Lussekatter
Lussekatter are delicious Scandinavian saffron buns, traditionally made to celebrate St. Lucia every December. These buns are really easy to make, and taste absolutely amazing.
Servings: 20 lussekatter
Calories: 232kcal
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
- Sheet Pan
Ingredients
- 5 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 12 g instant yeast
- 2 cups whole milk
- ⅔ cup butter
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 g saffron
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cardamom
Decoration
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon raisins
Instructions
- Melt the butter on the stove, and add milk. Add saffron, and set it to the side. Make sure that the mixture is slightly warmer than body temperature.
- Combine all-purpose flour, sugar, salt, cardamom, and instant yeast in a bowl. Add the milk mixture. Knead the dough by hand, or use a stand mixer if you have one, for 5-15 minutes, or until the dough forms a ball. You can add more flour if the dough feels too wet.
- Cover the mixing bowl with a clean kitchen towel or plastic foil, and leave the dough to rise until it's doubled in size, about 30-40 minutes.
- Sprinkle flour on a work top or table, and knead the dough thoroughly by hand to remove any air bubbles. It should not be very sticky.
- Separate the dough into about 20 equally sized balls. Roll them individually into long strips, about as thick as a finger. Then roll the strips into any shape you like to form lussekatter. Use your imagination to create different shapes!
- Place the lussekatter on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Leave a little space between each, as they will rise when they bake.
- Preheat the oven to 480 F / 250 C. Meanwhile, leave the lussekatter to rest for a further 15 minutes covered by a clean kitchen towel.
- Whisk the egg in a small bowl, and use a pastry brush to brush a thin layer of egg over each bun. Decorate with raisins.
- Bake in the oven on the middle shelf for 5-7 minutes, or until they are golden on top. Remove from the oven, and leave them to cool down on a cooling rack.
Video
Notes
- Store lussekatter at room temperature for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 6 months. You can defrost frozen buns by leaving them at room temperature for a few hours.
- Shape your lussekatter however you like. Make little braids, knots or rolls.
Nutrition
Calories: 232kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 127mg | Potassium: 91mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 240IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 2mg