Saffransbullar

Saffransbullar (Swedish Saffron Buns)

A classic Swedish Christmas-time sweet bread, these soft, fragrant buns are enriched with butter and enriched milk, scented with saffron, and dotted with raisins and almonds. Shaped into the traditional crossed or rosette forms, they are at the heart of a Swedish julbord fika.

Prep

40 min

Cook

15 min

Total

55 min

Serves

16 buns

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •500 g (17½ oz (about 4¼ cups)) bread flour, high-protein wheat flour
• •250 ml (1 cup) whole milk
• •100 g (3½ oz (½ cup, packed)) salted butter
• •100 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
• •7 g (1 packet (2¼ tsp)) instant dry yeast, or 25 g fresh yeast
• •1 g (1 generous pinch) saffron threads, lightly crushed; do not exceed 1.5 g or buns turn bitter
• •5 ml (1 tsp) boiling water, for blooming the saffron
• •1 g (¼ tsp) fine sea salt
• •1 large egg, for the dough; optional, for richer dough
• •100 g (scant ⅔ cup) raisins, preferably golden Sultanas, soaked in warm water for 10 min, drained
• •80 g (⅔ cup) blanched almonds, chopped, or a mix of chopped and whole for topping
• •1 large egg, for egg wash
• •30 g (2 Tbsp) pearl sugar or chopped almonds, for topping

Steps

1. 1 Bloom the saffron: place the crushed saffron threads in a small bowl and pour the 5 ml boiling water over them. Let steep for at least 15 minutes to release the colour and aroma.
2. 2 Warm the milk to about 38–40 °C / 100–105 °F (lukewarm, like bath water). Stir in the saffron with its liquid and the sugar; the sugar should dissolve.
3. 3 In a large bowl (or stand mixer), combine the flour, yeast, and salt. Pour in the warm saffron milk, then add the softened butter and the egg (if using). Mix for 8–10 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic, and pulls away from the bowl. It should be soft but not sticky; add a tablespoon of flour only if truly needed.
4. 4 Knead in 80 g of the raisins and 50 g of the chopped almonds just until evenly distributed.
5. 5 Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place for 45–60 minutes, until roughly doubled in size.
6. 6 Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 16 equal pieces, about 60 g each. Shape each into a traditional saffron bun: roll one piece into a 50 cm / 20 in rope, coil into a spiral, or form an 'S' with the ends crossed in the middle. Press a few reserved raisins and almonds into the centre of each bun.
7. 7 Place the shaped buns on parchment-lined baking sheets (2–3 cm apart), cover loosely with a towel, and proof 30–40 minutes, until puffy and almost doubled.
8. 8 Preheat the oven to 225 °C / 435 °F (fan 205 °C / 400 °F). Brush the buns gently with beaten egg and sprinkle with pearl sugar and a few extra chopped almonds.
9. 9 Bake on the middle rack for 12–15 minutes, rotating the tray halfway through, until the tops are deep golden brown and the internal temperature reads at least 94 °C / 201 °F on an instant-read thermometer (a probe inserted into the centre should come out clean with no raw dough). If the tops brown too fast, tent loosely with foil.
10. 10 Transfer to a wire rack and cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. Saffransbullar are best eaten the day they are baked, split and buttered, with a cup of coffee or glögg.