Traditional Saffron Buns
These traditional Swedish saffron buns go by many names; lussekatt, lussebulle, saffranskruse, dyvelkatter, etc. and are named after their cat tail-like shape. They are usually eaten around Christmas time and are particularly tied to December 13th, Saint Lucy’s Day. Normally, the buns are shaped like an “S” with the ends curled up and a raisin is placed in the middle of the two curls.
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INGREDIENTS
- 125ml whole milk
- 50g unsalted butter
- 7g fast action yeast
- 0.5g saffron
- 60g quark
- 90g caster sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 250g self-raising flour
- 1 egg, lightly whisked
- 24 raisins
METHOD
In a pan, gently warm the milk and melt in the butter.
Add the yeast to the lukewarm milk and butter and stir to dissolve the yeast. Grind the saffron in a pestle and mortar and add the saffron to the liquid to dissolve. Once dissolved, add the quark, sugar and salt, and mix well.
Add the flour and knead the dough until it no longer sticks to the bowl or table depending on whether you are kneading by hand or machine. Knead for about 10 minutes to create a smooth, soft dough (make sure not to add too much flour as this will make the buns dry).
Let the dough prove in a bowl, covered with a damp cloth, for about 45 minutes.
Turn out the dough onto a floured table, work briefly before dividing it into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into 30cm long sausages and form “S” shaped buns by rolling one end to the middle then repeating in the opposite direction with the other half of the sausage.
Place them on the lined baking sheet and let the dough prove for another 45 minutes. Heat the oven to 225°C/200°C Fan/ Gas Mark 7.
Carefully brush the buns with lightly whisked egg and place a raisin in the centre of each curl. Bake in the middle of the oven for 7-10 minutes until golden.
