History

Kanelsnegl became a Copenhagen staple in the 20th century at neighbourhood bakeries; Sankt Peders Bageri codified the supersized Wednesday version, the onsdagssnegl, in 1988 and now sells around 4,000 a week. The modern viennoiserie wave has put Juno the Bakery's cardamom-leaning version alongside as the city's reference rolls.

Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy, Egg

Make it at home

Yield Makes 12 bunsHands-on 45 minTotal 3 hr 30 minDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 500g strong white bread flour
  • 80g caster sugar
  • 1 teaspoon fine salt
  • 7g instant dried yeast
  • 250ml whole milk, warmed
  • 100g unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 large egg
  • For the filling: 150g butter softened, 150g light brown sugar, 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
  • Egg wash: 1 egg beaten
  • Pearl sugar to top

Method

  1. Mix flour, sugar, salt and yeast. Add milk, butter and egg; knead 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
  2. Cover and prove 1 hour until doubled in size.
  3. Roll dough out to a 45cm by 30cm rectangle on a lightly floured surface.
  4. Mix filling ingredients to a paste; spread evenly across the dough leaving a 2cm border at the top.
  5. Roll up tightly from the long edge, seal the seam. Cut into 12 equal slices.
  6. Place spaced apart on a lined baking tray, prove 45 minutes. Brush with egg wash, scatter pearl sugar.
  7. Bake at 200C for 15 to 18 minutes until deep gold. Cool 10 minutes before serving warm.

Tip from the editors. Bake until properly dark; pale snegle taste of raw sugar. The Wednesday onsdagssnegl at Sankt Peders is the size benchmark.

This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.

Where to eat kanelsnegl

Kanelsnegl in Copenhagen

Juno the Bakery ★ 4.9

Wed-Sat 07:30-18:00, Sun 09:00-15:00, closed Mon-TueWalk-in onlySourdough, Scandinavian pastry, cardamom buns

Juno the Bakery on Århusgade in Østerbro from former noma cook Emil Glaser bakes the cardamom bun that anchors the modern Copenhagen pastry conversation, plus sourdough and laminated pastries.

Tip: Open Wednesday to Sunday only. Arrive by 09:30 for the cardamom bun or expect the 60-deep weekend queue.

Worth the queue: Cardamom bun

Århusgade 48, 2100 København Ø

Hart Bageri ★ 4.8

Daily 07:30-18:00Walk-in onlySourdough loaves and laminated Danish pastries

Hart Bageri on Gammel Kongevej in Frederiksberg was opened by former Tartine head baker Richard Hart and now runs ten locations across greater Copenhagen with naturally leavened breads and viennoiserie.

Tip: Arrive by 09:00 weekends for the cardamom buns and tebirkes; sourdough loaves restock through the morning.

Worth the queue: Tebirkes (poppyseed danish)

Gammel Kongevej 109, 1850 Frederiksberg C

Andersen & Maillard ★ 4.7

Andersen & Maillard on Nørrebrogade in Nørrebro is the city's pioneering bakery-roastery hybrid, opened in 2018 by former noma pastry chef Milton Abel and Hans Kristian Andersen.

Signature drink: Flat white

Tip: Order the cardamom kouign-amann with the house filter coffee. The bench by the window is the prime perch.

Nørrebrogade 62, 2200 København N

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