Grandma's Buns
This bun recipe has been in my family for at least four generations. The other recipes were taken from my grandmother’s cookbook, which was published in 1947. As in most baking recipes, follow the ingredients closely but change the flavorings to suit your tastes. Different nuts can be substituted. You can use more or less cardamom as desired.
The recipes call for crushed or ground cardamom. For the best price, purchase whole pods in specialty markets. Buy either the green or bleached pods that are a pale beige color. Gently smash the pods to remove the seeds. Grind the seeds in a spice grinder, coffee grinder or a mortar and pestle. If you can’t find the whole pods, ground cardamom can be substituted, but the flavor will be subtler, and I prefer the look of the black specks of cardamom in the pastries.
Dough
Add the yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar to the warm water, whisk and let stand for 5 minutes.
In the large bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter, the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and the salt. Scald the milk by heating it in the microwave 2 minutes (or heat it in a saucepan until small bubbles form around the edges), then add it to the mixing bowl and slowly whisk until the butter is melted. Cool the mixture to lukewarm. Add the dissolved yeast and mix well.
Add 2 cups of flour and the ground cardamom and mix on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time. Add the remaining flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing 1 minute after each addition.
Scrape the soft dough onto a lightly floured board. Knead until you have a smooth and elastic dough, 6 to 7 minutes. You can also use the dough hook attachment and knead 5 to 6 minutes. When kneading by hand, it’s OK to use an additional 1/4 cup flour for your hands and the board.
Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover and place the bowl in a warm place until the dough is doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Assembly
Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease 4 baking sheets and set aside.
Toast the pecans on a dry baking sheet until lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Finely chop them and place them in a bowl. Increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
Melt the butter and place it in a bowl. Put the sugar in another bowl.
Divide the dough into 4 pieces and roll each piece into a 12-inch log shape. Cut each log into 10 pieces. Roll each piece into a 6-inch rope. Fold each rope in half and cross each end over the other to form a braid shape. Place each braid on a baking sheet. Finish with the remaining dough. Dip each braid into melted butter, then into the bowl of sugar to coat, then place back on the baking sheets. Generously sprinkle each braid with nuts. Sprinkle with sparkling sugar, if using.
Bake the buns until they’re pale golden, about 15 minutes. Remove them to cooling racks and cool completely. They will stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature 2 to 3 days, or they may be frozen up to 1 month.
Get our Cooking newsletter.
Your roundup of inspiring recipes and kitchen tricks.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
