Recipe Swedish Saffron Buns Lussekatt Or Lussebulle

LUSSEKATTER

Steps:

• Start by grounding saffron and sugar with a mortar and pestle, or a bowl and a spoon. Then mix with the rum and set aside for at least 30 minutes.
• Crumble the yeast into a large bowl. Add milk, mix, then add in room temperature butter in pieces and mix again, trying to mash up the butter pieces a bit as you go.
• Mix in sugar and the saffron mixed with sugar and rum. Add a little water to the bowl or glass that held the saffron mix, swoosh it around, and pour in to make sure you get as much of the saffron flavor as possible. Then mix.
• Start adding the flour. Add a bit at a time until it is all mixed in. When it's getting hard using a spoon to mix, start using your hands instead.
• When all the flour is added, start kneading the dough. Knead for at least 10 minutes, or longer if you can. When done it should come away easily from the sides of the bowl. Do not add more flour! If it's too sticky, you just haven't kneaded enough. Once done, cover with a kitchen towel and set aside to rise for 60 minutes.
• After 60 minutes, check to see if the dough has risen sufficiently. It should be about double in size. If not, let it rest a bit longer.
• When the dough has risen, place a piece of parchment paper on top of an oven tray. Spread a little flour on a clean surface and take a small piece of dough - enough for one Lussekatt. Roll it out into a 20 cm/7-8'' long snake shape and roll the edges in to create the classic Lussekatt shape (see pictures and detailed instructions in post). Then place on the parchment paper, taking care to space them out so that they have room to rise about 50% more. Continue until you've created all the Lussekatts.
• Drain the raisins and place two in each Lussekatt, one at the middle of each spiral. Then cover with a kitchen towel and set aside for 30 minutes.
• Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
• When the Lussekatter have risen by 50%, mix together your egg and remove the kitchen towel. Brush the Lussekatter with the egg.
• Bake in the middle of the oven for 8 minutes, until golden, then remove and place on a cooling rack or kitchen towel to cool. Cover with a kitchen towel. Repeat until you've baked all your Lussekatter.

SWEDISH SAFFRON BUNS (LUSSEBULLAR) RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine the milk, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and the saffron threads. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Once the milk is steaming, remove from the heat and let cool to 110˚F (43˚C).
• Sprinkle the yeast over the milk and let bubble, about 5 minutes.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, remaining sugar, salt, and cardamom.
• Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the milk, 2 eggs, sour cream, and butter. Stir to combine, then, once the dough starts to come together, use your hands to incorporate fully.
• Turn the dough out onto a clean surface and knead until the dough is springy, about 5 minutes.
• Place the dough in a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
• Punch down the dough and flip onto a clean surface.
• Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Form each piece into a ball about 2 inches (5 cm) wide, then roll into a cylinder about 12-14 inches (30 cm) long
• Swirl the dough into a S shape starting at one end until the middle and then the other end.
• Transfer the dough to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise for 30 minutes, until doubled in size.
• Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
• Beat the remaining egg and brush over the dough swirls. Place a single raisin or chocolate chip in the center of the swirls on each end.
• Bake the buns for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.
• Enjoy!

RECIPE: SWEDISH SAFFRON BUNS (LUSSEKATT OR LUSSEBULLE)

Steps:

• Let the raisins soak in rum or some other liquid (at least 30 min)
• Melt the butter, pour in the milk and heat up to body temperature (37°C or 100°F)
• Grind the saffron with the teaspoon of sugar in a mortar and add to the milk
• Crumble the yeast into a separate bowl, add the pinch of salt, the sugar and the lukewarm water then stir it together
• Pour in the milk and add the egg while stirring it together
• Place all the above used ingredients in a stand mixer
• Add the flour gradually while stand mixer is stirring on low speed. You might need to add more flour to make it possible to work with the dough without it sticking to all of your fingers.
• Then add most of the raisins to the mixture but leave a few for decoration (32 raisins if you make 16 buns)
• Work the dough with the stand mixer (or by yourself if you don't have one)
• Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for 1 hour or a little more (up to 1½ hours)
• Heat up the oven to 260°C (500°F)
• Cover a baking tray with parchment paper
• Flour a working area and then knead the dough gently a few times
• Split the dough in 16 pieces and roll them to long thin strips that you then curl in an S-shape, but make a few extra circles to make them look better than in my picture ;)
• Place them on the baking tray with around 1 cm space between (we want them to grow together a little to keep them juicy)
• Place one raisin in each end of the bun and press it in so it does not stick out, but is still visible
• Place a kitchen towel over the tray and wait for 10 min before brushing them with a whisked egg
• Put the tray in the oven for roughly 4-6 min (watch them carefully since the size of the buns and your oven might change the required baking time. They should receive a light brown colour)
• As soon as you take them out, cover with a kitchen towel and let them cool down