Swedish Santa Lucia Saffron Buns
These traditional Swedish Christmas buns have a wonderful warm saffron flavor. They are easy to make and fun to shape. The kids can help. This spelt version is slightly more wholesome than one with wheat flour, but still very moist, indulgent and rich. The Swedes customarily eat these for St. Lucia’s Day (December 13) and on Christmas day. But according to David and Elisa at the highly creative vegetarian food blog, Green Kitchen Stories, they like to eat these buns almost any day during December. You can find loads of yummy vegetarian recipes on their site.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp yeast dry active yeast (or 25 g fresh active yeast)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 g saffron threads
- 60 g salted butter organic butter, if available
- 1 cup whole milk see notes for vegan variations
- 5 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp salted butter better yet, almond butter for added taste and for vegans
- 5 tbsp yogurt turkish yogurt or quark cheese
- 4 cups all-purpose flour preferred: spelt flour or any non GMO
- 30 raisins
- 1 egg yolk beaten (for brushing); see notes for vegan variations
Instructions
- Stir dry yeast, salt and saffron in a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- Melt butter in a medium size sauce pan, then add milk, maple syrup and almond butter and heat until 100F (40°C). Whisk vigorously to dissolve the almond butter. Pour the mixture into the mixing bowl with yeast. Add yogurt and stir around until dissolved. Add 2/3 of the spelt flour. Stir around with a wooden spoon until it is thick enough to knead with your hands.
- Add more flour until the dough is easy to work with and has formed into a round ball that doesn’t stick to your hands. Cover the bowl with a kitchen cloth and leave to rise in a warm place for about an hour, or until double in size and full of air pockets.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for a minute, form it into the shape of a baguette. Divide it into 15 equal pieces and, using your hands, roll each piece into a long 1/2-inch ( about 1 cm) thick string. Then roll both ends tight in opposite directions into an S-shaped bun.
- Place the buns, well spaced apart, on 2 baking sheets. Cover with a cloth and set aside in a warm spot to rise for about 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Brush the buns with an egg yolk or water and then place one raisin in each circle. Bake the buns until golden brown on top, about 7-9 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to let cool slightly.
- YOU CAN STORE THEM: Store buns in an airtight container for up to a week, but of course they taste best fresh from the oven.
Notes
1. This recipe makes around 15 buns (can easily be doubled).
2. For a slightly healthier version substitute 450 grams of spelt flour.
3. For a vegan version substitute coconut oil for the butter, soy yogurt (no GMO) for the dairy yogurt, almond butter instead of dairy butter, and omit the egg wash.
Recetas similares
Low carb Recipes
[video_lightbox_youtube video_id=”_nQCagxmLns” width=1080 height=700 anchor=”https://coctione.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/VPH-Recipeasies-Eggs-Benedict-720×285-1.jpg”]
[video_lightbox_youtube video_id=”KHCDJNfVD0I” width=1080 height=700 anchor=”https://coctione.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/VPH-Recipeasies-Fish-Mussel-Chowder-720×225-1.jpg”]