Month: January 2019

Raspberry Palmiers

Posted on by Ruth

This post is sponsored by Président® brand. As always, all opinions expressed are my own.

If you’re looking for a way to spread the love this upcoming Valentine’s Day, might I suggest you do it through crisp, buttery cookies? Homemade palmiers, to be precise. Traditionally, these French cookies (also known as elephant ears or French hearts) are made by dusting and rolling puff pastry in sugar, then baking until beautifully crisp and caramelized — a simple but addictive treat that goes down perfectly with an espresso or cup of tea. Today we’re jazzing palmiers up by adding some freeze-dried raspberries, which add not only a bright flavor but also the prettiest natural pink color!

unbaked raspberry palmiers

Palmiers don’t require many ingredients, so it’s important to use the good stuff: namely, high quality butter. I used Président® unsalted butter, a rich European-style butter made from cultured cream. It’s a dream to work with as far as pastry-making is concerned: it rolls out easily and doesn’t crack or melt as easily as lower-fat butters tend to do. And of course, the taste is just next-level delicious — ultra-creamy with a slight tang from the cultured cream!

My version of palmiers start with rough puff pastry. If the thought of laminated pastry makes you want to run for the hills, fear not! Rough puff is classic puff pastry’s laid-back cousin. While there’s still rolling and folding and chilling involved, the process is quicker and a lot more laid-back compared to classic puff — and the result is still wonderfully flaky. Once you’ve got the technique down, you’ll be wanting to whip up batches of rough puff for hand pies, turnovers, galettes, and other delicious delights.

A few notes:

  • For best results, keep your pastry cool but pliable. It should be fairly easy to roll out, but not sticky or soft. Chilling times are approximate but can vary greatly from kitchen to kitchen. If you live in a warm climate or have hot hands, you may want to chill your flour before starting and/or chill longer between folds. And if your kitchen or fridge is exceptionally cool, you may need less chilling time.
  • Once you’ve added the raspberry sugar to the pastry, you’ll want to bake your palmiers as soon as the dough is chilled — don’t keep the pastry in the fridge too long, as the sugar will draw moisture from the dough and create a sticky mess. If you want to bake your palmiers later, you can store the uncut log in the freezer well-wrapped, and slice and bake directly from frozen. Frozen palmiers will likely need a few extra minutes to bake.
  • Keep a close eye on your palmiers as they bake, as they can quickly go from golden brown to scorched! You do want to get them as caramelized as possible for the best flavor and lasting crispness (underbaked palmiers tend to go soggy faster).
  • Update, February 2021: I used to recommend sprinkling raspberry sugar on both sides of the pastry (as seen in photos), but after making this a several times in multiple ovens have noticed that sometimes the freeze dried fruit on the outside can burn a little too easily. So now I prefer to sprinkle the raspberry sugar on just one side, and to coat the outside with plain granulated sugar. Be generous with the final dusting of raspberry sugar after baking, as that will really add an extra kick of fruity flavor!
dusting raspberry palmiers in sugar
baked raspberry palmiers

Raspberry Palmiers

Makes 20-24 cookies

Ingredients

For the rough puff pastry (makes enough for two batches of palmiers):

  • 250g AP flour
  • 250g bread flour
  • 10g kosher salt
  • 30g granulated sugar
  • 400g Président® unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1/2″ cubes
  • 250g cold water (optional: replace 10g water with freshly squeezed lemon juice)

For the raspberry sugar:

  • 50g granulated sugar
  • 15g freeze-dried raspberries
To Finish:
  • 50g granulated sugar

Method:

  1. Make the rough puff pastry dough: To make the rough puff pastry, combine the flours, salt, and sugar in a large bowl.
  2. Add the chilled butter to the flour mixture and use your fingers to flatten the cubes of butter. Toss with the flour so that all the butter pieces are coated.
  3. Add the liquid and gently stir with a spatula just to combine. At this point the dough should be quite shaggy, but if you squeeze a bit in your hand it should hold together.
  4. Cover and chill for 15-20 minutes, or until cool but not too stiff.
  5. Laminate the pastry: Lightly flour a work surface and rolling pin and turn the chilled dough out. Roll the dough into a long rectangle about 8″ x 20″, roughly 1/4″ inch thick. The pastry will seem rather patchy and not quite cohesive — this is normal; it will come together with the folds. Try to keep your edges and corners as straight and square as possible, but don’t stress too much about it.
  6. Using a bench scraper, fold the top third of the dough down and the bottom third of the dough up like a letter, brushing off excess flour as you fold. Rotate your dough 90 degrees so the opening is on the right. This is your first fold.
  7. Repeat steps 5-6 for a total of 4 folds. Depending on the temperature of your kitchen, your pastry may stay cool enough for you to do two folds back to back. But if at any point your dough starts to feel warm or sticky/soft, transfer it to a sheet pan and refrigerate for 15-30 minutes or so to chill.
  8. After the final fold, wrap the pastry well and chill for at least 45 minutes, or up to 2 days. (For longer storage, freeze well-wrapped dough for up to a month. Thaw overnight in the fridge before using.)
  9. Make the raspberry sugar: While the dough is chilling, make the raspberry sugar. In the bowl of a food processor, grind the freeze-dried raspberries into a fine powder. Mix with the 50g granulated sugar.
  10. Preheat the oven: While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 400F with a rack in the middle and line 2-3 baking sheets with parchment paper.
  11. Shape the palmiers: When you’re ready to shape your palmiers, remove the chilled pastry and cut in half crosswise. Wrap and return one half to the fridge, or freeze for longer storage. (You’ll only need half the pastry for this recipe.)
  12. On a lightly floured surface, roll the pastry into a rectangle about 10″ x 13″, between 1/8″ to 1/4″ thick. Rotate and flip the pastry and flour your surface as needed to avoid sticking. When you’ve reached the correct size/thickness, use a pastry wheel or a sharp knife to trim the edges to neaten.
  13. Sprinkle an even layer of about half the raspberry-sugar mixture on one side of the dough. Use your rolling pin to gently press the sugar into the dough.
  14. Fold the long edges of your pastry in so they meet exactly in the middle, then fold one half over the other half as if closing a book (you’ll have a total of 4 layers). Transfer the log to a sheet pan and chill for about 10-15 minutes to make cutting the palmiers easier.
  15. Cut the chilled pastry into 1/2″ thick slices. Dip each side in plain granulated sugar before laying 2″ apart on the prepared sheet pans. (The palmiers will puff significantly in the oven, so be sure to leave plenty of space between each.) If the dough is soft at all, return to the fridge or freezer to firm up before baking (see notes above).
  16. Bake the palmiers: Bake the palmiers one sheet at a time for 20-30 minutes. (Keep the remaining unbaked palmiers chilled.) Check the bottoms of the palmiers after 10 minutes; if they are brown and caramelized, flip them over for the remaining baking time. If not, keep checking every 1-2 minutes until they are. Bake until both sides are a rich golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining cookies.
  17. Dust the palmiers: Once the palmiers are cool enough to handle, dip each side into the remaining raspberry sugar. Palmiers are best served the day they’re baked, but will keep for about 3 days at room temperature in an airtight container.
kids reaching for raspberry palmiers

Classic Cheesecake with Lime Curd Glaze

Posted on by Ruth
Lime glazed classic cheesecake

A classic cheesecake recipe is something every baker should have in his or her repertoire. It’s one of those crowd-pleasing desserts that can be tailored to fit the season or whatever you have on hand. However, finding the perfect cheesecake base can be a bit of a Goldilocks situation: this one’s too dense, that on’es too soft, too tart, too sweet… Well, friends, I think this one is juuuuust right!

The actual cheesecake portion is adapted from my friend Fanny’s cookbook, Oh Sweet Day! (You may remember this cranberry lime tart from there as well.) To me, it is cheesecake texture perfection: beautifully smooth and creamy but with a lightness as well, thanks to folded in egg whites and a long, gentle bake in a low oven. I love the textural contrast of a cookie crumb crust, so that’s what I’ve gone with here. And because it’s currently citrus season and I always seem to have a jar or three of lemon or lime curd in the fridge, this version is gussied up with a smooth lime glaze, the perfect tart foil for the creamy dreamy cheesecake base.

A few notes:

  • The cookie crust is fairly straightforward; you can really use whatever dry cookie you like or have on hand: graham crackers, gingersnaps, shortbread, Oreos without the middle, etc. You can even sub in some nuts if you like. Depending on the type/brand of cookie you use, you may need to adjust the ratio of butter to crumbs. I usually start with the amounts listed and go from there. I’m basically looking for a mixture that holds together when squeezed but doesn’t feel overly wet or greasy.
  • One key to a successful cheesecake is room temperature ingredients. This helps everything combine easily and smoothly for the most even, creamy texture. Make sure to take out your cream cheese, sour cream, and eggs ahead of time! Cream cheese especially needs a bit of time to get to temperature — I like to take it out at least a couple of hours before mixing and baking.
  • While Fanny doesn’t instruct to use a water bath, I’ve always used one and have never had a dry or cracked cheesecake — so I always do it! Instead of putting the cheesecake pan directly in the water, I just put a large roasting or 9×13 pan with a couple inches of hot water on the rack below the cheesecake.
  • I don’t have many springform pans so I usually bake cheesecakes in regular cake pans — in this case, I used an 8×3 round cake pan. Just grease your pan well and line the bottom with parchment, and don’t try to remove the cake until it is thoroughly chilled and set. To release, have ready a flat, large plate or cutting board covered with plastic wrap and your eventual serving plate. Warm the bottom of the pan on a burner and run a thin offset spatula all around the cake. Overturn onto the plastic lined plate/board, peel off the parchment, and flip back onto your serving plate.
  • Glazing is easiest when your cheesecake is completely chilled and the glaze is just barely warm. If some glaze drips over the edge, no big deal — just wipe it off!
classic cheesecake slice


Classic Cheesecake with Lime Curd Glaze

Makes one 8-inch cheesecake
Cheesecake base recipe adapted from Oh Sweet Day! / Glaze adapted from Shirl Gard

Ingredients

For the cookie crumb crust:

  • 175g cookie crumbs (approx. — see notes above)
  • 60g melted butter (approx. — see notes above)
  • Pinch of salt

For the classic cheesecake base:

  • 500g cream cheese (2 blocks — not the tub kind; I use Philadelphia brand), at room temperature
  • 240g (1 c) sour cream, at room temperature
  • 200g (1 c) sugar
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 Tbsp lemon or lime juice
  • 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
  • 3 large eggs, separated, at room temperature

For the lime curd glaze:

  • 100g lime curd (homemade or store-bought), at room temperature
  • 100g sugar
  • 100g water
  • 5g powdered pectin

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F with one rack in the middle and one below. Grease an 8-inch round cake pan (springform or regular works) and line the bottom with parchment paper.
  2. In a food processor, combine the cookie crumbs, salt, and melted butter. The mixture should hold together if you squeeze it in your hand, but shouldn’t feel overly greasy. If the mixture doesn’t hold together, add more melted butter a teaspoon at a time until it does. If overly greasy, add more cookie crumbs a teaspoon at a time until you get the right texture.
  3. Press the cookie crumbs into the bottom of the pan and slightly up the sides, if desired. Use a measuring cup or shot glass to press the crumbs in firmly and evenly.
  4. Bake until just set, about 12 minutes. Allow to cool on a wire rack completely before filling.
  5. Lower the oven temperature to 250F. Combine the cream cheese, sugar, salt, vanilla, and lemon/lime juice in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until combined. Scrape down the sides, add the sour cream and pulse until smooth. Add the egg yolks one at a time, pulsing after each yolk just to combine. Scrape the batter into a large bowl.
  6. Using a hand or stand mixer, whip the egg whites on medium low until frothy. Turn up the speed to medium-high and whip until soft peaks.
  7. Fold the meringue into the cream cheese batter in three stages. Fold just until the batter is homogeneous and no white streaks remain.
  8. Pour the batter into the pan with the prepared crust. Tap the pan on the counter several times to dislodge any large air bubbles.
  9. Transfer the cheesecake to the middle rack in the oven. On the rack below, place a roasting pan or 9×13 baking pan filled with a couple inches of hot water.
  10. Bake for about 80-90 minutes, or until the edges of the cheesecake are set and puffed but the very center still looks wet and wobbly. Turn off the oven, crack open the oven door (I use a wooden spoon to prop it open) and allow the cheesecake to cool completely, at least an hour.
  11. Remove the cooled cheesecake from the oven. Run an offset spatula around the edges to loosen (but keep the cake in its pan) and refrigerate at least 4 hours (preferably overnight).
  12. To make the lime curd glaze, bring 100g water to a boil over medium heat. Whisk together the sugar and pectin.
  13. When the water reaches a boil, slowly add the sugar and pectin, whisking continuously. Cook the mixture, still whisking, for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool until barely warm.
  14. Remove the cheesecake from the pan and transfer to a serving plate / cake stand. Use an offset spatula to smooth the sides if needed.
  15. Gently whisk together the 100g of room-temperature lime curd and 50g of the barely warm pectin simple syrup (the remainder of the syrup can be refrigerated for another use). Do this slowly so as not to introduce air bubbles into the mixture, which could show up in the final glaze.
  16. Carefully pour the glaze into the center of the cheesecake and use a small offset spatula to gently spread it to the edges. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
classic cheesecake from above

Lime Chiffon Cake with Mango Whipped Cream

Posted on by Ruth
lime chiffon cake with offset spatula

I’ve been dreaming of making this cake for some time now: soft, fluffy layers of chiffon sandwiched with citrus curd and mango frosting. I’ve tried once or twice in the past, but it was never as good as I wanted: cake layers were too dry, or the frosting was too heavy. But this time around it was just right! This is the perfect style of cake to serve to people who don’t like desserts that are too sweet, or as a light ending to a large meal.

A few notes:

  • If you’ve never made any type of sponge cake before, I recommend reading through the tips on my mom’s sponge cake recipe before starting. Same principles apply.
  • If you make your own lime curd for this recipe, I definitely recommend saving your lime rinds and making some fresh lime syrup to use as your cake soak. I followed the directions here (substituting limes for lemons) and just let the mixture sit overnight before draining.
  • The mango whipped cream frosting uses a game-changing food processor method by Stella Parks (which she learned from a Japanese bakery), and it’s the perfect accompaniment to chiffon — light but flavorful from the addition of freeze-dried fruit. I really don’t recommend using a butter-based frosting with this cake as it’s just too heavy.
  • I got my freeze dried mangoes from Trader Joe’s, but you can also source it online.
  • To decorate this cake, I dehydrated some lemon and lime slices by baking them at 200F for a few hours until dry (flipping them every hour or so). I also added a bit of chopped freeze-dried mango.
lime chiffon cake from above

Lime Chiffon Cake with Mango Whipped Cream

Makes one 6-inch cake

Ingredients:

For the lime chiffon cake:

  • 4 large egg yolks, at room temperature
  • 5 large egg whites, at room temperature
  • 150g cake flour
  • 175g caster sugar, divided
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • generous 1/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 60g (1/4 c or 60ml) lime juice
  • 60g (1/4 c or 60 ml) water
  • 76g (1/3 c or 80 ml) oil
  • Zest of two limes
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp cream of tartar

For the mango whipped cream:

  • 23g freeze-dried mango
  • 75g granulated sugar
  • 3 c heavy cream, chilled

To finish:

  • Simple syrup or fresh lime syrup
  • ~4 Tbsp lime curd (I use David Lebovitz’s recipe: it makes a lot more than you need for this cake, but you can use the rest on toast or freeze leftovers)
  • Dehydrated lemon and lime slices (optional, for garnish — see notes)
  • Chopped freeze-dried mango (optional, for garnish)

Method:

For the lime chiffon cake:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F with a rack in the lower third. Line three 6-inch pans with parchment, but do not grease the sides of the pan.
  2. Sift together the cake flour, 150g caster sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl (you’ll eventually be mixing the whole batter in this bowl, so choose a nice wide one!). Whisk to combine. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add the egg yolks, lime juice, lime zest, water, oil, and vanilla to the well, and whisk until smooth.
  3. Beat the egg whites on medium-low speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar, increase the speed to medium, and whisk until soft peaks. With the mixer still on medium, slowly add the remaining 25 grams caster sugar. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and beat until you have glossy firm peaks.
  4. Using a silicone spatula, carefully fold the egg whites into the egg yolk batter 1/3 at a time. Mix just until the batter is homogeneous and no white streaks remain.
  5. Divide the batter among the three prepared pans, about 250g each. Give each pan a couple raps on the counter to dislodge any big air bubbles.
  6. Bake until the cakes are puffed and firm and a tester comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes (do not open the oven door until at least 20 minutes have passed or the cakes might collapse!). Allow to cool a few minutes in the pan, then run an offset spatula around the edges (this helps minimize shrinkage). Cool another 10-15 minutes in the pan, then remove the cakes from the pans and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. Once cooled, Chill the cakes before frosting, at least 1/2 an hour.

For the mango whipped cream:

  1. In a food processor, grind the freeze dried mango and sugar into a fine powder. Stir with a fork to break up any clumps.
  2. Add the cream and pulse until very thick and creamy, about the consistency of Greek yogurt. Be careful not to over-process or the cream will turn to butter! If you spoon out some of the cream, it should hold its shape when the spoon is overturned. Use immediately, or refrigerate until needed (it should keep for about a week).

To assemble:

  1. Trim the tops of the cakes to level if needed and peel the parchment paper off each one. Place a dollop of cream on a cake board / plate / cake stand and place the first cake round on top.
  2. Brush the top of the cake generously with syrup. Spoon about 1/3 c of mango whipped cream on top of the first round and spread it on smoothly with an offset spatula. Drizzle a couple tablespoons of lime curd in the center, taking care not to go too close to the edge so the curd won’t leak out the sides.
  3. Repeat step 2 with the second layer. Finish by placing the last cake round top side down (soak it with simple syrup before placing it on top).
  4. Spread a thin, even layer of mango whipped cream over the sides and top of the cake to lock the crumbs in. Refrigerate for about 15-20 minutes until set.
  5. After the cake has chilled, spread a thick, even layer of cream on the top and sides. I used an offset spatula to create some texture. Decorate with dehydrated citrus slices and freeze-dried mango pieces, or as desired. Chill until ready to serve.
lime chiffon cake

Sourdough Enriched Morning Buns

Posted on by Ruth

sourdough enriched morning bun

Happy New Year! I’m kicking off 2019 and year 4(!) of this blog with my current favorite breakfast pastry: sourdough enriched morning buns!

Morning buns are sort of a mash-up between a cinnamon roll and a kouign amman/croissant. They’re rolled and shaped like cinnamon rolls, but made with laminated dough and dusted with sugar so you get a gorgeously flaky exterior and a softer, caramelized center. I love the variety of textures in this pastry! Morning buns are also a great place to start if you’re new (like me) to laminated doughs! The final dough doesn’t have to be rolled quite as thinly as if you were making croissants, and you don’t have to individually shape each pastry — just slice, proof, and bake!

This morning bun recipe uses a yeasted laminated dough, which involves making a regular yeasted enriched dough (spiked with sourdough starter for flavor and strength) and folding it around a block of butter. You then give the dough-butter package several rolls and turns to create hundreds of thin alternating layers of dough and butter. When the proofed morning buns hit the hot oven, the yeast combined with the steam from the butter help give these pastries their beautifully golden flaky layers.

Originally I tried making these pastries with “quick” danish doughs (Nigella Lawson has a famous one); and while they tasted good, I really wanted to see how much different they’d be with the real deal. In the end, I vastly preferred the fully laminated dough and think it’s worth the extra time and effort.

I won’t beat around the bush: laminated dough is a bit fussy to work with and requires attention and precision. If you’re anything like me, it’ll take you several tries to get a product you’re reasonably happy with. But if that doesn’t scare you off, I’d say go for gold and give fully laminated a shot! Even if your pastries aren’t perfect, they’ll still probably taste better than most things you can buy in the store…and they are incredibly satisfying to make! Just choose a couple days when you can relax and focus and have some fun in the kitchen. Plus, once you’ve gotten the hang of laminated dough, it will open up a whole new world of homemade danishes, croissants, and other delicious pastries you can produce in your very own kitchen.

morning buns top down

A few notes:

  • Dough and butter temperature is really important for successful lamination. You basically want the dough and butter to be similar consistencies so they will roll out easily. The butter should feel cool and pliable — not melty or brittle. If the butter is too cold, it will crack into pieces and if it’s too warm, it will melt into the dough. I’ve had best success with a butter temperature around 55-60F at the start of lamination. I recommend reading through this post for lots of great lamination tips and information.
  • Along the same lines, you will want to rest the dough in the fridge between turns just long enough so the dough can relax and the butter can firm up enough to roll out without melting. In my cool Canadian kitchen in the winter, this takes about 30-40 minutes. If you’re in a warmer climate, you may need longer. At any rate, if it’s feeling at all soft and squishy, refrigerate it an extra 5-10 minutes. And if you feel the butter breaking up at all, let it sit for a few minutes at room temperature before rolling out.
  • The dough will get increasingly more difficult to roll out as you do more turns (all that rolling is essentially developing the strength of the dough). Use firm, even strokes and don’t be afraid to flip the dough back and forth to make sure you’re rolling evenly. You may need to rest the dough in the fridge halfway through the final roll.
  • Before you start lamination, make sure you have a large and clear work surface. You’ll also want to have a long rolling pin, measuring tape / ruler, and pastry brush handy along with a bowl of extra flour for dusting your surface and pin.
  • Do your best to maintain sharp corners and edges throughout the lamination process as this will give you the best results. Don’t be afraid to use your hands to tug the dough a bit to get it into the right shape.
  • Use good quality European style butter, at least 82% butterfat. Not only will this make your pastries taste better, but the lamination process will be easier. In my experience, European style butter is noticeably more pliable and less prone to breaking.
  • My family really enjoys raisins in these morning buns, but they do have a tendency to fall out when you’re dusting the finished pastries with sugar. No big deal, just push them back in. Or leave them out entirely if you’re not into raisins. Feel free to play around with the filling spices as well — some lemon or orange zest would be lovely, or add some ginger and nutmeg for warmth.
  • These pastries proof best in a warmish (~80F), humid environment. The oven with the light turned on and a bowl of hot water next to the sheet of pastries is my go-to spot. You don’t want it too hot, however, or the butter will leak out.
  • I usually make these pastries over two days. On day 1, I build the levain in the morning. I mix the dough in the afternoon and do the turns before going to bed. Then in the morning, I do the final roll out, shaping, proofing, and baking. You can also do the final roll and refrigerate the dough on a large sheet pan overnight, but don’t fill and shape the morning buns until you’re ready to proof and bake as the sugar will liquefy.

morning bun with coffee

Sourdough Enriched Morning Buns

Makes 12-14 buns | Dough recipe via The Fresh Loaf; morning bun portion inspired by various sources (see here, here, and here)

Ingredients:

For the levain:

  • 44g ripe sourdough starter (100% hydration)
  • 75g water
  • 134g bread flour
  • Mix and ferment at room temperature until ripe (6-12 hours). The levain should roughly triple in size, and the domed top should be slightly flattened.

For the final dough:

  • 361g bread flour
  • 135g milk
  • 77g egg (about 1 1/2 large eggs, or 1 egg + 2 egg yolks)
  • 60g sugar
  • 10g salt
  • 7g instant yeast
  • 41g unsalted butter, softened*
  • All of the levain
  • 310g unsalted butter, cold (roll-in)*

For the filling and coating:

  • 75g granulated sugar
  • 75g light brown sugar
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground cardamom
  • 100g raisins, optional
  • Pinch of salt
  • 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
  • Additional granulated sugar for dusting the tins and rolling the finished pastries

*For best results, use a European style butter with at least 82% butterfat

Method:

  1. Mix together the final dough ingredients (except the roll-in butter) until combined, about 5 minutes on low speed using a stand mixer or 8-10 minutes by hand. The dough shouldn’t be at full gluten development (it will gain strength through fermentation and rolling), but it shouldn’t be sticky. Flatten into a rough rectangle, place on a baking sheet (I really like quarter sheet pans for this), wrap with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or up to overnight).
  2. About 30 minutes before you want to begin lamination, take the roll-in butter out of the fridge. Slice into pieces and pound into an even 7.5″ square using a rolling pin. An easy way to do this for me is to draw a 7.5″ square on a piece of parchment, flip it over (so you don’t get marker or pencil into your butter), put the butter inside the square, and place another piece of parchment over it. Pound and roll the butter until it is an even square of butter, using a bench knife to clean up and sharpen the edges/corners as you go. Place back into the fridge to firm up for about 10-15 minutes before beginning lamination (see notes above).
  3. Remove the dough from the fridge. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into an 11″ square. Remove the butter from the fridge and place it in the middle of the dough like a diamond. Fold the four flaps of dough over the butter to seal it in, pinching the edges to seal.
  4. Roll the dough into an 8″ x 24″ rectangle, flouring the dough and pin as necessary. You shouldn’t need too much flour, but use as much as you need so nothing sticks. (Just brush off any excess flour with a pastry brush before folding.) Do a single book fold by folding the top third of the dough down and the bottom third up over the middle, using a bit of water to “glue” down the layers. Before folding the top edge down, trim the edge to expose the butter (you can save the scraps and bake them off in a mini loaf pan at the end!). Give the dough a 90-degree turn so the opening is on the right, cover with plastic, and rest in the fridge for about 30-40 minutes to relax and chill.
  5. Do two more book folds following the step above, chilling the dough 30 minutes after the second fold and at least 90 minutes (or overnight) after the third and final fold.
  6. When you are ready to proof and bake, prepare a muffin tin by brushing each cavity with some of the melted butter and dusting with granulated sugar. Mix together the sugars, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
  7. Remove the dough from the fridge onto a lightly floured surface. Allow to sit for a few minutes. Roll the dough into a large rectangle about 13″ x 18″ (it should be about 1/4″ thick). Rotate the dough so a long edge is facing you. Brush the entire surface with the rest of the melted butter, then sprinkle it evenly with a generous layer of the sugar mixture (you probably won’t use all of it, but don’t be stingy) and raisins, if using. Use the rolling pin to gently press the sugar and raisins into the dough. Starting from the long end closest to you, roll up tightly like a jelly roll. (If the dough is starting to feel soft at this point, chill for about 10 minutes to make cutting easier.) Slice into 1 1/2″ pieces and place buns cut side up into the prepared tin.
  8. Cover the morning buns with lightly oiled plastic wrap and proof until very puffy and jiggly, about 2 hours at warm room temperature (see above). About 1/2 an hour before baking, preheat the oven to 425F.
  9. Bake for 10 minutes, then lower the temperature to 375F and continue baking for another 15-20 minutes or until the buns are deeply golden and the centers register at least 200F. (If they are browning too quickly, tent with a piece of foil halfway through baking.) Cool the buns in the pan for a couple of minutes, then carefully remove and roll each bun in the remaining sugar mixture (I add an additional ~75g granulated sugar). Morning buns are best consumed fresh out of the oven, but any extras can be stored in an airtight container and reheated for about 5 minutes at 350F the next day or two.