buttermilk cardamom rolls with rhubarb and orange flower water

Last summer I long term chicken-sat (I know that sounds ridiculous, but I really cannot think of another way to say it) for our neighbors who have a gorgeous, secret-garden-like yard brimming with berries, apples, herbs and a rather prolific rhubarb plant. The stalks were the biggest I’d ever seen, and while I’d previously dismissed rhubarb as some sort of unnatural red celery I couldn’t say no when she offered me some. I may have tasted rhubarb at some point in life…but I’d never really tasted rhubarb. One bite of a homemade rhubarb and strawberry shortbread with cardamom whipped cream and I was hooked. This year I waited patiently for those lovely red stalks to show up in the grocery store (and in my neighbors yard!) and have obviously been eating all I can get my hands on since.So, I know I’ve been overdoing  the rhubarb recipes lately but I’m really hoping you love it as much as I do. Besides, I couldn’t resist sharing these rolls. They’re incredibly soft, studded (I nearly typed bedazzled, I think that might actually be more appropriate) with little tart bits of rhubarb, spiced with cardamom and drizzled with an orange flower water and yogurt glaze. They can be made the night before, refrigerated, and allowed to rise for the final time in the morning.

Adapted from Beth Kirby’s soft brown butter and eggnog cinnamon rolls with whiskey frosting, now a holiday tradition in our house. I like to think of these as the spring counterparts to her delicious holiday rolls.

4.0 from 1 reviews

buttermilk cardamom rolls with rhubarb and orange flower water

 

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Prep time

3 hours

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

3 hours 25 mins

 

Serves: 10-12 rolls

Ingredients

• for the dough
• 1¼ c buttermilk
• 1 packet (2.14 tsp) active dry yeast
• 4 c (400 g) all-purpose flour
• ¾ c (150 g) sugar
• ¼ c (50 g) light brown sugar
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground vanilla beans, or beans scraped from ½ vanilla bean
• ½ tsp ground cardamom
• ¼ c greek yogurt at room temperature
• 2 eggs at room temperature and gently beaten
• 1 tsp orange blossom water
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 stick (8 tbsp) melted butter, cooled
• 
  
• for the filling
• 1 stick (8 tbsp) butter, softened
• 150 g light brown sugar
• ¼ tsp ground vanilla beans (or vanilla extract)
• pinch cardamom
• vanilla rose flake salt (or regular flake salt) for sprinkling
• 1½ c rhubarb (from about 2 medium stalks), cut into ¼ inch pieces
• milk or cream, for brushing
• 
  
• for the glaze
• 1/2 c powdered sugar
• ½ c greek yogurt
• pinch lemon or orange zest
• ½ tsp orange flower water
• ¼ tsp ground vanilla beans (or vanilla extract)

Instructions

1. Scald the buttermilk (heat just until steam rises), then sprinkle the yeast on top and gently stir, set aside to proof while you prepare the rest of the ingredients, 5-10 minutes.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugars, salt, powdered vanilla beans, and cardamom to combine. Combine the yogurt, eggs, orange blossom water, vanilla, butter and yeast mixture in a large bowl and stir to combine. Add half of the flour mixture, stir with a wooden spoon, then add the second half and stir until no dry bits remain and the flour is incorporated. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rise in a warm place for 1-1/2 hours. Prepare 2 round 8-9 inch baking pans with a square of parchment paper to prevent sticking and make the filling.
3. To prepare the filling, mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl.
4. Once the dough has risen. lightly dust a clean work surface with flour and place an additional ½ cup of flour nearby, for adding to the dough when needed. Punch the dough down and scrape out onto your work surface. Knead, adding flour as needed, just until you have a workable dough. Pat and shape into a 9 x 13 rectangle. Spread your filling on the dough, leaving a 1 inch border. Sprinkle with a couple of pinches of flake salt, then scatter 1 cup of the rhubarb on top. Roll, starting with one long side and rolling to the other long side, pinching the dough together with your fingers to seal. Pat into an even log shape and cut into 10 even rolls using dental floss or fishing wire, reshape if needed and place in the baking pans. Space them evenly if you like your rolls to have firmer edges, or fit as many as you can (7 or so) into one, and the remaining in the second pan if you like more doughy rolls (what I did). At this point you can refrigerate the rolls overnight or proof and bake.
5. Cover the rolls and allow to rise for 45 minutes, 60 if they've been in the fridge. About halfway through the second rise, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
6. Brush the rolls with a little milk or cream, then sprinkle with the remaining rhubarb and bake for 25 minutes, then check for doneness. The rolls should be lightly brown and just cooked, try not to overbake (mine took around 27 minutes). To make the glaze, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine, then spoon over the warm rolls and serve.

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