Kinuskikissa's pull-apart cinnamon roll

Recipe

Makes 16 pieces

Filling
60 g butter
1 ¼ dl brown sugar
1 ¾ tbsp ground cinnamon

Dough
60 g butter
1 ½ dl milk (preferably whole or low-fat)
2 ½ tsp dry yeast
½ dl granulated sugar
1 tbsp ground cardamom
½ tsp salt
2 small eggs
6 dl all-purpose flour

Topping
1 egg (for brushing)
Pearl sugar (for garnish)

Dough preparation
Melt the butter. Warm the milk to 42°C and mix in the dry yeast. Add sugar, cardamom, salt, and eggs. Gradually whisk in the flour, starting with a hand whisk. Add the melted butter while the dough is still loose. As the dough thickens, continue kneading with dough hooks or a stand mixer for about 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes, until doubled in size.

Filling preparation
While the dough rises, prepare the filling. Melt the butter in a pan and cook, stirring, until it turns light brown and smells nutty. Remove from heat and mix in the brown sugar and cinnamon. Let cool to room temperature.

Shaping the dough
Turn the risen dough onto a floured surface and knead briefly to remove air bubbles. Roll into a 24 × 40 cm rectangle. Spread the filling evenly over the surface. Cut the sheet into 16 equal rectangles (4 × 4). Stack the pieces and place them upright into a silicone loaf pan (about 28 × 11 × 7 cm / 2 L). Cover and let rise for another 20 minutes.

Baking
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Brush the dough with beaten egg and sprinkle with pearl sugar. Bake for about 45 minutes. After 15 minutes, cover loosely with foil to prevent over-browning. Remove from the oven and serve warm. The pieces pull apart easily by hand.