Lussekatter (Swedish saffron buns) are the one thing every Swede bakes for Christmas, and this is the recipe I've made every December growing up in Sweden. Just 30 minutes of hands-on work gets you the softest, fluffiest saffron buns, with no quark, no nuts, and no melted butter.
The One Thing Every Swede Bakes Once a Year
If you ask any Swedish person what they bake for Christmas, the first (and often only) thing almost everyone will answer is Lussekatter.
While important for Christmas, they are vital for St Lucia Day (December 13th) (yep, the same day we dress up in white night gowns and put candles on our head), and there really is no Lucia Day without Lussekatter.
I love them so much I make it a point to have at least one every single day all through December. So, of course, I had to create my own, tested-to-perfection, version.
These are the juiciest, fluffiest Lussekatter I've ever made, or had - and I've tried a lot of different kinds!
The recipe is 100% authentic and traditional - made just the way we make them in Sweden. This means there is no egg in the dough, no pearl sugar on top, no cardamom, no turmeric for color or other non-traditional ingredients. And no other extra ingredients that you might see in other Swedish versions - like quark or ground nuts.
And still, they are the juiciest version ever, AND they stay fresh for DAYS at room temp.
"We have not yet had such fluffy, lovely Lucia buns before. They were the best ones to date!" - Milica
What are Lussebullar or Lussekatter?
Lussekatter - also known as Lussekatts, St Lucia buns, Swedish saffron buns, or saffron bread - is a sweet "bread" made from common ingredients: yeast, flour, sugar, milk and butter. But with the twist that they're seasoned with saffron.
Saffron (or sometimes turmeric if you buy the cheap ones in the store...) is what gives them that beautiful yellow color, and an amazing taste that's rivaled by no other kind of bun.
The shape you see here is the classic one - the name Lussekatter means "Lucia Cats" which come from the way this shape supposedly looks like a cat's tail. But if they're homemade, they can come in many different shapes and sizes.
Just Classic Lussekatter Ingredients (Almost)
What Yeast to Use
I prefer to make this with fresh yeast. If you have the choice between regular and one for sweet doughs, use the one for sweet doughs. But both work.
You can also make this with instant dry yeast. You will need to adjust the quantity and process slightly. See instructions below.
Saffron Powder vs Saffron Threads
Both saffron powder and threads can be used. 1 tablespoon of loosely packed saffron threads is equal to about 0.04 oz (1 g) of saffron powder.
If you are using saffron threads, you need to grind them first. Use a mortar and pestle or a spoon and a bowl. However, I do recommend doing this (and adding a bit of sugar while doing it) even if you use ground saffron, as I find it releases a little bit extra flavor.
If you don't like saffron, can't find it, or it's just one of those years when it's way too expensive - you can use ground turmeric to get that yellow color instead. Or use part saffron, part turmeric. This is what all the cheap bakeries do in Sweden!
Why the Alcohol and Do I Really Need It?
The alcohol is used to extract maximum flavor from the saffron. Since saffron is SO expensive we want to make the most of it! Soaking it in alcohol helps with this. If you don't have any suitable alcohol (I've tried rum, cachaca, brännvin and vodka) you can also use water. It doesn't work quite as well, but still gives it a bit of an extra boost.
How to Make This With Instant Dry Yeast
If you're making this with instant dry yeast, first you need to adjust the amount. 1.75 oz (50 g) fresh yeast corresponds to about 0.5 oz (14 g) instant dry yeast.
You also need to adjust the process slightly:
- First, mix the instant dry yeast with the flour, and let it sit for 10 minutes
- Then, follow the recipe as written, mixing the milk with the butter, sugar and saffron, and then adding the flour and yeast mixture
Keep in mind that the dough can take a little bit longer to rise than when using fresh yeast.
But Wait, Don't I Need Quark or Ground Almonds to Make Juicy Lussekatter?
No, you don't! While the ground almonds is an old trick (that doesn't really make a difference), rumor has it that the quark myth started because the company wanted to sell more of this product...
In reality, the two most important things for really soft and juicy saffron buns are using room temperature butter and kneading the dough for at least ten minutes.
How to Make Authentic Lussekatter
30 minutes before baking, you want to start prepping the saffron. Do this by grinding it together with the sugar, using a mortar and pestle or a regular bowl and spoon. Then mix with the rum and set aside for now.
1. Yeast, Milk, Butter & Sugar
Start by crumbling the yeast into a large bowl, then add milk and mix until the yeast has dissolved. Add butter in pieces and mix while trying to smash the butter up a bit. It doesn't need to dissolve (and it won't), this will be fixed after adding the flour. Follow with sugar.
2. Add Saffron
Then pour in the saffron mixed with sugar and rum. To make sure you get all the saffron, pour once, then add a bit of water to the glass and swoosh it around, then pour this in as well.
3. Add Flour
Now start adding flour. Add a little at a time and mix well before adding more. Either use a wooden spoon or an electric whisk with dough hooks. When it gets too hard to mix with the spoon, start using your hands. If you have a high-powered electric whisk it can usually handle all the mixing as well as the kneading.
Do not be tempted to add more flour, even if you find the dough quite sticky! This will be handled by the long kneading. Adding more flour will just make them dry.
4. Knead A Lot
When all the flour has been added, knead the dough for at least 10 minutes. Yes, this is a long time - and yes, it is necessary. At least if you want the very best texture. When done, it should release easily from the sides of the bowl. The picture shows how it should look when you are done kneading.
5. Cover and Rest
Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and let it rise for 60 minutes. After 60 minutes, check if it has risen enough - it should have about doubled in size (as seen in the image below). If it is not quite there yet, give it 10 more minutes and check again.
6. Make Lussekatter
Now it's time to make Lussekatter! Divide the dough into 40 pieces that are equal in size, then roll each piece out into a 7'' (20 cm) long rope shape. Grab each side of the rope and roll in opposite directions to form the "lussekatt" shape. Place on a lined baking sheet and move on to the next piece!
7. Rest + Prep to Bake
When one baking sheet is full, cover it with a kitchen towel and allow to rest for 30 minutes until they have risen about 50% more. Meanwhile, soak the raisins in water and preheat the oven.
After resting, press two raisins into each lussekatt, just at the middle of the "swirls". Then brush with egg wash.
8. Bake!
Bake in the middle of the oven for 8 minutes, until they are golden and baked through. You might need a minute more or less depending on your oven. If it's your first time baking them, you can bake the different batches for slightly different times (30-60 seconds more or less) and then make a note of what time was just perfect for you.
Transfer the lussekatter to a cooling rack to cool down, and cover with a kitchen towel. Repeat until they are all done!
Don't I Need to Heat My Butter and Milk to Activate the Yeast?
No! The yeast will work fine with room temperature butter and milk. It might take a little longer to rise, but the slower rise will actually make both the consistency and taste so much better - and you also don't run the risk of heating your milk & butter too much and "killing" the yeast.
Top Tips for the Best Lussekatter Ever
Make the most of your saffron. It's expensive! Extract as much saffron flavor as possible by allowing it to steep in alcohol before adding it to the dough. This way you can use less saffron, but still get massive flavor.
Use fresh yeast, if you can. Dry will work, but fresh rises quicker and better.
Use room temperature butter and milk. This is important to get the best consistency. A lot of recipes will melt the butter and heat the milk, but this is not necessary. Melting the butter will actually make them dryer, as melted butter absorbs a lot more flour.
Weigh your flour, if you can. The density of a cup of flour can vary greatly. If you don't have a scale, follow the cup measurements instead but be mindful of how the dough feels. When done it should still be a bit sticky, but easily release from the sides of the bowl. It's better to add a bit too little flour than a bit too much.
Don't add too much flour! This will make your buns dry. Instead, knead the dough well, and it will not be as sticky.
Knead the dough for at LEAST 10 minutes. This together with the room temperature butter makes all the difference for the softest buns.
Soak your raisins in water first. When they are already plump they will not steal as much moisture from the dough.
Let the dough rise overnight! One reader tested doing the first rise of the dough in the fridge overnight, and had great success with it. If you want to bake in the morning, this is a great way to go. A slow overnight rise also adds so much great flavor.
How to Store & Reheat Them
Bag them when still slightly warm. Let them cool down almost fully on the rack and then immediately pack them in bags and stick in the freezer. This ensures you lock as much moisture as possible inside.
Storing: Store in plastic bags at room temperature for up to 4 days. They will generally go dry before they go bad.
Freezing: Freeze in plastic bags to store them for longer - they are great for up to 3 months, OK for longer. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Reheating: If you want your Lussekatter warm, the best way is to reheat them for just 10-15 seconds in the microwave, or a few minutes in the oven. Be very careful, as they dry out quickly!
How to Serve Them
Lussekatter are often served as other "fikabröd" in Sweden - with a cup of coffee.
However, since they are served mainly in December, you will often find them served with a cup of glögg (hot spiced wine) or a glass of Julmust (a very sweet, very delicious, Swedish Christmas soda).
I for one think Lussekatter goes wonderfully with a spicy Christmas Sangria as well...
More Easy Baking Recipes for the Holidays
- Cranberry Cupcakes With White Chocolate Frosting6 Hours
- Butterball Cookies (Snowball Cookies / Russian Tea Cakes)1 Hours 40 Minutes
- Cranberry White Chocolate Muffins40 Minutes
- Candy Cane Cupcakes4 Hours 40 Minutes
More Easy Swedish Recipes to Try
- Strawberry Cream Cake (Jordgubbstårta)2 Hours 55 Minutes
- Meatballs without Breadcrumbs & Eggs1 Hours
- Air Fryer Hasselback Potatoes30 Minutes
- Baked Fruit with Passion Fruit & White Chocolate (Gino)20 Minutes
Recipe
Lussekatter - Swedish Saffron Buns (St Lucia Buns)
Print RateIngredients
- 1 tablespoon saffron threads loosely packed, see notes for using ground saffron instead
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoon rum or other alcohol/water
- 1.75 oz fresh yeast room temperature, see notes for using dry yeast instead
- 2.1 cups milk room temperature
- ⅘ cups salted butter room temperature, softened, cut in pieces; see note for unsalted butter
- ¾ cups sugar
- 7 cups flour or slightly more or less + more for baking out
- 80 raisins soaked in water
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Start by grinding 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.1 Tbsp saffron threads, 1 tsp sugar, 2 Tbsp rum
- Crumble the yeast into a large bowl. Add milk, mix, then add in room temperature butter in pieces, mix again, trying to mash up the butter pieces a bit as you go.1.75 oz fresh yeast, 2.1 cups milk, ⅘ cups salted butter
- Add the 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.¾ cups sugar
- Start adding the flour. Add a bit at a time until it is all mixed in. You can mix using a wooden spoon or a high-powered electric whisk with dough hooks. When it's getting hard using a spoon to mix, start using your hands instead.7 cups flour
- 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.80 raisins
- 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.1 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.
Equipment (may contain affiliate links)
- Measuring cups (metric or US)*
- High-powered electric whisk (optional)
Video
Notes
Ingredient notes & substitutions
- Milk, yeast and butter should all be at room temperature
- Use fresh yeast if you can. If you have the choice between regular and one for sweet doughs, use the one for sweet doughs.
- Instant dry yeast can be used instead of fresh yeast. For 40 lussekatter, use 0.5 oz (14 g) of instant dry yeast. See method below.
- Saffron powder can be used instead of saffron threads. 1 tablespoon of loosely packed saffron threads is equal to about 0.04 oz (1 g) of saffron powder.
- Rum is just used to extract maximum taste from the saffron - you can use vodka, cachaca or brännvin instead, or just water
- Salted butter can be switched for unsalted and a ½ teaspoon of salt
How to Make This Recipe With Dry Yeast
- Mix the instant dry yeast with the flour and let it sit for 10 minutes
- Follow the recipe as written, mixing the milk with the butter, sugar and saffron, and then adding the flour and yeast mixture
How to Store & Reheat Them
Bag them when still slightly warm. Let them cool down almost fully on the rack and then immediately pack them in bags and stick in the freezer. This ensures you lock as much moisture as possible inside. Storing: Store in plastic bags at room temperature for up to 4 days. They will generally go dry before they go bad. Freezing: Freeze in plastic bags to store them for longer - they are great for up to 3 months, OK for longer. Thaw at room temperature before serving. Reheating: If you want your Lussekatter warm, the best way is to reheat them for just 10-15 seconds in the microwave, or a few minutes in the oven. Be very careful, as they dry out quickly!Nutrition
Nutritional information is approximate and automatically calculated, and should only be viewed as an indication.
Felicia
Thank you so much for your wonderful and easy to follow recipe. God Bless!
Milica
Hi,
I am wondering if the dough can be made the night before and kept in the fridge overnight then warmed up on the counter and the buns made and baked in the morning.
Emmeline Kemperyd
Hi Milica! I haven't tried this myself, but it usually works for other doughs I've tried it with, so it might be worth to try. I can't guarantee the outcome, though! /Emmeline
Milica
Thanks for your reply Emmeline!
I went ahead and did this the night before St Lucia this year. I haven’t tried this before. The dough deflated quite a bit in the fridge overnight. In the morning, I put the covered bowl on our heated floor. The dough rose again beautifully. And I have to say, we have not yet had such fluffy, lovely Lucia buns before. They were the best ones to date! I will definitely keep using this recipe in the years to come and prepare the dough the night before. Also, the dough was so well behaved 🙂 and easy to work with, for adults and children alike. It’s been a pleasure every step of the way.
Thanks so much for sharing your recipe! and Happy Holidays!!
Emmeline Kemperyd
I'm so happy to hear that! Thank you for coming back and sharing! It's great to know that option works well, and I think I'll try it for myself next time because I always find it so daunting doing it all in one day. Happy holidays!
Eleanora I
Thank you for sharing this recipe, we have a Santa Lucia party every year, this year on Saturday Dec.14, 2024
Sophia
Hi Emmeline,
Is full fat milk milk best for this recipe?
Also is the oven temperature for a fan assisted oven?
Thanks,
Emmeline Kemperyd
Hi Sophia,
I usually use milk with 1.5% fat, but really any kind works. Just use what you have! I've made it with everything from 0.1% milk to full fat.
Oven temperature is for a regular oven. For a fan assisted oven I think you can drop the temperature to about 360 F or 180 C, but I haven't tested it myself.
/Emmeline
Sophia
Thanks Emmeline.
Also which type of flour do you use?
Thanks.
Emmeline Kemperyd
Oh I just use regular all-purpose flour. Keeping it simple 😉
Sophia
Great, thanks for the quick replies, will attempt to make over the weekend:-)
Maria Giovanna
Hi Emmeline I just discovered your fantastic Lussekatter recipe. It look so easy but I wonder if I could use the Kenwood Mixer (has 800 Watts) because I have hard time kneading the dough the way it should be done.
If it's possible: at what speed and for how long?? I really want to make this recipe. Hope you'll have the time to answer me, meanwhile I thank you in advance and wish you a good life
Maria G.
Emmeline Kemperyd
Hi Maria,
Super excited for you to try the Lussekatter recipe! I always knead the dough in a machine, so I think that sounds like a great idea, as long as you have a dough hook attachment. I'm not 100% sure about the speed for your specific brand though. I use a Bosch that I think has 1000 W, and if usually just adjust the speed so that it looks like it gets the work done. I think I usually end up on one of the higher speeds. So I say try, and see what speed you end up with! The important thing is that it really works the dough, not exactly at what speed.
Hope it turns out well for you, and please come back and let me know how you liked it!
Emmeline
Julie D Blankenship
Trying this recipe for a friend... need some help...
2.1 cups of milk... how much is that?
.75 cups of sugar?
.8 cups of butter?
Thanks!
Emmeline Kemperyd
Hi Julie! I updated the recipe a bit now.
.75 cups = 3/4 cups
.8 cups = 4/5 cups
2.1 cups is 1 cup + 2 tablespoon (sorry, my recipe card will not let me input it this way)
(If what you were looking for was a translation to the Metric system, you can just click the label that says "Metric" just below the ingredient list)
Hope that helps - please let me know otherwise and I will try to help you further!
Emmeline
Jen Paulson
Thank you for the great detailed recipe! While giving away a box of baking related items to my community recently, I asked people to share treats they liked to bake and/or eat this time of year. The man I gave the box to said he baked Lussekatter every December. My husband has Sweedish ancestory so I thought it would be fun to give it a try. This must be a year that saffron is expense! I got about half a tablespoon for $30 USD! A quick Google search and I discovered Saffron Crocus grow in my area. Merry Christmas to me, I'll be ordering some bulbs shortly bawahahah.
I used 50g of fresh sourdough starter and I think they came out great. I have most of them cooling covered on the rack right now with the last batch in the oven. I found I had to bake them 16 minutes until the bottoms were browned - my tops didn't get toasty but maybe my googly eye didn't put the rack in the center slot. I got 41 from my batch. Next year I'll soak the raisins in spiced rum (or egg nog hmmm)!
Emmeline Kemperyd
Thank you for the comment & review Jen! So happy to hear they turned out well for you! And soaking the raisins in rum or egg nog sounds like an amazing idea - might borrow that 😉
Interesting with the baking time. Mine are always done after 8, or a maximum of 9 minutes, and while it depends on the oven 16 minutes does sound long. Mine don't get browned on the bottom though - they're a little bit browned on the top, but not a lot.
David
Hi Emmeline,
Great recipe, thanks.
Just a lil request. Could you give quantities in gr for European readers. (0.8 cups of butter ???) Tack!
david
Oooopsss! Just saw the possibility to have it in metric system. My bad.
Paula
Where did you find the possibility to have it in metric system please?
I have the same question.
Emmeline Kemperyd
Hi Paula! Below the list of ingredients there's a link that says "Metric" - if you click this you will get all the measurements in metric instead. I included them for you below as well if that's not working.
▢½ Tbsp saffron
▢1 tsp sugar
▢2 Tbsp rum or other alcohol/water
▢50 g fresh yeast room temperature
▢500 ml milk room temperature
▢200 g salted butter room temperature, cut in pieces
▢150 g sugar
▢1000 g flour or slightly more or less + more for baking out
▢80 raisins soaked in water
▢1 egg
Paula
Thank you 🙏
Danielle
This recipe looks lovely! Unfortunately I couldn’t follow it because I couldn’t find fresh yeast anywhere in my city. Your recipe says I can use dry but doesn’t give the measurements. $20 on saffron I am afraid to take the chance. Would love to see an updated recipe that includes this substitute. 🙂
Emmeline Kemperyd
Hi Danielle! I am so sorry about that. I can understand your hesitation - saffron is expensive!! Thanks for your suggestion, I agree - it should be included. I added a note about it now - maybe it's too late for you this year, but hopefully it can help someone else (or maybe you want to try this recipe another time). Have a great holiday season! Emmeline
Emmeline Kemperyd
Good you found it, David! Hope you enjoy 🙂
Monika
What is the best way to reheat these after they are frozen?
Emmeline Kemperyd
Hi Monika! The best way for me is to let them thaw in room temperature, it only takes a few hours. If you're in a hurry I'd recommend either the oven on low heat or microwave on low effect. Just keep in mind they will reheat quickly, so a few minutes in the oven or 15-20 seconds in the microwave will often do!
Beth
I've never heard of this Swedish holiday but it sounds delicious! I love learning new recipes and where they come from so thank you for sharing this one!
Emmeline Kemperyd
Such an interesting holiday - especially since from the outside it probably looks veeery weird but for us it's just standard, haha!
Heather
Hi!
The recipe lists the amount of flour in cups but then recommends weighing it out with a scale (and which I prefer to do). But the amount in grams is not given. Could you list the recommended amount if flour in grams as well as cups?
Thanks! Heather
Heather
Nevermind, I saw the metric conversion feature! My apologies!
kim
This was fabulous and so fun and festive for the holidays! I will definitely make again!
Emmeline Kemperyd
Thank you Kim! Happy to hear you liked it!
Heidy L. McCallum
I love this recipe and I love how you have made it so easy to follow by adding images and specific instructions!
Emmeline Kemperyd
Thank you Heidy!
Pam
I wasn't familiar with these tasty buns, but I love learning about food traditions from different parts of the world!
Emmeline Kemperyd
Same here, so I thought it was about time I shared some of my country's traditions 🙂
Laura Lynch
I've never had these before but was looking for something fun and new to make as a Christmas treat. I love the bright yellow color of the dough and, as you said, butter makes everything amazing.
Emmeline Kemperyd
Thank you for the comment Laura - hope you try them!