Lussekatter Recipe

Saffron bun recipe for the Santa Lucia festival. Serve with coffee and tea.

Another Lussekatter Recipe

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One can never have too many recipes, don’t you agree?  And when the recipe is for Lussekatter, the more the merrier!

Fiona from the club has a recipe she’s sharing through her blog Mitt Svenska Äventyr.

I thought I’d copy and paste it here – nice and easy to read and use.

Thanks Fiona for sharing your wonderful recipe. And for all the bakers out there, Bon Appetit!

Saint Lucia Buns (Lussekatter):

Ingredients: 2/3 cup milk, 2 tsp toasted saffron threads (about 1g), 2-2.5 tbsp yeast (or 50g fresh), 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup warm water (105 to 115 F), 1 stick butter + a little extra melted, 2 eggs, 1 tsp salt, 5-6 cups flour, vegetable oil, raisins. Optional: pearl sugar.

Tools: skillet, wooden spoon, small saucepan, small bowl, large bowl, spatula, floured surface, large knife, damp cloth, greased baking pans, pastry brush (or small spoon if you don’t have one)

Place the saffron in a dry, heavy skillet and toast over medium-high heat for several seconds, stirring with a wooden spoon until the threads become slightly darker. Toasting the saffron threads before steeping them in hot milk gives the bread its intense flavour and rich color.

Scald the milk in a small pan by bringing it just to a boil and removing it from the heat; then set it aside, add the saffron threads, and allow to cool to lukewarm.

Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water for about 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the milk mixture, yeast mixture, butter, egg, salt, and flour. Mix until smooth. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead it until smooth. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with damp paper towels or clean damp cloth, and allow to rise until double in bulk, about 1 hour.
(if it isn’t rising: 1.your yeast may not be fresh, 2. your water was too hot and your yeast is dead, 3. your water wasn’t warm enough and your yeast isn’t active, 4. the area isn’t warm enough… 1-3 are not fixable… start again.)

Punch the dough down and divide it into about 24-36 parts… put the buns on greased baking sheets spaced enough to allow them to rise more. Brush the tops with melted butter and allow them to rise until doubled.

Brush the egg mixed with 1 tbsp water lightly over the buns. Sprinkle the buns with the sugar (if desired) and bake them in a preheated 350 F oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on wire racks.