Swedish saffron Buns
These Swedish saffron buns or "Lussebullar" are devoured during Lucia and Christmas in Sweden. Bake them and you will love them!
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These can be made in many different ways. Different shapes and filling create very different food-experiences. For example we have the classic twisted saffron bun with an almond filling that is my brother Alex's favourite. Whilst my mon enjoys the "lussekatt" which have no filling, but raisins, and are shaped like an S.
Test different option with the same dough and see what you prefer!
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Ingredients
For the Dough
| Amount | Ingredient |
|---|---|
| 150 g | Butter |
| 5 dl | Milk |
| 1 Cube | Fresh yeast |
| 2 dl | Sugar |
| 2 tsp | Salt |
| 0.75 g | Saffron |
| 2 dl | Kesella or Smooth Cottage Cheese |
| 14 dl | Flour |
| 1.5 dl | Rasins |
For Almond Filling
| Amount | Ingredient |
|---|---|
| 80 g | Butter |
| 200 g | Almond paste (mandelmassa) |
| 2 tsp | Cardemom |
| 2 tsp | Salt |
Shaping the dough without filling
| Amount | Ingredient |
|---|---|
| 0.5 dl | Rasins |
Baking
| Amount | Ingredient |
|---|---|
| 1 Whole | Egg |
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Instructions
For the Dough
Melt the butter on the stove. Once melted, remove from heat and add in the milk (cold). The resulting mixture should be ca 37°C.
Crumble the yeast and add 0,5 dl of sugar and watch the yeast slowly melt. When melted add the milk+butter mixture.
Take a mortar and add the saffron and some of the sugar to grid it. This is to release more of the flavor.
Add the saffron-sugar and the kesella or smooth cottage cheese to the mixture alongside the rest of the sugar and the salt.
Add in flour little by little, being careful not to add too much (danger of dry buns).
If you prefer raisins in the dough this is where you add them, either whole or chopped into smaller pieces (that's what I prefer)
Let the dough rise for 50 minutes.
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For Almond Filling
Simply mix the butter with the almond paste (mandelmassa), some salt and cardamon, preferably with an electric mixer, to create fluffy spreadable filling.
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Shaping the dough with filling
Roll out the dough to 0,5-1 cm thickness and spread the filling out to the corners.
Fold the dough in half and cut into strips ca 2 cm wide. Cut a slit along the middle of each strip almost to the top, and then twist each "leg". Twist both legs up into a rose-shape and secure the end under the bun.
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Shaping the dough without filling
Roll out the dough to ca 2 cm thickness.
Cut stripes ca 1-2 cm wide.
Roll the stripes into a winding "S"-shape. One side of the "S" should be slightly larger than the other.
Add raisins to the two center points of the "S"-shape.
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Baking
Preheat oven to 210°C
Let rise on baking-sheets under a towel for 40 min.
Beat up the egg with 1 Tbsp of water.
Brush the buns with the egg wash and add optional toppings.
Bake for ca 10-12 minutes in the middle of the oven or until golden brown.
Freeze what you don't eat to make them last and keep the moisture. they are easily thawed in 30 seconds in the microwave.