Saffron Buns (Lussekatt, or St. Lucia's Buns)
Recipe: Saffron Buns (Lussekatt, or St. Lucia's Buns)
From: jenburkholder; not sure where she found the recipe
Makes: 2 dozen
1/2 c. whole wheat pastry flour
1/3 c. slivered almonds
1-1/2 Tbsp. yeast
pinch sugar
1/2 c. water, 105-115 degrees
3/4 c. milk, 105-115 degrees
1/8 tsp. saffron, crumbled fine
1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. ground cardamom
1 tsp. almond extract
2 tsp. salt
4-3/4 to 5-1/4 c. bread flour
1/2 c. (1 stick) butter, at room temp., cut into pieces
2 Tbsp. currants or raisins
3 Tbsp. melted butter
1 egg beaten with 1 Tbsp. water
In a food processor, using metal blade, blend pastry flour with almonds into a coarse flour. In a small bowl, place yeast, sugar, and water, and let stand 10 minutes. In a separate small bowl, place the warm milk and saffron, and let steep 10 minutes.
In a stand mixer with paddle, combine sugar, saffron milk, almond flour, eggs, cardamom, almond extract, salt, and 1 c. flour. Beat hard for 1 min. Add yeast mixture and 1 c. flour. Beat for 1 min. Add butter pieces and beat until incorporated. Add rest of flour, 1/2 c. at a time, until mixture forms a soft dough that just cleans the side of the bowl. Knead by hand for a couple of minutes until smooth and elastic; do not overload with flour. Lightly grease a bowl and place dough in it, turning to grease top. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until double, about 1-1/2 hours.
Divide dough into 24 equal pieces and roll each into a 12" rope. Form into buns in one of 2 ways:
1) Cut each rope in half and overlap to make an X. Coil to curl each end in the same direction. Press a currant in the center of each tight curl.
2) Coil ends of rope in opposite directions to make a backwards-S shape. Press a currant in the center of each curl.
Place buns 2" apart on parchment-lined sheet and brush with melted butter. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise until puffy and almost double, about 30 minutes. Heat oven to 350 degrees in the meantime. Brush each bun with egg wash, pushing in currants if necessary, and bake until golden brown, 18-20 minutes.
Notes:
This is the traditional bun eaten on St. Lucia's Day (December 13) in Sweden. My SO makes them for our annual holiday party.
From: jenburkholder; not sure where she found the recipe
Makes: 2 dozen
1/2 c. whole wheat pastry flour
1/3 c. slivered almonds
1-1/2 Tbsp. yeast
pinch sugar
1/2 c. water, 105-115 degrees
3/4 c. milk, 105-115 degrees
1/8 tsp. saffron, crumbled fine
1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. ground cardamom
1 tsp. almond extract
2 tsp. salt
4-3/4 to 5-1/4 c. bread flour
1/2 c. (1 stick) butter, at room temp., cut into pieces
2 Tbsp. currants or raisins
3 Tbsp. melted butter
1 egg beaten with 1 Tbsp. water
In a food processor, using metal blade, blend pastry flour with almonds into a coarse flour. In a small bowl, place yeast, sugar, and water, and let stand 10 minutes. In a separate small bowl, place the warm milk and saffron, and let steep 10 minutes.
In a stand mixer with paddle, combine sugar, saffron milk, almond flour, eggs, cardamom, almond extract, salt, and 1 c. flour. Beat hard for 1 min. Add yeast mixture and 1 c. flour. Beat for 1 min. Add butter pieces and beat until incorporated. Add rest of flour, 1/2 c. at a time, until mixture forms a soft dough that just cleans the side of the bowl. Knead by hand for a couple of minutes until smooth and elastic; do not overload with flour. Lightly grease a bowl and place dough in it, turning to grease top. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until double, about 1-1/2 hours.
Divide dough into 24 equal pieces and roll each into a 12" rope. Form into buns in one of 2 ways:
1) Cut each rope in half and overlap to make an X. Coil to curl each end in the same direction. Press a currant in the center of each tight curl.
2) Coil ends of rope in opposite directions to make a backwards-S shape. Press a currant in the center of each curl.
Place buns 2" apart on parchment-lined sheet and brush with melted butter. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise until puffy and almost double, about 30 minutes. Heat oven to 350 degrees in the meantime. Brush each bun with egg wash, pushing in currants if necessary, and bake until golden brown, 18-20 minutes.
Notes:
This is the traditional bun eaten on St. Lucia's Day (December 13) in Sweden. My SO makes them for our annual holiday party.