These fresh milled sourdough cardamom buns are one of those recipes that feel a little special without being overcomplicated. They’re soft, lightly sweet, full of warm spice, and made with 100% fresh-milled whole grain flour, so they’re just as nourishing as they are comforting.
If you love fresh milled cinnamon rolls but want something a bit cozier and more interesting, these are the kind of buns you make once and then keep coming back to. For a holiday version from the exact same dough, try my fresh milled sourdough start bread!
Quick Look
- Prep Time: 30–40 minutes
- Bake Time: 18–24 minutes
- Rest / Rise Time (total): 8–12 hours
- Servings: 8–12 buns
- Main Ingredients: Fresh-milled hard white wheat flour, sourdough starter, milk, butter, sugar, eggs, cardamom, cinnamon
- Cooking Method: Baking 🡢 Oven
- Difficulty: Medium
- Serving Ideas: Serve warm with butter, jam, or a cup of tea/coffee
Jump to:
- Quick Look
- Important Ingredients
- Substitutions & Variations
- How to Make Fresh Milled Sourdough Cardamom Buns
- Baking Schedule
- 💭Crucial Success Tips
- Recipe FAQs
- How To Store Fresh Milled Sourdough Cardamom Buns
- Other Delicious Recipes
- Sourdough Cardamom Buns | 100% Whole Grain (Fresh-Milled Flour)
- Need Help Tweaking This Recipe?
- Other Fresh Milled Sourdough Recipes You'll Love
Important Ingredients
- Fresh-milled flour gives deeper flavor and surprisingly soft texture.
- Sourdough starter adds even more health benefits and takes care of the rise.
- Cardamom is the key spice for the unique aroma and slightly sweet taste. The filling has the same taste as Ikea's cinnamon rolls do!
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Sugar: Use white sugar if you don’t have brown sugar; flavor will be a bit lighter.
- Cardamom: Pre-ground works fine; adjust amount for flavor strength.
- Shape Options: You can bake in muffin tins for uniform buns.
- Extras: You can add anything from raisins, chopped nuts, or chocolate chips as an extra filling ingredient.
How to Make Fresh Milled Sourdough Cardamom Buns
Step 1: Add the milk, starter, egg, sugar, flour, salt, and butter to the bowl of your mixer (Image 1). It’s easiest when the ingredients aren’t very cold, but it still works if they are, just make sure the butter is soft. Mix on low until the dough comes together, then knead for a few minutes until the texture is smooth. It doesn’t need to be fully developed yet.
Step 2: Transfer the dough to a clean container. Cover and let it rest for about 30 minutes (Image 2), then give it a set of stretch-and-folds. Do this once more after another 30 minutes. After the second fold, let the dough rise at room temperature until it looks lighter and has grown by around 50%. This usually takes 6–8 hours, depending on temperature, starter activity, etc.
Step 3: Chilling the dough makes shaping so much easier. Once it finishes rising (Image 3), cover and refrigerate it for anywhere between 4 hours to overnight. This helps with rolling and creates better layers in the finished buns.
Step 4: Stir together the softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and cardamom until you have a thick paste. A spatula or spoon is better than a mixer, you want it spreadable, not fluffy.
Lightly flour your work surface (Image 4).
Step 5: Roll the dough into a rectangle about 35x50 cm (roughly 14x20 inches), aiming for 3–5 mm thickness (Image 5).
Step 6: Spread the filling over the bottom half of the dough (Image 6), then fold the top half over it so you have a layered slab. Press the edges down to seal.
Step 7: Slice into 10–12 strips (Image 7). Take each strip, slice it lengthwise almost all the way through.
Step 8: Twist the strands together, then coil it into a bun shape (Image 8).
Step 9: Arrange the shaped buns on a parchment-lined sheet, giving them space to expand (Image 9). Cover and let them rise at room temp until noticeably puffy, this might take 2–4 hours depending on your kitchen.
Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F). If you like, brush the buns lightly with an egg wash.
Step 10: Bake at 200°C (400°F) for 18–24 minutes. On the lower end if you made 10 buns, and more towards the higher end if you made 8.
Fresh-milled whole wheat tends to brown a bit faster because of the natural sugars and bran, so if your buns are getting dark too quickly, you can lower the oven to 190°C (375°F) and bake slightly longer, about 20–22 minutes.
You’re aiming for a deep golden color and a soft but fully baked center. An internal temperature of 93–95°C (200–203°F) is ideal if you check with a thermometer.
For a softer crust: let the buns cool under a clean kitchen towel for 15 minutes after baking.
Hint: If the dough starts fighting you while rolling or shaping, just stop and walk away for a few minutes. A short rest relaxes the gluten and makes everything easier, no extra flour needed..
Baking Schedule
This is a great make-ahead recipe. I often mix the dough in the afternoon, let it ferment, chill it overnight, and bake the next morning. It spreads the work out and makes fresh buns feel totally doable.
- Mixing & Kneading: 10–15 minutes
- First Rest & Stretch-and-Fold: 1 hour
- Bulk Fermentation: 6–8 hours
- Chill (optional): 4–12 hours
- Final Rise: 2–4 hours
- Bake: 18–24 minutes
💭Crucial Success Tips
The biggest thing here is not rushing the dough. Fresh-milled flour and sourdough both move on their own timeline, and that’s where the flavor and texture come from. Let the dough tell you when it’s ready instead of watching the clock.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, but shaping will be a bit messier. If you’re short on time, work quickly and use a light dusting of flour.
Not at all. The sourdough adds nutritional benefits and in my opinion even softens the result. Plus the spices and sugar keep the flavor warm and sweet.
Hard white wheat is my favorite here for a great balance of softness and texture, but hard red wheat works too with a slightly stronger whole wheat flavor.
How To Store Fresh Milled Sourdough Cardamom Buns
Store these buns in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2–3 days. They can also be frozen for up to a month; thaw before serving. For best texture, warm them slightly before eating.
Other Delicious Recipes
- What Is Fresh-Milled Flour and Why It Makes Better Bread
- Apple Strudel with Fresh-Milled Flour
- Soft Sourdough Dinner Rolls with Fresh-Milled Flour (Easy & Fluffy)
- Sourdough Star Bread | 100% Whole Grain (Fresh-Milled Flour)
If you tried this Sourdough Cardamom Buns | 100% Whole Grain (Fresh-Milled Flour) or any other recipe on my blog please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below! Happy Baking!
Sourdough Cardamom Buns | 100% Whole Grain (Fresh-Milled Flour)
Ingredients
- 400 g fresh-milled hard white wheat flour or another bread wheat variety
- 80 g active sourdough starter
- 240 g milk room temperature is best
- 64 g sugar
- 56 g butter softened
- 1 egg
- 6 g fine sea salt
- 110 g butter softened
- 100 g brown sugar
- 8 g cinnamon
- 5 g freshly ground cardamom or 1.5–2 teaspoon pre-ground
Method
- Add the milk, starter, egg, sugar, flour, salt, and butter to the bowl of your mixer. It’s easiest when the ingredients aren’t very cold, but it still works if they are, just make sure the butter is soft. Mix on low until the dough comes together, then knead for a few minutes until the texture is smooth. It doesn’t need to be fully developed yet.
- Transfer the dough to a clean container. Cover and let it rest for about 30 minutes, then give it a set of stretch-and-folds. Do this once more after another 30 minutes. After the second fold, let the dough rise at room temperature until it looks lighter and has grown by around 50%. This usually takes 6–8 hours, depending on temperature, starter activity, etc.
- Chilling the dough makes shaping so much easier. Once it finishes rising, cover and refrigerate it for anywhere between 4 hours to overnight. This helps with rolling and creates better layers in the finished buns.
- Stir together the softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and cardamom until you have a thick paste. A spatula or spoon is better than a mixer, you want it spreadable, not fluffy. Lightly flour your work surface.
- Roll the dough into a rectangle about 35x50 cm (roughly 14x20 inches), aiming for 3–5 mm thickness.
- Spread the filling over the bottom half of the dough, then fold the top half over it so you have a layered slab. Press the edges down to seal.
- Slice into 10–12 strips. Take each strip, slice it lengthwise almost all the way through.
- Twist the strands together, then coil it into a bun shape.
- Arrange the shaped buns on a parchment-lined sheet, giving them space to expand. Cover and let them rise at room temp until noticeably puffy, this might take 2–4 hours depending on your kitchen. Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F). If you like, brush the buns lightly with an egg wash.
- Bake at 200°C (400°F) for 18–24 minutes. On the lower end if you made 10 buns, and more towards the higher end if you made 8. Fresh-milled whole wheat tends to brown a bit faster because of the natural sugars and bran, so if your buns are getting dark too quickly, you can lower the oven to 190°C (375°F) and bake slightly longer, about 20–22 minutes. You’re aiming for a deep golden color and a soft but fully baked center. An internal temperature of 93–95°C (200–203°F) is ideal if you check with a thermometer. For a softer crust: let the buns cool under a clean kitchen towel for 15 minutes after baking.
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