Swedish Saffron Buns (Lussekatter – St Lucia Buns)
Golden, aromatic, soft yeasted buns traditionally shared on 13 December, linking the Feast of Light with old solstice customs.
Ingredients
- 250ml whole milk
- 100g butter
- 1g saffron threads
- 75g caster sugar
- 25g fresh yeast or 7g dried yeast
- 500–550g strong white flour
- Pinch of salt
- 1 egg (for brushing)
- Raisins for decoration
Method
- Warm the milk until just steaming. Crush saffron and stir it in. Let stand 10 minutes.
- Melt butter into the milk and cool to lukewarm.
- Mix in yeast and sugar.
- Add flour and salt, knead to a soft dough.
- Rise for 45–60 minutes.
- Divide into 12–16 pieces and roll each into a long rope.
- Shape into the classic S-shape, tucking a raisin into each curl.
- Prove again for 30 minutes.
- Brush with beaten egg and bake at 200°C for 8–10 minutes, until glowing gold