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Who’s Ann you might ask? Ann Sather - ever heard of her? While these buns remind me of the Ann Sathers cinnamon buns, they have a secret. They’re vegan. You heard me right - NO DAIRY. NO BUTTER. NO CREAM CHEESE FROSTING. Trust me - you won’t miss it. This dough is so tender, so pillowy soft, that this will be your go-to cinnamon bun recipe.

The frosting is really what draws you in, but the real magic is in the dough. I watch my fair share of food related YouTube (I blame Gourmet Makes as my gateway drug, followed by any sort of ‘eat the menu’ video). I landed on this vegan challah dough recipe somehow and it was the spark that lit a fuse in my brain….vegan cardamom buns, vegan cinnamon rolls…any sort of baked good with yeasted dough. So I want to thank Tasty & Challah Hub for putting together a video that I’ve probably watched 25 times - simply because it’s just so satisfying to watch them make a beautiful vegan dough (also their rainbow loaf is SO on brand for EBCo).

You might have seen these rolls on Instagram in our feed - and now they’re yours! Post your buns (not those ones, the cinnamon ones) with the hashtag #everybodybakingco and tag us in your stories. We wanna see your buns (the cinnamon swirled ones!)

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INGREDIENTS
1 cup water
between 100-110° Fahrenheit
2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
Pinch of sugar
2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
(no more than 110° Fahrenheit)

3 tablespoons melted coconut oil
3 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons baking powder

3 cups bread flour
you can use AP flour, but I find bread flour makes for a fluffier finished dough
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp kosher salt

Filling
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Icing
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup melted coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla
Or vanilla bean paste, if you have it, to get those beautiful bean flecks!

METHOD

1. In a bowl, combine water, yeast, and sugar. Gently swish and let stand for 5-10 minutes until a small raft of puffed yeast forms in the middle of the water. 

2. While the yeast is proofing, measure out bread flour, sugar, and salt, whisk to combine, and set aside.

3. Once yeast is proved, add 2 tablespoons of melted coconut oil to the mixture and set aside.

4. Combine the melted coconut oil, water and baking powder. Stir and add to yeast mixture.

5. Add the wet ingredients and dry ingredients together and stir with a wooden spoon or in a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment ensuring all the flour is incorporated. If dough is sticky, slowly add an additional half cup of flour until dough begins to clear the sides of the bowl.

6. Once flour is incorporated, the dough should begin to form a ball, clean the sides of the bowl, and feel smooth (about 2 minutes in a stand mixer). If you are kneading by hand, this will take about 10 minutes on a floured surface.

7. Cover the dough in the bowl with a dry cloth or plastic wrap and place in a sunny, warm place until it has doubled in size (about 1.5-2 hours)

8. Divide the raised dough in half, and place the other half back in the bowl.  Lightly flour a surface and your rolling pin. Roll out the dough to a 12” wide by  8" high rectangle, the long side toward you.

9. Melt half your coconut oil (2 tablespoons) and drizzle over the rolled out dough. With your fingers or a pastry brush, spread it over the entire dough rectangle. Then measure out 1/4 cup of brown sugar and sprinkle all over the dough, followed by 1 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. 

10. Start at the long side farthest from you, and roll the dough towards you, working back and forth from end to end. 

11. Cut the dough into 2-inch slices and place closely together on a sheet pan with parchment or a greased cake pan. Repeat with the other half of the dough.  

12. Cover with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise until doubled in size - about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven 350-degree oven 

13. When the buns have risen, bake for 15-18 minutes until golden brown.

14. While the buns are in the oven, make the glaze. Combine melted coconut oil, powdered sugar, and vanilla bean (extract or paste). Beat with a fork until creamy. 

15. Place the sheet pan with the buns on a cooling rack and top with the frosting. The frosting is a double recipe, so there will be a lot but you’ll want the buns to be smothered.

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UPDATE 11/19/2020 - Shhhhhhh I have a secret - I just updated this recipe, because the tweaks are hot and fresh from the oven baked goodness that is my new eBook, Born to Bun..available for preorder on Friday, November 27th! Be sure to get on the waitlist below!

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I’m going to be honest, I had only ever had one cardamom bun before I made them. After the labor of love (I’m an impatient person - rising dough can be a labor!), they came out of the oven and I couldn’t resist. Crunchy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside with flecks of cardamom seeds in the filling, I find these buns so satisfying. If you prefer cinnamon to cardamom, you can sub that in but I encourage you to give this Scandinavian spice a try.

Why are they called love buns? My niece is 18 months old - not an age where cardamom is easy on the pallet unless you’ve got Scandinavian blood. Well, she got a hold of a cardamom bun and had 3. THREE! I want to name this recipe in honor of her - because she loves them, because I love her, and her last name - Lovejoy.

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INGREDIENTS
DOUGH
1 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (110F)
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon crushed cardamom seeds
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large eggs at room temp**
4.5 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 stick (4 oz) unsalted butter, melted

FILLING
1 cup + 2 tbsp unsalted butter, room temp
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon ground cardamom (powder)
1 tablespoon crushed cardamom seeds
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

TOPPING
1 large egg
1 teaspoon cardamom seeds, crushed
2 teaspoons ground cardamom (powder)
3 tablespoons sugar

Making the Dough

1. Scald the milk in a small saucepan (milk scalds at 181F). Remove pan from heat and cool to anywhere between 105-115*F.

2. While the milk heats, add 1 tablespoon (YEP) dry active yeast to 1/4 cup warm water (about 110F) to your stand mixer bowl. It's ready to go (about 5 mins tops) when the yeast is dissolved and creamy.

3. Whisk the milk, sugar, cardamom (both types, if using), salt, and eggs into the yeast mixture. Put the bowl on stand mixer with the dough hook attachment and add 2 cups of the flour until smooth. Pour in melted butter, and turn the mixer back on until the butter is incorporated. Add in remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time. Do this until the dough is pulling away from the sides of the bowl.

*If it's still a little sticky, flour your counter lightly and turn the dough out. Knead in up to another 1/2 cup of flour by hand until the dough feels silky and compact.

4. Line a sheet pan with parchment and loosely shape the dough into a flat rectangle. Slash the top lightly with a knife, 3 times about 1/4 inch deep. Cover dough with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to chill for 2 hours.

5. While the dough is in the fridge, make the filling. Using the paddle attachment of a stand mixer, cream the butter, salt, cardamom, and sugar (don't over mix). Set aside (don't refrigerate! you want this to be room temp).

6. Line two-13x18 baking sheets with parchment paper, and set aside.

7. Remove the dough from the fridge at the end of the two hours and let it sit out for a few minutes, so it's easier to roll out. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and roll out to about a 15x18 inch rectangle (about 1/8-inch thick). Lift the dough as you roll out to re-flour the underside of the dough, so it doesn't stick.

8. Divide up the creamed butter filling in little chunks across the whole dough and spread with a spatula or your clean hands across the whole surface of the dough.

9. Face the 15-inch side towards you (so the dough is running north/south from where you stand) and fold the top third over the middle third, and then fold the bottom third up over the middle as well like a letter.

10. Roll the dough vertically to flatten the edges - you can stretch it to size, about a 12x16 rectangle (this time the dough is facing east/west from where you stand). If any filling oozes out, wipe it away with a spatula to prevent a sticky surface.

11. Use a pizza cutter to cut the dough in half. Continue to cut the halves in half until you have 16 strips. Working with one strip at a time, cut it in half with the pizza cutter leaving the two strands connected at the top (about a 1/2 inch).

12. Twist the two strands over one another to form one twisted strand 'braid.' Coil the 'braid' in a circle and tuck the loose end under the bun. Place on your baking sheet and continue until all the strands are braided & coiled. Space the buns out evenly, and leave them to proof at room temp for about 1 hour. Then the dough should rise & become soft.

13. Preheat oven to 450 degrees (425 if you're using convection)

14. When the buns have proofed, make the topping. Whisk the egg together with 1 tablespoon water with a fork until combined.

15. Whisk the sugar and cardamom together until sandy looking. Lightly brush each bun with egg wash and sprinkle the sandy sugar on top (don't be shy, I recommend anywhere from 1/2 to 1 teaspoon per bun). For the finishing touch - sprinkle some Swedish Pearl Sugar on top, but if you can't find it, it's not necessary.

16. Bake for 8 minutes and then lower the temp to 375, rotating the trays (turn the tray 180 degrees and rotate the top and bottom trays to ensure even baking). Lower the temp ensures the buns bake all the way through, but the outside doesn't burn. Bake for an additional 12 minutes.

*(if you're worried about the buns burning, you can cover the trays with a piece of parchment paper towards the end once they've reached the golden brown color.

17. Let the buns cool for 10 minutes before eating, so the melted sugar has a chance to harden. Remove any lacy sugar around the outside before serving. Enjoy!