• ½ cup salted butter
  • 1 1/3 cup milk
  • Pinch of saffron threads
  • 3 talebspoon active dry yeast
  • 2/3 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
  • ½ teaspoon Morton kosher salt
  • 1 egg
  • 4 cup King Arthur unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more to knead
  • 1/4 cup of raisins, optional
  • EGGWASH
  • 1 egg
  • Splash of milk

I make these delicious, comforting Swedish buns every summer with my students in my Kid’s Culinary Adventure Camp. My family also enjoys these buns as well!

Did you know?

1. The Swedish flag with a yellow cross on a blue background, dates back at least to the 16th century.
2. Sweden has three levels of domestic government: national, regional and local. In addition, the European level has becoming increasingly important since Sweden joined the EU in 1995.
3. Swedes ought to give thanks for the Gulf Stream every day; after all, the misconception that polar bears roam the Swedish landscape could actually be true were it not for this warm Atlantic current that delivers us from freezing. Sweden is also sheltered from cooler and moister Atlantic winds by the mountains to our west.

For more interesting facts about Sweden check out: http://www.sweden.se/eng/Home/

Melt your salted butter in small saucepan over low heat.

Add milk and saffron threads and heat just until body temperature. (Like checking a baby’s bottle, carefully use your wrist to tell you if it’s too hot) If the milk is excessively hot or cold, the yeast will not react properly.

In a large bowl, place 3 tablespoons of yeast and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Pour milk/butter mixture and mix to dissolve yeast. Let sit five minutes until foam forms.

Add the remaining 2/3 cup of sugar, one egg and kosher salt. Add flour, two cups at a time, stirring in between.

Lightly flour your work surface and begin to knead the dough until it is smooth. Be careful not to add too much flour because this will make your dough heavy. Only add enough flour to cover your hands and the work surface to prevent the dough from sticking to your hands and the surface you are working on. Grease a large bowl, place the dough and cover with a damp towel.

Let your dough rise until the dough doubles in size; approximately thirty minutes. Punch down the beautiful dough, pinch off large pieces and form into buns. The traditional shape of Sweden’s St. Lucia’s Buns is an S shape. You’ll want to make an S shape and then curl each end in opposite directions. (See picture) If using raisins, stick one raisin in the ends of each bun. Let the dough rise a second time.

When ready to bake, place on a greased baking stone or sheet. Combine one egg and a splash of milk and brush each bun before baking. Place in 400 degree F oven and bake for 15 minutes.

You might like to make the following recipes to round out a wonderful Swedish meal for your family!

Swedish Meatball over Egg Noodles
Melt in Your Mouth Butter Cookies