I remember going to Sweden with my friend Carina in High School. I don’t think I ever saw one of these.

INGREDIENTS

Dough

2/3 cup milk, lukewarm in temperature

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

4 tablespoons butter, melted

2 teaspoons active dry yeast

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon salt

Filling

4 tablespoons butter, room temperature

1/2 cup demerara sugar, plus extra for sprinkling

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

4 ounces walnuts, finely chopped

Egg wash (1 large egg + 1 tablespoon water, whisked)

DIRECTIONS

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the lukewarm milk, sugar, egg, melted butter, and yeast. Using a bowl scraper, fold in the flours, cardamom, and salt until the dough comes together and appears uniform. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead the dough until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. If using a stand mixer, knead the dough on low for 3-5 minutes with the dough hook attachment, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl.

Form the dough into a ball and transfer to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover and allow the dough to rise at room temperature until doubled in volume, about 1 to 2 hours.

To make the filling, mix together the butter, sugar, and cinnamon until it forms uniform paste.

When the dough has doubled in volume, punch down the dough and, on a lightly floured surface, flatten the dough into a rectangular shape. Roll out the dough to a 12-by-18 inch rectangle. Using an offset spatula, spread the filling over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border around all edges. Sprinkle on the finely chopped walnuts evenly and press the walnuts down lightly into the filling.

From the long end, roll the dough tightly into a log and place seam side down. Cut off the ends so the log appears uniform. Form the log into a ring shape and pinch the open ends together. Using a kitchen shears, cut the dough 2/3 of the way into the log into 2-inch segments. Carefully turn the segments upwards so the interior of the dough is exposed. Cover and let rise for an additional 30-45 minutes.

While dough is rising, preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Brush with egg wash and sprinkle lightly with additional demerara sugar. Bake the tea ring for 25 minutes, or until golden. If it browns too quickly, cover with aluminum foil to prevent browning during the last 5-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack.

I worked with this recipe.