Skillingsboller
The Bergen cinnamon bun that broke the internet — an airy cardamom dough coiled around a molten butter-sugar core.
Cultural Context & History
The skillingsbolle — literally the "shilling bun" — takes its name from the copper coin it once cost on the wharfs of Bergen. For generations it was the everyday indulgence of a rain-soaked harbour city, sold warm from bakeries lining the Bryggen waterfront.
In the last decade it leapt from regional treat to global phenomenon. A single cross-section photograph — that impossibly soft, laminated spiral — turned the humble bun into one of the most photographed pastries on the internet, launching a wave of Nordic baking that continues today.
What sets the Norwegian version apart from its Swedish cousin is restraint: less sugar, a heavier hand with cardamom, and a looser, almost custardy centre that stays molten far longer than you would expect.
Ingredients
- 500 g strong wheat flour
- 250 ml whole milk, lukewarm
- 75 g butter, softened
- 75 g caster sugar
- 1 tbsp freshly ground cardamom
- 25 g fresh yeast (or 9 g dried)
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- For the filling: 100 g butter, 100 g brown sugar, 2 tbsp cinnamon
- Pearl sugar and one beaten egg, to finish
Recommended Tools
- Danish dough whiskBlends wet, enriched doughs without overworking the gluten.
- Cast-iron spice grinderCracks cardamom pods to a fragrant, even grind in seconds.
- Half-sheet baking pansEven heat distribution for that uniform golden crust.
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Step-by-Step Instructions
- 1
Warm the milk to blood temperature and dissolve the yeast into it. Let it stand for five minutes until it begins to foam.
- 2
Combine flour, sugar, cardamom and salt. Add the milk mixture and softened butter, then knead for 8–10 minutes until the dough is smooth, glossy and pulls cleanly from the bowl.
- 3
Cover and prove in a warm place for about one hour, until doubled in size.
- 4
Roll the dough into a large rectangle. Spread the softened butter to the edges, then scatter over the brown sugar and cinnamon.
- 5
Roll into a tight log, slice into 12 even pieces, and set on lined trays with room to spread. Prove for a further 30–40 minutes.
- 6
Brush with beaten egg, shower with pearl sugar, and bake at 220°C for 10–12 minutes until deep gold. Cool just enough to handle — they are best barely warm.
Chef's Tip
Grind your cardamom fresh from whole pods. Pre-ground powder loses its citrus-eucalyptus lift within weeks and it is the single most important flavour here.
Chef's Tip
Underbake by a minute rather than over. The residual heat sets the crumb while keeping that signature molten spiral.
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