Lucia is around the corner: baking lussebullar

Lucia is getting closer, which means it was time to fill the kitchen with the smell of saffron and freshly baked buns. I made a big batch of lussebullar this week, and my counter was soon covered with golden S-shaped buns and two braided loaves.

If you haven't met them before, lussebullar are Swedish saffron buns. The traditional S-shaped ones are called lussekatter, and they're especially associated with Lucia, or St. Lucia's Day, on December 13. Saffron gives them their beautiful yellow color and unmistakable flavor. Raisins are the finishing touch.

Ingredients for about 45 lussebullar

• 50 g butter

• 500 ml milk

• 50 g fresh yeast

• 1 tsp salt

• 2 tsp caster sugar

• Approximately 1.5 liters (900 g) all-purpose flour

• 1/2 to 1 g saffron (I used ground saffron)

• 125 g softened butter

• 150 ml caster sugar

• 1 egg for the dough

• 1 egg for brushing

• Raisins for decorating

Start the dough

Melt the 50 g butter in a saucepan. Add the milk and gently warm it to 37°C. Crumble the yeast into a large bowl and dissolve it with a little of the warm liquid. Add the rest of the liquid, the salt, 2 tsp sugar, and most of the flour.

Work the dough until it releases from the sides of the bowl. Sprinkle it with a little flour, cover the bowl, and leave it to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Add the saffron filling

Beat the 125 g softened butter and 150 ml sugar until fluffy. Add the saffron and the egg for the dough.

Work the saffron mixture into the risen dough, then add the remaining flour, keeping back a little for kneading. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead in the remaining flour.

Shape the lussekatter

Divide the dough into portions and roll each one into a rope. Curl both ends in opposite directions to make the familiar S shape.

Place the buns on lined baking trays, cover them with a tea towel, and leave them to rise until almost doubled.

And a couple of braided loaves

I didn't stop at the S shapes. I also used some of the dough to make two braided loaves. Same dough, same saffron flavor, just a different shape, and rather lovely on the baking tray.

Brush, decorate, and bake

Brush the buns and loaves with beaten egg and decorate with raisins. Just egg wash and raisins.

Bake at 250°C, or 200°C in a fan oven. Mine were done in 10 minutes.

And that was my kitchen turned into a little Lucia bakery: saffron dough everywhere, trays of golden buns, and two braided loaves as a bonus. Now we're ready for December 13, although I don't think these buns will need much help disappearing before then. ;)