Korvapuusti, or Finnish cinnamon buns, appear quite often at my home, especially when I crave fluffy dough and a quieter weekend day. I've remade this recipe a few times because it has simple ingredients and goes without complications. If you have flour, milk, butter, and some nuts, it's hard not to end up with something good.
Quick info
Total time: about 2 hours
Preparation time: 1 hour (including dough rising)
Baking time: 15-20 minutes
Servings: 12-14 buns (depending on the size of the cuts)
Difficulty: medium
Recipe type: dessert, breakfast, snack
Ingredients
For the dough:
500 g flour
250 ml milk
90 g sugar
2 packets vanilla sugar
100 g butter
vanilla essence
25 g fresh yeast
1 egg
For the filling:
100 g soft butter
2 tablespoons Nutella
100 g chopped and roasted nuts
For brushing:
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons milk
Preparation method
1. Start with the dough. Sift the flour into a large bowl.
2. Warm the milk slightly so that it is lukewarm, not hot. Add the sugar, vanilla sugar, vanilla essence, and lightly beaten egg.
3. Dissolve the yeast in the prepared milk. Pour the mixture over the flour.
4. Mix everything with a spoon until it comes together. Add the soft butter (at room temperature).
5. Start kneading by hand, either in the bowl or on a surface, adding a little flour if the dough is sticky. Look for an elastic and homogeneous consistency that does not stick to your hands.
6. Cover the bowl with a towel or plastic wrap and let it rise for about 45 minutes at room temperature.
7. When the dough has risen, roll it out on a floured surface. The sheet should be rectangular and about 5 mm thick, not cm (5 cm would be extremely thick).
8. Spread the entire surface with soft butter.
9. Heat the Nutella briefly in the microwave to make it easier to spread, and place it over the butter.
10. Evenly sprinkle the chopped and roasted nuts.
11. Cut the sheet in half lengthwise. Roll each piece tightly like a scroll.
12. Cut the roll into trapezoidal pieces, each piece should be about 4-5 cm at the base.
13. Press each piece in the middle, width-wise, with the handle of a wooden spoon, to give it the characteristic bun shape with ears.
14. Place the buns on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, leaving some space between them.
15. Cover the tray and let them rise for another 15-20 minutes.
16. Before baking, beat the egg yolk with 2 tablespoons of milk and brush each bun with the mixture.
17. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 15-20 minutes until they turn golden brown.
Why I make this recipe often
I love that the dough turns out soft and fluffy, even if you don't have much experience kneading. The filling with butter, Nutella, and nuts gives enough flavor without the need for additional ingredients. They are good the next day, they don't harden quickly. If you don't eat them immediately, you can warm them up a bit and they become fresh again.
Tips and variations
Tips
1. Don’t heat the milk too much – the yeast loses its strength if it’s too hot.
2. If you use dry yeast, adjust the amount – one packet of 7 g should be enough.
3. The sheet rolls more easily if you don’t leave the filling butter too soft or liquid.
4. If the dough is very sticky, add a little more flour, but don’t overdo it.
Substitutions
1. If you don’t have Nutella, you can just use butter and brown sugar, but it won’t have the same flavor.
2. Nuts can be replaced with hazelnuts or almonds, also roasted and roughly chopped.
3. Vanilla sugar can be omitted or replaced with vanilla extract.
Variations
1. You can add a little cinnamon to the filling if you like the classic cinnamon roll flavor.
2. For a different look, you can sprinkle a little sugar on top before baking.
Serving ideas
The buns are great for breakfast, with a glass of milk or coffee. They are also suitable for a snack, especially since they don’t spill and can be taken on the go.
Frequently asked questions
1. Can I use dry yeast instead of fresh?
Yes, dry yeast works, but adjust the amount to about 7 g.
2. Can I work with the dough if I don’t have a food processor?
Yes, the dough can be kneaded by hand. You don’t need a processor, just a little patience at the beginning.
3. What do I do if I don’t have Nutella?
You can use any cocoa spread or just butter and sugar.
4. The dough isn’t rising – what can I do?
Check the room temperature and the temperature of the liquid. If the yeast doesn’t bubble or doesn’t rise in the milk, try another yeast.
5. How do I know when they are baked?
The buns are done when they are golden brown and smell baked. If you want to be sure, you can break one and see if the dough is baked inside.
Nutritional values
Estimated for one bun (out of 12):
Calories: 270-300 kcal
Protein: 6 g
Carbohydrates: 36 g
Fats: 13 g
The values are indicative, depending on how thick you cut the pieces or if you add more sugar or nuts to the filling. The buns have enough fats from the butter and nuts, and the carbohydrates mainly come from flour and sugar.
Storage and reheating
The buns can be stored covered at room temperature for 2-3 days. If you want them to stay soft, you can wrap them in a towel or put them in a closed box. To reheat them, a few seconds in the microwave or 5 minutes in the oven are enough. If you keep them longer, they dry out. They are not ideal for freezing, as they can lose their texture when defrosted.
Quick info
Total time: about 2 hours
Preparation time: 1 hour (including dough rising)
Baking time: 15-20 minutes
Servings: 12-14 buns (depending on the size of the cuts)
Difficulty: medium
Recipe type: dessert, breakfast, snack
Ingredients
For the dough:
500 g flour
250 ml milk
90 g sugar
2 packets vanilla sugar
100 g butter
vanilla essence
25 g fresh yeast
1 egg
For the filling:
100 g soft butter
2 tablespoons Nutella
100 g chopped and roasted nuts
For brushing:
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons milk
Preparation method
1. Start with the dough. Sift the flour into a large bowl.
2. Warm the milk slightly so that it is lukewarm, not hot. Add the sugar, vanilla sugar, vanilla essence, and lightly beaten egg.
3. Dissolve the yeast in the prepared milk. Pour the mixture over the flour.
4. Mix everything with a spoon until it comes together. Add the soft butter (at room temperature).
5. Start kneading by hand, either in the bowl or on a surface, adding a little flour if the dough is sticky. Look for an elastic and homogeneous consistency that does not stick to your hands.
6. Cover the bowl with a towel or plastic wrap and let it rise for about 45 minutes at room temperature.
7. When the dough has risen, roll it out on a floured surface. The sheet should be rectangular and about 5 mm thick, not cm (5 cm would be extremely thick).
8. Spread the entire surface with soft butter.
9. Heat the Nutella briefly in the microwave to make it easier to spread, and place it over the butter.
10. Evenly sprinkle the chopped and roasted nuts.
11. Cut the sheet in half lengthwise. Roll each piece tightly like a scroll.
12. Cut the roll into trapezoidal pieces, each piece should be about 4-5 cm at the base.
13. Press each piece in the middle, width-wise, with the handle of a wooden spoon, to give it the characteristic bun shape with ears.
14. Place the buns on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, leaving some space between them.
15. Cover the tray and let them rise for another 15-20 minutes.
16. Before baking, beat the egg yolk with 2 tablespoons of milk and brush each bun with the mixture.
17. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 15-20 minutes until they turn golden brown.
Why I make this recipe often
I love that the dough turns out soft and fluffy, even if you don't have much experience kneading. The filling with butter, Nutella, and nuts gives enough flavor without the need for additional ingredients. They are good the next day, they don't harden quickly. If you don't eat them immediately, you can warm them up a bit and they become fresh again.
Tips and variations
Tips
1. Don’t heat the milk too much – the yeast loses its strength if it’s too hot.
2. If you use dry yeast, adjust the amount – one packet of 7 g should be enough.
3. The sheet rolls more easily if you don’t leave the filling butter too soft or liquid.
4. If the dough is very sticky, add a little more flour, but don’t overdo it.
Substitutions
1. If you don’t have Nutella, you can just use butter and brown sugar, but it won’t have the same flavor.
2. Nuts can be replaced with hazelnuts or almonds, also roasted and roughly chopped.
3. Vanilla sugar can be omitted or replaced with vanilla extract.
Variations
1. You can add a little cinnamon to the filling if you like the classic cinnamon roll flavor.
2. For a different look, you can sprinkle a little sugar on top before baking.
Serving ideas
The buns are great for breakfast, with a glass of milk or coffee. They are also suitable for a snack, especially since they don’t spill and can be taken on the go.
Frequently asked questions
1. Can I use dry yeast instead of fresh?
Yes, dry yeast works, but adjust the amount to about 7 g.
2. Can I work with the dough if I don’t have a food processor?
Yes, the dough can be kneaded by hand. You don’t need a processor, just a little patience at the beginning.
3. What do I do if I don’t have Nutella?
You can use any cocoa spread or just butter and sugar.
4. The dough isn’t rising – what can I do?
Check the room temperature and the temperature of the liquid. If the yeast doesn’t bubble or doesn’t rise in the milk, try another yeast.
5. How do I know when they are baked?
The buns are done when they are golden brown and smell baked. If you want to be sure, you can break one and see if the dough is baked inside.
Nutritional values
Estimated for one bun (out of 12):
Calories: 270-300 kcal
Protein: 6 g
Carbohydrates: 36 g
Fats: 13 g
The values are indicative, depending on how thick you cut the pieces or if you add more sugar or nuts to the filling. The buns have enough fats from the butter and nuts, and the carbohydrates mainly come from flour and sugar.
Storage and reheating
The buns can be stored covered at room temperature for 2-3 days. If you want them to stay soft, you can wrap them in a towel or put them in a closed box. To reheat them, a few seconds in the microwave or 5 minutes in the oven are enough. If you keep them longer, they dry out. They are not ideal for freezing, as they can lose their texture when defrosted.