Lussekatter - Swedish Saffron Buns (St Lucia Buns)
Lussekatter (Swedish saffron buns) the way we actually make them in Sweden. No quark needed, stays soft for days, with fresh or dry yeast options.
Servings 40
Calories 153kcal
Equipment
- Measuring cups (metric or US)*
- High-powered electric whisk (optional)
Ingredients
- 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.
Video
Notes
Cooking time will vary with your oven.
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.
You can 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.
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
Calories: 153kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 73mg | Potassium: 59mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 151IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg