Saint Lucia Buns Lussekatter Saffron Buns Recipes

LUSSEKATTER (SWEDISH SAFFRON BUNS)

Steps:

• Place the saffron threads in a small bowl and carefully grind them into a fine powder using the back of a spoon (or use a mortar and pestle). Add 2 Tbsp of milk and set the mixture aside for an hour or two, stirring occasionally, to let the saffron dye the milk.
• Place the raisins in a small bowl and cover with warm water. Set them aside to plump.
• Place the warmed milk in a large mixing bowl. Mix in a few Tbsp of the sugar. Sprinkle the yeast over top of the milk and let it stand until the yeast has softened and begins to foam, 5-10 min.
• Mix in the remaining sugar, melted and cooled butter, beaten egg, and prepared saffron milk.
• Add the salt and flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition. Add just enough flour so that the dough comes together to a knead-able consistency.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured countertop and knead for 5-6 minutes, adding more flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking to your hands. Once the dough is smooth and soft, shape it into a ball and place it into a clean, greased bowl. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and let the dough rise in a warm, draft free place for 60-90 min, until doubled.
• Once risen, turn the dough out on the counter and knead it a few times. Divide the dough into 24, roughly even, pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. Then, roll each ball into a 6 inch snake. Finally, roll each snake longer, to about 13-14 inches. (This dough has a tendency to spring back on you, which is why we roll it out in stages. Giving it time to relax will make it easier to get your long snake.)
• For each snake, spiral the ends in opposite directions to form a scrolled "S". Place the scrolled "S" onto a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper.
• Drain your raisins and place them on a paper towel to dry. (Pat them dry if necessary.) Put one raisin in the middle of each spiral.
• Continue with the remaining dough.
• Beat together the egg and water for your egg wash. Brush the mixture on the buns.
• Let the buns rise in a warm, draft free place for 20-30 minutes, or until the buns are puffy and have nearly doubled in size.
• Near the end of this last rising time, preheat your oven to 425F.
• Bake the buns for 8-10 min minutes, until golden.
• Remove the buns from the oven and let them cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes before enjoying the warm rolls!
• (These rolls are best if eaten within 2-3 days.)

ST. LUCIA BUNS

Steps:

• Place the butter and milk in a medium bowl. Using a mortar and pestle, grind the saffron with a pinch of the sugar, and stir into the mixture. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in a little of the lukewarm butter mixture, then add the remaining butter mixture, the remaining sugar and the salt.
• Gradually add enough of the flour (almost all of it) to make a workable dough, kneading for 10 minutes by hand or 5 minutes in a mixer with a dough hook. Shape into a ball, sprinkle with a little flour and cover with a cloth. Allow to rise in a warm spot for 30 to 45 minutes.
• Transfer the dough to a floured work surface, and knead in additional flour if the dough is sticky. Shape as desired into buns, braids or lengths. Place on lined baking sheets, and allow to rise again for 30 to 45 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400.
• Brush the buns with beaten egg, and press raisins lightly into the dough. Bake until golden and risen, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a bun comes out dry. Smaller buns may take 8 to 10 minutes; larger lengths and braids, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool the buns on a rack under a cloth.

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.

SAINT LUCIA BUNS - LUSSEKATTER - SAFFRON BUNS

Steps:

• Melt butter or margarine in a pan and add the milk and the saffron.
• Warm the mixture to 37 oC (100 oF).
• Use a thermometer; the correct temperature is important!
• Pour the mixture over the finely divided yeast; then add the remaining ingredients (except for the egg and the raisins), which should have a temperature of 21-23 oC (72-75 oF).
• Mix into a smooth dough.
• Cover the dough with a piece of cloth and let it rise for 30 minutes.
• Knead the dough, divide it into 25-30 pieces and form each piece into a round bun.
• Let the buns rest for a few minutes, covered by a piece of cloth.
• Form each bun into a string, 15-20 cm long, then arrange the string in a suitable shape, e.g. an S or double S. Regardless of the shape, the ends of the string should meet.
• Press a few raisins into the dough.
• Cover the"Lucia cats" with a piece of cloth and let them rise for 40 minutes.
• Whip the egg together with a few grains of salt, and paint the"Lucia cats" with the mixture.
• Bake them for 5-10 minutes in the oven at 250 oC (475 oF) until golden brownish yellow.

ST LUCIA SAFFRON BUNS

Steps:

• Put the milk in a small pan and gently heat until it's steaming. Use a pestle and mortar to grind the saffron into a powder. Add this to the pan of milk along with the butter. Swirl to melt the butter, then set aside until lukewarm.
• In a large bowl, mix the flour, caster sugar, 1 tsp salt and the yeast together, and make a well in the middle of the bowl. Pour in the milk mixture along with the egg. Mix together to form a sticky dough, then turn out onto the work surface and knead until smooth and elastic (this will take about 10 mins). Put the dough into a lightly oiled bowl and cover with oiled cling film. Set the bowl in a warm part of the house and allow to rise for about 1 hr until doubled in size.
• Knock back the dough and divide into 12 equal portions. Cover the pieces with the oiled cling film while you make the rolls - this will stop the dough from drying out. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time, roll out into a 30cm-long strand. Roll up one end into the middle, turn over and roll the other end into the middle, forming the dough into an S-shape. Place the buns on a large (or 2 smaller) parchment-lined baking tray. Once all the buns are made, lightly cover with oiled cling film and prove until almost doubled in size (if making ahead, keep the dough in the fridge overnight and bake in the morning). While the buns prove, heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
• When ready to bake, brush the buns with beaten egg and press a currant into the centre of each spiral. Put the trays in the oven and bake for around 15 mins. Allow to cool before serving. These are best eaten on the day they are made but will keep for a couple of days.