Orange Cardamom Buns with Spiced Chestnut Creme
A fluffy brioche based dough studded with cardamom seeds and filled with a spiced chestnut creme that you'll want to eat with a spoon. A little bit of orange zest brights an unexpected brightness. The perfect bun that bridges the gap between late autumn and the start of the holiday season.
Servings: 6 buns
Equipment
- 1 Stand Mixer with Dough Hook optional, but makes kneading enriched dough easier
Ingredients
Tangzhong
- 65 g whole milk I used 2% because it's what I had at the time and it didn't change anything, so feel free to use 2% or plant based milk. Just make sure it has some fat content
- 25 g bread flour King Arthur or Wegmans brand recommended
Dough
- 95 g whole milk, warmed I used 2% and nothing changed. Make sure milk is about 95F. It should feel like bathwater. You can stick your finger in without burning yourself
- 1 egg
- 1 packet instant yeast a packet typically contains 2 1/4 tsp
- 285 g bread flour King Arthur or Wegmans brand recommended
- 40 g granulated sugar
- 5 g kosher salt
- 2 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/2 tsp cardamom seeds, crushed highly recommended for authentic flavor, but can substitute with more ground cardamom
- 70 g unsalted butter, softened translates to about 5 tbs
- zest of 1/2 an orange
Filling
- 180 g chestnut creme make sure it's the sweetened chestnut creme and not the unsweetened paste
- 45 g unsalted butter, very soft about 3 tbs
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2-1 tsp cardamom seeds, crushed to taste
- 1 pinch kosher salt
Other
- 1 egg for egg wash
Instructions
Make the Tangzhong
- Whisk together milk and flour in a saucepan over medium low heat until it forms a thick paste. Remove and cool completely before using.
Make the Dough
- Measure out the sugar in a small bowl and grate zest in bowl. Press the zest into the sugar until all is mixed and fragrant. It should feel a little clumpy. This infuses the essential oils into the sugar and creates a stronger orange flavor.
- Add the cooled tangzhong, warm milk, flour, egg, yeast, cardamom (ground and crushed whole), sugar-zest mixture, and salt into a the bowl of a standing mixer with a dough attachment. Knead until smooth and passes the window pane test.
- Add in the butter a tbs at a time, allowing each tbs to incorporate before adding more. Continue to knead until dough is smooth. It will be a little sticky, and that's ok.
- Cover and let dough rise until doubled in size. This can take anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half or more depending on the temperature in your kitchen
Meanwhile, Make the Filling
- Mix together chestnut paste, softened butter, cinnamon, cardamom (ground and whole crushsed), and salt together until combined
After first proof
- Lightly dust work surface with flour and transfer proofed dough
- Roll dough out into a rectangle, keeping it about a 1/4 inch thick and spread filling evenly
- Fold the top half of the rectangle towards the middle, then bring the bottom half to fold over top. You should now have a smaller rectangle
- Using a pizza cutter, or pastry cutter, cut 6 long strips of dough
- twist each roll, then make a spiral or knot shape, depending on preference
- arrange shaped buns onto a sheet pan with parchment paper, cover, and let proof until puffy. This took about 45 minutes for me, but can take up to an hour depending on your kitchen
- preheat your oven to 375F
- Uncover and brush buns with egg wash
- Bake buns, uncovered, for 13-15 minutes, until golden brown
- Let rest for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool