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 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.

What is the best cinnamon for cinnamon rolls? ›

In our opinion, the best variety of cinnamon for cinnamon rolls is Saigon cinnamon. It's true that it's not the special type of Makara cinnamon that Cinnabon uses. But, the reality is that this type of cinnamon really isn't necessary.

Why are my cinnamon rolls always hard? ›

If you continue adding flour beyond the point of the dough absorbing it, you'll end up with hard, dry cinnamon rolls. But with time, practice, and attention, soft, fluffy cinnamon rolls are sure to become a staple in your weekend breakfast repertoire.

Why are my cinnamon rolls dry and dense? ›

Too much flour will give you stiff, dense, dry cinnamon rolls. Arrange your rolls in a lightly greased 9-inch or 10-inch pan.

What happens if you leave dough to rise for too long? ›

“If the dough has risen too long, it's going to feel fragile and might even collapse as you poke it,” says Maggie. If this is the case, there's a chance you can save your dough by giving it a quick re-shape. Learn more about this fix in our blog on saving overproofed dough.

What kind of flour is best for cinnamon rolls? ›

Bread flour is hands down the best option when making cinnamon rolls. Any good cinnamon rolls recipe is going to usually call for bread flour instead of other kinds of flour. This is because bread flour is high in protein, usually containing 11% to 13% more protein than other kinds of flour.

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.

Which is the best cinnamon in the world? ›

Pure Ceylon Cinnamon

Cinnamomum Zeylanicum is a tree indigenous to Sri Lanka which produces the highest-grade pure cinnamon. Sri Lanka is the world's largest producer and exporter of pure cinnamon to the world and pure Ceylon Cinnamon Suppliers from Sri Lanka claim 90% of global market share.

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.

How to keep homemade cinnamon rolls from getting hard? ›

Whether you leave them out at room temperature or refrigerate them, the most important thing is to store them in an airtight container or wrap them tightly with plastic wrap on a plate. This keeps the cinnamon rolls moist, fresh, and just as delicious as when they came out of the oven.

Should cinnamon rolls touch when baking? ›

Place the cinnamon rolls into your prepared pan, with little room between each roll and ½ inch from the edge of the pan. Lightly press down on each roll so that the edges of each roll barely touch each other, and improve their round form if needed.

What happens if you add too much flour to cinnamon rolls? ›

Too much flour in your dough will give you dry, dense rolls. You can always add a bit more flour after it has kneaded if it's too sticky to work with.

Can I leave my cinnamon roll dough out overnight? ›

Instead of letting the rolls rise at room temperature and baking them, you'll cut and arrange the rolls in the baking pan, tightly cover them with plastic wrap, immediately transfer them to the fridge and let them rest overnight. (Do not leave them out at room temperature for any longer than needed.)

Should cinnamon rolls be rolled tightly? ›

3) Don't roll the dough too tightly

It also ensures the rolls proof properly (they have enough room to expand!) and bake evenly, all the way through to the center.

Why are my rolls dense and not fluffy? ›

There may be several reasons for a dense, cake like texture in bread. It may indicate the kneading wasn't enough for the gluten to develop properly, or the dough was proved for too short a time or the dough may have been too dry. It is also worth checking the flour you used.

Why aren t my rolls fluffy? ›

Too much flour, or not the right kind, could be to blame. Dough made only from flour with a high or even average amount of protein (like bread flour or all-purpose flour) can become tough from overmixing.

How to fix cinnamon rolls that didn't rise? ›

Increasing the temperature and moisture can help activate the yeast in the dough so it rises. You can also try adding more yeast. Open a new packet of yeast and mix 1 teaspoon (3 g) of it with 1 cup (240 mL) of warm water and 1 tablespoon (13 g) of sugar. Let the yeast mixture proof for 10 minutes.

Why are my cinnamon rolls flat? ›

You killed the yeast

A trait that is very associated with a great batch of cinnamon rolls is that delicious light and fluffy texture. You want a roll that perfectly puffs when baking to give the roll a nice dome shape. However, that's where yeast comes in. No live yeast means heavy, flat bread.

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