Hveteboller
Simple sweet cardamom buns studded with pearl sugar or raisins — the plain bun everyone grows up on.
Cultural Context & History
The unfilled sweet bun is the foundation of Norwegian baking — the first thing many children learn to make. Warm from the oven with butter, it needs nothing more.
Ingredients
- 500 g plain flour
- 80 g caster sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 packet (7 g) dry yeast
- 75 g butter, melted
- 300 ml milk, warmed
- 1 egg, beaten, to glaze
Recommended Tools
- Stand mixer with dough hookPowers through the full ten-minute knead effortlessly.
- Bench scraperPortions the dough into twelve even pieces.
- Pastry brushLays an even egg glaze for a glossy crust.
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Step-by-Step Instructions
- 1
Combine the flour, sugar, cardamom, salt and yeast, then work in the warm milk and melted butter and knead for a full 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover and leave to rise for 1 hour.
- 2
Knock the dough back and divide into 12 equal pieces, rolling each into a perfectly smooth, taut round.
- 3
Arrange on a parchment-lined tray, cover, and prove for a further 30-40 minutes until puffy.
- 4
Brush all over with beaten egg and bake at 225°C for 10-12 minutes, until deep golden brown.
Chef's Tip
Roll each ball under a cupped palm on an unfloured patch of counter — the gentle drag builds surface tension and gives that flawless, domed finish.
Chef's Tip
Crush whole cardamom pods fresh rather than reaching for pre-ground — the warm, resinous scent is the whole point of the bun.
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