The Irresistible Finnish Cinnamon Rolls: Pulla Recipe (2024)

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Take one bite and you’ll understand why cinnamon buns are a staple of the Finnish cuisine!

The scrumptious and soft Finnish pulla is an everyday sweet treat here in Finland. It comes in many forms: twirls, rolls, braids, and butterfly-like shapes called korvapuusti.

The core is always the same: the sweet, buttered, cardamon-dotted bread dough. In fact, a good dough is the only secret behind an amazing pulla.

Baking pulla is super easy and cheap. You don’t even need a mixer!

The Story Behind This Pulla Recipe

I’m sharing the same pulla recipe which my mom wrote in my recipe book when I was 11. I’ve been using this recipe religiously ever since.

This small batch of Finnish cinnamon rolls is suitable for beginners because kneading a bigger dough may feel like a workout.

You’ll makearound 25 buns with this recipe. Empiric studies show that two adults and two school-aged kids eat that amount easily in a day. At least in this household.

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In Finland, we use deciliters but I have converted the amounts to American cups. To avoid weird conversions like ”0,38 cups”, the American version is slightly bigger than the Finnish version.

I have put the names of the ingredients in Finnish. If you want to learn a bit of Finnish, this is a funopportunity to do so!

The Finnish names are also handy if you are in Finland, and trying to find the ingredients in a Finnish grocery store.

So roll up your sleeves and be prepared for some kneading!

Ingredients to Finnish Cinnamon Rolls

Dough with Finnish measurements(Taikina suomalaisilla mitoilla)

  • 2,5 dl milk or oat milk (maito tai kauramaito)
  • 25 g fresh yeast* (hiiva)
  • 1 dl regular sugar (taloussokeri)
  • 2 tsp vanilla sugar (vaniljasokeri)
  • 1 tbsp cardamom (kardemumma)
  • 1 tsp salt (suola)
  • 75 g butter or vegan butter (voi)
  • z. 7 dl all-purpose flour or plain flour (puolikarkea vehnäjauho)

Dough with American measurements(Taikina amerikkalaisillamitoilla)

  • 1 generous cup milk or oat milk(maito tai kauramaito)
  • 1 oz fresh yeast*(hiiva)
  • 1/2 cup regular sugar(taloussokeri)
  • 2 heaped tsp vanilla sugar(vaniljasokeri)
  • 1 heaped tbsp cardamom(kardemumma)
  • 1 tsp salt(suola)
  • 2/3 stick butteror vegan butter (voi)
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour or plain flour (puolikarkea vehnäjauho)

Filling (täyte)

  • 2/3 stick or 75 g butter or vegan butter (voi)
  • 2 tsp cinnamon (kaneli)
  • 1/4 cup regular sugar (taloussokeri)

On top (päälle)

  • 1 egg, whisked (muna)**
  • pearl sugar (raesokeri)

*In Finland, you can buy fresh yeast (next to milk in shops) or instant yeast powder (in spices). Both work! Check the instant yeast package for the exact amount you should use for this amount of liquid. In Finland, this dough requires one sachet of instant yeast (11 g = 2 tsp).

**To substitute egg, use water with dark syrup tinting the water brown. This will make the vegan bun look deliciously golden brown.

Baking Instructions for Pulla

Add yeast to warm milk and mix well. Milk needs to be 99°F / 37°C to activate the fresh yeast. If you are using instant yeast, the milk should be 108°F / 42°C.

I heat the milk in a microwave and check the temperature with my finger. If the milk doesn’t feel cold or hot, it’s perfect for fresh yeast.

Whisk in sugar, vanilla sugar, salt, and cardamom. Stir in flour one cup at a time and a dough begins to form.

Use your hands to knead the dough in the bowl. It should become elastic. Add butter and continue to knead the butter in.

In total,around five minutes of kneading should be fine. Now you have a smooth dough ball in the bowl. Cover the bowl with a towel and leave in a warm place.

I often use a microwave, but off-mode! Preheat the microwave by heating a cup of water. Take the cup away. Then put the bowl with the towel into the microwave and leave to rest.

Wait for at least 30 minutes so that the dough rises. The dough should double in size. Put the dough to a well-floured surface and roll out into a 15×15 inch (40×40 cm) square.

Spread softened butter evenly over dough. Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon on top. Roll up the dough. Cut into 1/2 inch or 1,5 cm sections with a knife.

The Irresistible Finnish Cinnamon Rolls: Pulla Recipe (2)
The Irresistible Finnish Cinnamon Rolls: Pulla Recipe (3)

Place the cinnamon rolls on a baking tray covered with parchment paper. Cover them with a towel and let rise again for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 390°F / 200°C.

Whisk one egg and brush it to the tops of the cinnamon rolls to help them brown. Sprinkle pearl sugar on top. Then bake the rolls for 10-15 minutes until golden brown.

Allow the buns to cool a bit under a towel and eat immediately!

The Irresistible Finnish Cinnamon Rolls: Pulla Recipe (4)

Have you baked Finnish cinnamon buns yet?

PS. If you love pulla, check my tutorial for Finnish winter buns with whipped cream and jam!

Looking for more Finnish recipes? Check out some of my other Finnish food posts:

  • Finnish Pancakes on a Stove or Open Fire (‘Lettu’ Recipe)
  • The Super Yummy Finnish Oven Pancake
  • The Finnish Chanterelle Pie
  • The Classic and Simple Finnish Salmon Soup

Finnish baking magic

The Irresistible Finnish Cinnamon Rolls: Pulla Recipe (5)

My praised Finnish Baking Magic eCookbook & bonus videos Recreate Finnish bakes in your own kitchen hassle-free!⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Irresistible Finnish Cinnamon Rolls: Pulla Recipe (6)

About Varpu
I’m the founder of Her Finland. I love cultural tidbits, aha moments, Finnish folklore, and cinnamon buns. My newest interest is learning bird songs. Read more about me..

The Irresistible Finnish Cinnamon Rolls: Pulla Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why do you pour milk over cinnamon rolls? ›

Julie Clark, the blogger behind the website, notes that after years of research, she discovered that the key to getting perfectly gooey rolls is to “pour heavy cream over the cinnamon buns before baking. THIS is the secret ingredient and what makes the rolls rich and gooey.”

How to make korppu? ›

directions
  1. In a large mixing bowl dissolve yeast in the water.
  2. Stir in next 7 ingredients (buttermilk - butter).
  3. Stir in flour gradually, beating well until a stiff dough is reached.
  4. Turn dough out on a floured board and knead until smooth.
  5. Place dough in a greased bowl, turn to grease top.

Why are my cinnamon rolls not fluffy? ›

For the fluffiest cinnamon rolls, make sure you allow your dough to rise for at least 90 minutes for the first rise. For the second rise, a good 30 minutes works. I see a lot of recipes - including a few of mine - say 60 minutes minimum for the first rise.

Why is cinnamon rolls important to Sweden? ›

Today's Swedish cinnamon buns are part of a tradition tracing back to the 1920s. The cinnamon buns were created after the First World War. During the war, there were restrictions put on the import of several goods such as sugar, egg and butter. People didn't always have the luxury to bake what they wanted to.

Is heavy cream and heavy whipping cream the same thing? ›

Yes, heavy cream and heavy whipping cream are the exact same thing. The confusion lies in the fact that they're sold by different brands under two different names. According to the US Food and Drug Administration's labelling standards, heavy cream must contain at least 36 percent milk fat.

What is the secret ingredient in Cinnabon? ›

Cinnabon's Secret Ingredient

This special Indonesian cinnamon, called Makara, is trademarked by Cinnabon. And because of that trademark, you won't find this product in your local grocery store spice aisle.

What happens if you let cinnamon rolls rise too long? ›

Can cinnamon rolls rise for too long? Yes definitely! If you let your cinnamon rolls rise for too long you can over-proof them. This can lead to dense rolls or rolls that collapse after baking.

What country has the best cinnamon rolls? ›

They are most popular in Sweden. There's even a National Cinnamon Roll Day (Kanelbullens dag) on October 4 that is celebrated in Sweden. Cinnamon rolls are typically enjoyed with afternoon coffee. In the U.S., they are also eaten at breakfast or for dessert.

What are cinnamon rolls called in England? ›

But its English variations are countless too: roll, bun, bunny, swirl, snail... As long as it has cinnamon in it, we'll eat it.

Which country has the best cinnamon in the world? ›

Considered the world's best cinnamon, Ceylon cinnamon has been grown and produced in Sri Lanka for generations.

Can I use milk instead of heavy cream? ›

Similarly to half-and-half, milk makes a good heavy cream substitute when it's combined with melted butter. Combine 3/4 cup milk and 1/4 cup melted butter for every cup of heavy cream. This mixture is not suitable for whipping. Best for: cooking and baking.

Why add scalded milk to homemade rolls? ›

In bread doughs, scalding milk can denature the milk proteins, which otherwise can weaken the gluten and prevent the bread from rising properly. This is often why hot or scalded milk is touted as the secret to extra fluffy rolls and breads.

Why did the butter melt out of my cinnamon rolls? ›

Don't leave them on a warm, preheating stove for their second rise. The butter will melt and leak out of the filling.

How do you keep filling from leaking out of cinnamon rolls? ›

Starch will stabilize your filling

For goo that stays, we need a substance that will not melt away with high temperatures, and which can hold the crucial measurements of cinnamon and sugar suspended within. The answer is starch.

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