Saffron buns

Saffron buns, or lussekatter as they are called in Swedish is a soft, sweet wheat bun seasoned with saffron that gives it its beautiful golden color and flavor. Its normally baked in Christmas-time and always for the Luciadagen, the St Lucia Day that is celebrated on December 13th.

To make these I used a kitchen assistant but you can definately skip it and simply knead the dough with your hands, it will just take a bit longer time.

Saffron buns, Lussekatter in Swedish

(approx 32 saffronbuns)

Ingredients:

• 40 gram fresh yeast
• 4 dl whole milk (cold)
• 2 dl cream (cold)
• 1 g saffron
• 180 g sugar
• 2 eggs (1 for the dough and one to brush the buns with)
• 150 gram butter (room temperature)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Approx. 720-900 g flour (preferably manitoba tipo 0)
• Raisin (64 for 32 buns)

Instructions:

1. Crumble the yeast in a kitchen assistant bowl
2. Add the milk (cold), add a little bit first and let the yeast dissolve (you can help with a spatula) and then add the remaining milk and the cream. Mix on low speed. Add the sugar, the saffron (to get the most out of the saffron you can grind it using a mortar together with some of the sugar first, add 1-2 teaspoon hot water and mix, let it cool down until its cold before using it).
3. Add the egg and mix
4. In a separate bowl, mix 1 tsp salt with the flour. Add half of the flour to the batter and mix on slow speed, add the remaining flour. Then add the room-tempered butter, little by little and then turn the speed to medium and set the timer on 10 minutes.
5. Try to make the windowpane test, if it succeeds you can move to the next step. If the dough is still sticky, leave it to rest 2-5 minutes. Then continue to mix on medium speed and make the test again. If still sticky, add 10 gram of flour at a time, until you can make the windowpane test successfully.
6. Make buns (around 60 g each to get 32 buns) out of the dough, roll out each bun into a 35-40 cm long strand and roll each end to the center on the opposite side, forming an S-shaped bun. Put on a tray (cover with cling film) and leave to rise between 1 ½ hour – 2 hours (until they have doubled in size).
7. Leave the raisin in water for approx. 10 minutes before adding two raisins in each bun. Whisk an egg with a tbsp of cold water and some salt. Brush the buns with the egg wash and put them in the oven (225°C) to bake between 7-8 minutes (when they are golden brown, they are ready).
8. Leave to cool on a cooling rack.

If you make these please let me know in the comments :-)