppercorns, cloves, and cumin seeds and cook for another 30-60 seconds.
4. Add the garlic and ginger pastes and cook for another minute or two.
5. Add the stewing meat and feet and cook for 3-5 minutes.
6. Add the paprika, ground chilies, chili powder, ground coriander, salt, and turmeric and cook for 30 seconds.
7. Add chickpeas and tomatoes (if using).
8. Add water.
9. Pressure cook (on high) for 25 minutes.
10. Remove feet if desired.
11. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve over rice.

This came out really well. The fish was excellent. The sauce was delicious. The real star of the show though was the masala. It was incredible!

I thought we'd made pretty much all the masalas in the book at this point, so I was surprised to see one that I didn't recognize called for in this recipe. I was even more surprised to find that it was a wet masala. It is a delicious, pungent mix of vinegar, chilies, and spices and I love it!

As much as I loved this mix, I think TF felt even more strongly about it. She took to spreading it on toast (and pretty much anything else that didn't run away fast enough). Now that we've restocked on dried chilies, I've promised to mix up another batch for her so that she can continue putting it on and in absolutely everything.

Even if you don't end up making this curry, I highly recommend trying to the masala as either a condiment or ingredient in other dishes.

Poached Salmon with Scallions and Tomato

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
• 650g salmon fillets (preferably with skin on)
• 1 c. coconut milk
• 1 Tbsp. balchao masala
• 3/4 tsp coarse sea salt
• 15 fresh (or frozen) curry leaves
• 2 Tbsp. canola oil
• 1 tomato, diced
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Sprinkle the turmeric over the skinless side of the salmon, cover, and chill for at least 30 minutes.
2. Combine coconut milk, masala, salt, and currly leaves and set aside.
3. Heat oil over medium heat.
4. Add the salmon, flesh-side-down and cook for 2-4 minutes.
5. Flip and sear the skin side for 1-2 minutes.
6. Stir the coconut milk mixture and pour it over the fish and bring to a boil.
7. Place the tomatoes and scallions over the fish.
8. Cook, uncovered, occasionally tilting the pan and basting the fish for another 5-8 minutes.
9. Serve with rice/your favourite pulao.

Khaukswe Hin (Burmese Coconut Chicken and Noodles)

After the great success of the liver curry, I decided to try out another pick from the One-Pot Meals of Asia cookbook. This one came out looking a bit grey and unappealing, but it tasted delicious! I think I'd make a few tweaks next time, but nothing major.

Khaukswe Hin

Slightly adapted from One-Pot Meals of Asia

Ingredients

• 1 (1.6-1.8kg) chicken¹, skinned and jointed
• 1/2-1 tsp. ground cayenne
• 1 tsp. ground turmeric
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 3-5 whole cloves (optional)
• 1-2 bay leaves (optional)
• 1 whole dried lime² (optional)
• 2 onions, coarsely chopped
• 8-10 cloves garlic
• 1 Tbsp. ginger paste
• 2 Tbsp. canola (or other neutral) oil
• 1/4 c. chickpea flour
• 1 tsp. sweet paprika
• 2 c. coconut milk (lite/thin coconut milk is fine)
• 1 stalk lemongrass, minced
• 1 c. frozen chopped kale (optional)
• 1 c. frozen green peas³ (optional)
• 2 Tbsp. fish sauce
• 1-3 Tbsp. hot chili oil
• 450g wheat noodles⁴
• 4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and quartered
• 5-6 green onions, chopped
• 4 limes, quartered
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Sprinkle the chicken with the turmeric, cayenne, and salt and place it in a pot.
2. Add enough water to just cover the chicken. Toss in the cloves, bay leaves, and lime (if using).
3. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook for ~20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, place the onions, garlic, and ginger in a blender or food processor and blend to form a paste. You may need to add a little water if using a blender for this step.
5. Once chicken is cooked, remove the pieces from the pot (reserving the broth).
6. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, pick the meat from the bones and set it aside.
7. Heat neutral oil over medium-high heat and pour in the onion paste.
8. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the water has evaporated and the paste begins to fry.
9. Fry the paste for another 2-3 minutes.
10. Add the chicken and stir to coat it with the fried paste.
11. Add enough of the reserved stock to the chickpea flour to form a smooth paste and stir it into the pan.
12. Stir 2 c. of stock into the pan and bring to a boil.
13. Add the paprika, coconut milk, and lemongrass and cook for another 5 minutes. The sauce should thicken slightly.
14. Add the kale and peas (if using) and cook until heated through.
15. Stir in the fish sauce and the chili oil.
16. Just before serving, boil the noodles. Aim for al dente so they still have a little bite to them.
17. Drain the noodles and give them a quick rinse under cold water.
18. Serve immediately! Place a serving of noodles on a plate/bowl and top with curry. Garnish with egg quarters, green onions, and cilantro. Serve each portion with a lime wedge so that diners may squeeze the juice over the curry before they eat it. Enjoy!

---

¹ I ended up using ~1kg of chicken drumsticks + 250g of king oyster mushrooms that had been fried in butter and then seasoned with pepper and soy sauce. ^Back
2 Neither dried limes nor bay leaves nor cloves were called for in the original recipe and I didn't use them this time 'round but, after tasting the finished dish, I think they'd make a nice addition. ^Back
3 The original recipe also doesn't call for peas or kale. However, without them, it's severely lacking in the vegetable department. I didn't want to have to make a separate vegetable side -- kinda defeats the purpose of a one-pot meal, doesn't it? -- so I added some veggies to the curry. I think it worked pretty well. Especially since I was a bit short on chicken anyway. ^Back
4 I ended up using a bag of dried Chinese egg noodles for this. The author notes that spaghetti, vermicelli, or tagliatelli may be used if you don't have any Asian-style noodles. ^Back

Ground lamb was on sale last week, so I grabbed a bit on a whim. TF loves lamb. (So do I, but I think she feels more strongly about it.) I figured I could peruse 660 Curries and find something tasty to do with it.

Most of the curries in the lamb section actually call for chunks of lamb rather than ground lamb. But there are a few at the end of the chapter and in the appetizer section that have you making various types of dumplings and meatballs out of it.

I opted for shahi kofta curry, which involves making slightly minty lamb-almond meatballs and then dousing them in a creamy, spiced tomato sauce. It was delicious!

I served it with some palak pulao and gobi manchurian and called it a day. I think it probably could've done with one more curry to round out the meal, but I ran out of both spoons and time. And, on the bright side, the Kidlet actually liked both the lamb and the cauliflower! Great success.

Shahi Kofta Curry

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 450g ground lamb
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 c. ground almonds
• 1/4 c. fresh mint leaves¹, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
• 6-8 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp. Punjabi garam masala
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 2 Tbsp. ghee
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1 c. tomato sauce
• 1/2 tsp. cardamom seeds (from green pods), ground
• 1/4 tsp. ground cayenne
• 1/2 c. heavy (35%) cream

Directions

1. Combine lamb, onion, almonds, mint, cilantro, garlic, garam masala, and salt and mix very well.
2. Form meatballs of whatever size you prefer. Iyer suggests 12 meatballs, but I prefered to make a larger number of smaller balls.
3. Heat the ghee over medium-high heat.
4. Add the cumin seeds and sizzle for 10-15 seconds.
5. Add the meatballs and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until the meatballs have browned all over (5-8 minutes).
6. Carefully remove the meatballs from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.
7. Add the tomato sauce to the pan and scrape any stuck-on bits off the bottom.
8. Add cardamom and cayenne.
9. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the oil starts to separate (~8 minutes).
10. Stir in the cream.
11. Return the meatballs to the pan and stir/spoon the sauce over them to coat.
12. Cover and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through (10-15 minutes).
13. Serve over palak pulao, pasta, or other starch of your choice.

---

¹ If you have access to high quality dried mint, you may substitute 2 Tbsp. of dried mint for the fresh. Avoid generic grocery store mint if possible, it tends to be fairly lacklustre and bland. I have had good luck with dried mint from halal/Syrian grocery stores. ^Back

Kaleja Aloo Karhi (Liver and Potato Curry)

I'm always on the lookout for more good liver recipes. I love liver, but I like to have a few different ways of preparing it. Liver and onions is a classic, but I get bored of it pretty quickly. Liver fried rice is nice, but it's also very much a "once-in-a-while" thing for me, especially since I find it a bit fussy to prepare. And the tomato-y Burmese liver curry is alright, but it just doesn't sing to me most days.

This recipe looked interesting, but I have to admit, I was expecting that it would be on the same level as the Burmese liver curry for me: okay, but not great. Just another way to use up liver, without actually being a stand-out dish or something that I'd go out of my way for if I didn't have liver to use up.

I was pleasantly surprised. It was really good! I made a few tiny tweaks, but nothing major. And it produced a lovely, flavourful, harmonious curry that went great with a vegetable stuffed paratha and a bit of spinach-y rice (palak pulao).

Kaleja Aloo Karhi

Slightly adapted from One-Dish Meals of Asia by Jennifer Brennan

Ingredients

• 2 onions, coarsely chopped
• 3-4 cloves garlic
• 1/4 c. unsweetened shredded coconut
• 2-4 Tbsp. water
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp. aniseed
• 1 Tbsp. coriander seeds
• 1/8 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/4 c. ghee, divided
• 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
• 450g calf/beef liver¹
• 3 fresh green Thai, finger, or serrano chilies, minced
• 2-3 boiled potatoes, sliced into 1cm (1/2") thick discs
• 1 tsp. tamarind concentrate
• 1/2 c. hot water (or reserved potato cooking water)
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 c. fresh or frozen peas
• 1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Combine onions, garlic, coconut, water, cinnamon, cumin, aniseed, coriander, and cloves in a blender or food processor and process into a paste. You will likely only need 2 Tbsp. of water if using a food processor. The full 1/4 c. of water is likely to be required if using a blender. Set the paste aside.
2. Heat 3 Tbsp. of ghee over medium-high heat.
3. Add the mustard seeds and cook, covered, until seeds have stopped popping (30-60 seconds).
4. Add liver and cook until seared on both/all sides. Remove from pan with tongs or a slotted spoon and set aside.
5. Add potatoes and chilies to pan and cook until browned. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon.
6. Add remaining 1 Tbsp. of ghee to the pan and pour in the onion-coconut paste.
7. Cook, stirring occastionally, until water has evaporated and mixture begins to fry.
8. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.
9. Return liver, potatoes, and chilies to the pan.
10. Add the tamarind paste, water, salt, and peas to the pan and bring to a boil.
11. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
12. Stir in cilantro and cook for another minute or two.
13. Serve with rice, flatbread, and/or vegetable side(s) of your choice.

---

¹ The recipe calls for cubing the liver, but I missed that instruction and ended up leaving it as two large slices. I'm sure it would be good chopped into smaller pieces. This would likely make it easier to get a uniform mix of potatoes, liver, and sauce. That said, I quite liked the approach I ended up taking. I found it easier to flip and manage the cooking of two big pieces vs. lots of little pieces. ^Back

Dudhi Besan chi Bhajee (Squash with Chickpea Flour Sauce)

I have been slowly but surely working my way through the bottle gourd squash curries in the book. The fritters were delicious (if somewhat lacking in structural integrity and general healthfulness). The patra and squash curry sounded very promising, but turned out to be a bit of a letdown in the end. Not bad, just not great either. But this one... this one FAR exceeded my expectations!

I wasn't really expecting much from this curry. It didn't really seem to have a whole lot going on. Just a bunch of bottle gourd squash chunks floating in a watery sauce with only a bit of chickpea flour and a few spices to round it out. Doesn't really excite the palate, does it? But it was a relatively quick and easy vegetable side and it used up bottle gourd squash, so I made it to go along with a few other curries and called it a day.

I no longer remember what other curries I made to go with the squash. I'm pretty sure they were good. But this one stood out for just how deceptively good it was. I would definitely recommend it if you find yourself, like me, with a huge surplus of bottle gourd squash and are looking for a use for it.

Dudhi Besan chi Bhajee

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 700g bottle gourd squash
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground turmeric
• 2 Tbsp. canola (or other neutral) oil
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-3 fresh green Thai, finger, or serrano chilies, halved lengthwise
• 1 Tbsp. chickpea flour
• 10 fresh (or frozen) curry leaves
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
• juice of 1 lime

Directions

1. Peel the squash. Trim the ends and cut it in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds. Dice the flesh into ~1cm cubes.
2. Place the squash cubes in a pot and add enough water to cover them.
3. Add the salt and the turmeric and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the somewhat tender but still retains some of its crispness (~15 minutes).
5. Pour off 1 c. of the cooking water and set it aside. Drain the squash.
6. Heat oil over medium-high heat.
7. Add the cumin seeds and sizzle for 10-15 seconds.
8. Add the garlic and chilies and stir-fry for ~1 minute.
9. Add the chickpea flour and cook for 30-60 seconds.
10. Whisk in the reserved cooking water.
11. Add the curry leaves, sugar, cilantro, and drained squash.
12. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 2-4 minutes.
13. Remove from heat and stir in the lime juice just before serving.

This is very different from what I normally expect a masala to be. It is also incredibly delicious. Acidic, pungent, spicy... full of garlic! It is goodness in a jar that you can add to all your favourite dishes to kick them up a notch. (Okay, maybe don't add it to your trifle, but you get the idea.)

Balchao Masala

From 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 1/2 c. cider or malt vinegar
• 1 tsp. tamarind concentrate
• 1 c. dried red Thai, arbol, cayenne, or Kashmiri¹ chilies
• 1 Tbsp. cumin seeds
• 1 tsp. black pappercorns
• 1/2 tsp. whole cloves
• 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
• 12-14 cloves garlic
• 2 (6cm by 2.5cm by 3mm) slices of ginger or 2 Tbsp. ginger paste
• 2 (7.5cm) cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces²

Directions

1. Pour the vinegar into a blender jar.
2. Add all the remaining ingredients to the blender.
3. Purée, scraping down as needed, until a paste is formed.
4. Store in a sealed container in the fridge. (Iyer says it'll only keep in the fridge for 2 weeks; in my experience it's gone long before you have to worry about it going off!)

---

¹ Iyer only mentions Thai and cayenne chilies in his recipe. I really like Kashmiri chilies thoug, so I opted to use a mix of arbol and Kashmiri chilies for my masala. I am extremely happy with the results! ^Back
2Our blender is not good at fully reducing the cinnamon sticks in this environment; it would probably be a good idea to run them through the spice grinder first, to reduce the prevalence of cinnamon chunks in the final paste. ^Back

Swedish Cardamom Buns

I needed something to use up sourdough starter and decided on these cardamom buns. Sadly they didn't rise super well, but I think that was just down to my starter not being as active as it should've been. The buns are still tasty, they're just slightly denser than I'd hoped.

I made the recipe pretty much as written this time. The only change I made was to reduce the amount of cardmom called for since mine was freshly ground. Pre-ground cardamom tends to have a much more muted flavour, so you need more of it to get the same effect in the finished buns.

I think I might try swapping out the brown sugar in the dough for granulated sugar next time. The original recipe called for 75g of brown sugar in the dough. I think I'd probably try it with just 30g of granulated sugar in the future. (This isn't as dramatic a sugar reduction as it sounds since brown sugar has a much higher moisture content than granulated.) I've written the recipe up to reflect this change, although I haven't had a chance to test the sugar swap yet.

Photo goes here.

Swecish Cardamom Buns

Slightly adapted from Sourdough.com

Ingredients

Dough

• 210mL milk
• 75g unsalted butter
• 390g all-purpose flour, divided
• 30g sugar
• 5g coarse sea salt
• 1/2 Tbsp. decorticated green (or white) cardamom¹, ground
• 150g fed/active starter (100% hydration)

Filling

• 60g unsalted butter, softened
• 60g brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. decorticated green (or white) cardamom, ground
• 40g ground almonds/almond flour

Assembly

• 1 egg, beaten
• sugar, for sprinkling

Directions

1. Combine butter and milk and heat until butter has melted. Set aside.
2. Combine 235g flour, sugar, salt, and cardamom.
3. Once the milk mixture has cooled to about 37°C (98°F), add it to the flour mixture along with the starter.
4. Beat with a wooden spoon for ~5 minutes to develop the gluten.
5. Stir in remaining 155g of flour to make a very soft dough.
6. Shape into a smooth ball (as best you can), cover, and set aside to rise for 2-3 hours.
7. In a small bowl, combine all filling ingredients and mix to form a paste. If it seems too stiff to be spreadable, warm it up a bit (on the stove or in the microwave) until it becomes soft enough to spread.
8. On a well-floured surface, roll the dough into a sheet about 4mm thick.
9. Gently spread the filling mixture over 2/3 of the dough sheet.
10. Fold the unfilled thrid of the dough over the middle, then fold the opposite thrid (with the filling) over that. So the dough ends up folded in thrids like a letter with filling between each layer of dough.
11. Cut the dough crosswise into 2cm wide strips.
12. Let the strips rest for 10-15 minutes.
13. Grease a large baking sheet.
14. Gently stretch a dough strip so that it can be wrapped twice around two or three of your fingers. Then tuck one end through the hole in the centre to make a knot.
15. Place the knotted dough on the greased baking sheet and repeat the knotting process with the remaining dough strips.
16. Cover and let rise for another 2-3 hours.
17. Lightly brush the risen buns with beaten egg and sprinkle with a little sugar.
18. Bake at 200°C (400°F) for 15-20 minutes.
19. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

---

¹ Double cardamom quantities if using pre-ground cardamom as it tends to be much less potent than freshly ground. ^Back