‘Kamome Shokudō’ is a 2006 Japanese comedy film that is set in Helsinki, the capital city of Finland. It’s a story about a woman who sets up a small cafe serving Japanese-style food. Many delicious-looking foods appear on the film but the Finnish ‘Cinnamon Rolls’ holds the key to attracting the local customers.

I started baking ‘Cinnamon Rolls’ after watching this film just like many other people did. First I looked for the recipe that was actually used for the film. As I tend to use less butter and less sugar, and I want to avoid weighing the ingredients, the recipe has been changed. My ‘Cinnamon Rolls’ are shaped differently and easier to make.


Makes

9 Rolls OR 16 Small Rolls

Ingredients

1/2 cup (125ml) Warm Milk
2 teaspoons Dry Yeast
1 & 3/4 cups Bread Flour *plus extra for kneading
1/4 cup Sugar
1/4 teaspoon Cardamom Seeds *removed from pods, ground
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 Egg *lightly whisked, save 1 tablespoonful for glazing
20g Butter *melted

Cinnamon Filling

3 tablespoons Brown Sugar
2 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
20g Butter *melted

Icing

1/2 cup Icing Sugar
2 teaspoons Milk

Method
  1. Place Warm Milk and Dry Yeast in a bowl, mix gently and set aside.
  2. Combine Bread Flour, Sugar and Salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in the yeast mixture, Egg and Butter. Mix well to form a soft dough.
  3. Knead for 2 to 3 minutes, gradually adding extra Flour as required, until smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
  4. Place Brown Sugar, Cinnamon and melted Butter in a small bowl and mix well. Line the base of a square cake tin or a baking tray with baking paper.
  5. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to 3-4mm thin. Spread Brown Sugar & Cinnamon mixture, then roll up.

  6. Cut into 9 slices or 16 slices, and place in a cake tin or on a baking tray. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Preheat oven to 180℃.

  7. Gently brush with remaining Egg, then bake for about 15 to 20 minutes or until nicely browned. *Note: Today I placed 16 rolls in 20cm square tin and it was too crowded.
  8. To make icing, mix Icing Sugar and Milk in a small bowl. Drizzle it over the Cinnamon Rolls, but it is optional.