How to roll, twist, knot & shape Scandinavian cinnamon buns

Scandinavian cinnamon buns and twisted buns have each their beautiful and unique shape in the Nordic countries. This is your ultimate guide to rolling, twisting, knot, and shaping the different Scandinavian cinnamon buns, and to have a delightful variation to your regular cinnamon rolls. Here are 5+1 ways how to shape buns into cinnamon rolls, cinnamon snails, cinnamon knots, and cinnamon twists.

To start with you need a batch of cardamom bun dough (Finnish pulla recipe), you’ll find it in the recipe card. Follow the instructions below to make your beautifully shaped Scandinavian cinnamon buns, knots, and twists

| RELATED: Authentic Finnish Cinnamon Buns ( Korvapuusti)

How to follow this guide

This guide is divided into two sections:

• Twisted buns: How to fold the dough
• Rolled buns: How to roll the dough

Depending on the way you start the dough you can make and shape different types of cinnamon buns. With the folding method, you can do several twisted buns:

• Danish kanelsnegle (Cinnamon snails)
• Norwegian kanelknuter (Cinnamon knots)
• Swedish kanelbullar (Cinnamon buns)
• Double-twisted Swedish kanelbullar (Double-twisted cinnamon buns)

With the rolled dough, you can make the following Finnish-style cinnamon rolls:

• Finnish korvapuusti (Flatened Cinnamon roll)
• Finnish Dallaspulla (Flat Cinnamon roll)

Twisted buns: How to fold the dough

Divide the cinnamon bun dough into two and start working with the first ball of dough. Flatten it out and use the rolling pin to roll a rectangle-shaped dough about half a cent meter thin (1/5 inch) and about 30 x 60 cm large (11 x 24 inches). The easiest way is to roll out the dough so that the long side of the rectangle is in front of you and the short side on the side. First, spread the room-temperature butter with your hand or a spatula to cover the whole rectangle. 

Next, sprinkle half of the sugar to fill evenly on the rectangular shape of the dough. Then dust half of the cinnamon over the dough. If you have a spice caster or a tea strainer this part goes smoother. Tap lightly to make the filling stick. Then fold with clean hands grab the edge from the longer end and fold one-third of the dough in the middle and then from the opposite site on the top. You have now three layers and a smaller rectangle that is about 15 cm large and 30cm long. 

To do the twisted buns cut stripes that are about one and a half fingers large. Now you can jump to the next part – the best part – to shape, knot, and twist the amazing cinnamon buns!

Danish kanelsnegle

Start the Danish kanelsnegle by twisting the strip of dough until it resembles the photo below. Then place one end of the strip on the table, create the center of the cinnamon snail, and start circling the rest of the dough around it.

Tuck the end of the snail underneath the Danish cinnamon snail bun to finish it nicely.

Now let the Danish kanelsnegle prove, brush with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar pearls, and bake in the oven.

There is also a more straightforward way to make kanelsneglar buns with just rolling the dough and cutting it into discs if you prefer a more minimalist approach

Norwegian kanelknuter

The Norwegian cinnamon knots, (also called kanelsnurrar, when rolled the Danish way,) start the same way as the Danish ones, so twist the strip of dough until it looks pretty twisted. Leave it a bit loose. If it is too tight it will not prove well. Then grasp with your thumb and index finger and start rolling the strip around them.

Finnish up with tucking the end of the strip in the middle of the knot.

Now let the Norwegian kanelknuter prove, brush with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar pearls, and bake in the oven.

Swedish kanelbullar

With the Swedish style, you can also make this with cardamom filling to get yummy cardamom buns: swap the cinnamon into cardamom and sprinkle with sugar on top of the spread butter.

Again similar kind of start as with Danish and Norwegian ones: Twist the strip of the dough between your hands or roll it against the table. Then grasp one end of the twist with your thumb and start rolling it around your fingers.

Then depending on which way you started to roll anchor the strip with your thumb or your little finger, make a “belt” over the roll, and secure the end underneath the roll.

Now let the Swedish kanelbullar prove, brush with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar pearls, and bake in the oven.

Double-twisted Swedish kanelbullar

To make a more decorative look you can do Swedish, Danish, or Norwegian cinnamon buns as well with a double twist. Here you see the option for the double-twisted Swedish Cinnamon bun.

Begin with the basic strip but cut it in half leaving the two strands attached at the top. Then roll both strands against the table in the opposite direction. Now we can continue as the regular Swedish twisted bun.

Grasp the end of the two-stranded strip between your thumb and index finger and start rolling it around your fingers stretching it a bit at the same time. Then depending on which way you started to roll anchor the strip with your thumb or your little finger, make a “belt” over the roll, and secure the end underneath the roll.

Now let the double-stranded Swedish kanelbulle prove, brush with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar pearls, and bake in the oven.

Rolled buns: How to roll the dough

Divide the cinnamon bun dough into two and start working with the first ball of dough. Flatten it out and use the rolling pin to roll a rectangle-shaped dough about half a cent meter thin (1/5 inch) and about 30 x 50 cm large (11 x 19 inches). The easiest way is to roll out the dough so that the long side of the rectangle is in front of you and the short side on the side.

If you want to make the authentic Finnish Dallaspulla, make a vanilla quark filling which you can find in the recipe card. If you prefer the cinnamon filling, continue as follows.

First spread the room-temperature butter with your hand or a spatula to cover the whole rectangle. Next, sprinkle half of the sugar to fill evenly on the rectangular shape of the dough. Then dust half of the cinnamon over the dough. If you have a spice caster or a tea strainer this part goes smoother. Tap lightly to make the filling stick. Then roll the dough firmly but not too tightly starting from the shorter end so that you have a roll that is about 30cm (11 inches) long. Roll the seam side downwards and hide it underneath the roll.

Finnish Korvapuusti cinnamon rolls

Cut with a dough cutter or a sharp knife from the roll, triangle-shaped pieces that are about three to four fingers large from the largest end and about one finger large on the narrowest end. Alternate the cuts diagonally. Lift the the triangles, the narrow end upward on an oven pan covered with parchment paper. Leave some space for them to rise.

Use your finger or a wooden spoon and push down firmly in the middle of the top narrow side of the roll, lengthwise. Push until the bottom so that the sides flatten and push out revealing a kind of two swirled ear shapes. Notice that if you push too lightly the bun will rise upwards like a roll and not expand to the sides like the traditional Finnish korvapuusti shape. 

Now let the Finnish cinnamon roll prove, brush with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar pearls, and bake in the oven.

Finnish Dallaspulla roll

Finnish Dallaspulla got its inspiration from the States in the early 90’s but got its Finnish twists with the crazy amazing vanilla filling. If you want to make the authentic Dallaspulla use the vanilla quark filling, which you can find in the recipe card, instead of the cinnamon bun filling. In the photos below, I have used the cinnamon bun filling, so with vanilla filling, the roll will have a more yellowish look.

After spreading the dough with the vanilla filling, roll the dough starting from the shorter end so that you will end up with a firm but not super tight roll of about 30cm (11 inches) long. Turn the roll seam side down, cut even slices one and a half to two fingers wide, and turn the roll on its side. Tuck and pinch the end underneath to avoid it separating, like in the last photo.

How do you make your twisted buns?

Let me know in the comments how you like to twist your buns. Do you prefer rolled or twisted or shaped another way?

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