Step 1

Start by mixing active sourdough starter, milk, flour, and sugar in a medium-sized bowl. Cover and rise in a warm spot for 4 hours or until the levain has doubled/tripled in size.

Step 2

Start by gathering all the ingredients. Add them all, except the butter, to the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix on medium speed until the dough comes together. Cover, and autolyse/rest for 30 minutes.

Step 3

Start your mixer again and knead on medium speed for 5-10 minutes.

Step 4

After 5-10 minutes: slowly add in the softened butter, one cube at a time.

Step 5

When all the butter is added, continue kneading at medium speed for 15-25 minutes until your dough passes the window-pane test.

Step 6

Place the dough in a clean bowl and proof in a warm spot, ideally at around 78°F/26°C, for two hours.

Step 7

After two hours, transfer the dough to the fridge to cold-proof for a minimum of six hours.

Step 8

Add softened butter, brown sugar, and cardamom to a bowl. Mix with a fork until you have a spreadable paste. Leave at room temperature until you're ready to shape the buns.

Step 9

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. You might want to leave it at room temperature for 10-15 minutes if it's really cold and difficult to roll out.

Step 10

With a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 19x12in/50x30cm rectangle.

Step 11

Evenly spread out the cardamom filling using an offset spatula.

Step 12

Grab one of the long sides of the rectangle and fold it down to cover 2/3 of the dough, then grab the other side and fold it over the top (see pictures above for reference).

Step 13

Go over the dough a couple of times with a rolling pin to even out the sides.

Step 14

Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into 12 strips, roughly 1,5-2 inches each.

Step 15

Split each strip into three, leaving one side joined. Braid the strips to create a three-stranded plait. Grab the end of the plait and roll it up to create a bun—place all the shaped buns in a greased muffin tin.

Step 16

Loosely cover the muffin tin with cling film and proof at around 78°F/26°C for 9-12 hours until they've doubled in size.

Step 17

Preheat your oven to 355°F/180°C and bake the cardamom buns for 18-20 minutes until golden brown. Meanwhile, you can make the brown sugar glaze:

Step 18

While the buns are baking, you can make the glaze. Add the ingredients to a small pot and heat up over medium heat until all the sugar is dissolved.

Step 19

When the buns are out of the oven, immediately brush over the syrup using a pastry brush. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool for 20-30 minutes before serving.