The Ultimate Yudane Cinnamon Knots
Japanese water roux, freshly ground cassia, hot syrup glaze. Still soft days later.
🌾 Ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Bread flour | 50 g |
| Boiling water (100 °C) | 50 g |
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Bread flour, chilled W 700, Tipo 00 or similar | 250 g |
| Caster sugar | 40 g |
| Fine sea salt | 5 g |
| Instant dry yeast Osmotolerant preferred | 5 g |
| Whole milk, ice cold | 120 g |
| Egg, fridge cold | 50 g (≈ 1 egg) |
| Butter, softened | 50 g |
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Water | 50 g |
| Sugar | 50 g |
Filling
The original: freshly ground cassia bark, dark brown sugar and butter.
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Butter, very soft (not melted) | 75 g |
| Dark brown sugar | 90 g |
| Cassia cinnamon, freshly ground and sifted From bark, not pre-ground powder | 15 g |
| Flaky sea salt | 1 g |
Same knot, Scandinavian direction: freshly ground cardamom seeds replace the cassia.
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Butter, very soft (not melted) | 75 g |
| Dark brown sugar | 90 g |
| Green cardamom pods Crack open, keep only the seeds | 10–12 g |
| Cardamom seeds, freshly ground What the pods above give you | 6–8 g |
| Flaky sea salt | 1 g |
Method
- 1
The Yudane (12–24 h ahead)
Pour 50 g boiling water over 50 g bread flour and mix hard until a thick, glossy paste forms. Cover with cling film touching the surface, cool to room temperature, then refrigerate overnight (at least 4 hours).
- 2
Mix, rest, build gluten
In a chilled mixer bowl, combine the chilled flour, sugar, salt, yeast, ice-cold milk, cold egg and the Yudane torn into pieces. Mix on low for 2–3 minutes until shaggy, rest 20–30 minutes, then knead on medium for 10–12 minutes until a strong gluten network forms.
- 3
Butter and windowpane
Add the 50 g softened butter a tablespoon at a time on medium speed. Knead another 10–15 minutes until the dough clears the bowl and stretches translucent without tearing. Shape into a ball, cover, and let it double at 25–28 °C for 60–90 minutes (or cold-retard overnight).
- 4
Filling and letter fold
Shatter the cassia bark with a rolling pin, grind it in a spice grinder and sift it (15 g). Beat 75 g soft butter, 90 g dark brown sugar, the cinnamon and 1 g flaky salt into a smooth paste. Roll the proofed dough to 30×40 cm, spread the filling evenly, fold the top third down and the bottom third over it, roll gently to seal, and cut 2.5–3 cm strips.
Crack open the 10–12 g cardamom pods, grind the seeds (about 6–8 g) in a spice grinder and sift them. Beat 75 g soft butter, 90 g dark brown sugar, the cardamom and 1 g flaky salt into a smooth paste. Roll the proofed dough to 30×40 cm, spread the filling evenly, fold the top third down and the bottom third over it, roll gently to seal, and cut 2.5–3 cm strips.
- 5
Knot, proof, bake
Twist each strip firmly, wrap it twice around two fingers, loop the tail over the centre and tuck it underneath. Proof on parchment for 45–60 minutes until puffed and springy. Bake at 180 °C for 15–18 minutes until deeply golden.
- 6
Hot syrup finish
While the knots bake, simmer 50 g water with 50 g sugar until dissolved. Brush the knots generously the second they leave the oven — it seals in moisture and gives the glassy bakery shine.
Version history (2) ▸
- v1.1 — Separated filling, cardamom variant 2026-10-22 · Stable
Split the filling into its real components: butter, dark brown sugar, cinnamon and flaky salt, each with its own amount. Added a cardamom variant that replaces the cinnamon. Amounts in the method now scale with the batch. Yield corrected from 8 to 10 knots — same amounts, that is what the dough really makes.
- v1.0 — First published version 2026-09-04 · Archived
First version on the site. The filling was listed as one pre-mixed line of brown sugar plus butter, which made the ratio impossible to read.