Swedish St Lucia Saffron Buns (Lussekatter)

1. Put the milk in a small pan and gently heat until it’s steaming. Use a pestle and mortar to grind the saffron into a powder. Add this to the pan of milk along with the butter. Swirl to melt the butter, then set aside until lukewarm.
2. Then crumble the fresh yeast into little pieces and add. Then add the rest of the ingredients, adding the flour a little bit at a time until the dough is loosening from the bowl. It should stick together nicely without sticking to the bowl.
3. Let the dough rise in its bowl (cover with kitchen towel) for about 45 minutes.
4. Add the dough to a working area (countertop, large table). Knead it and start rolling it out with a rolling pin. Cut strips of dough, about 10" long and ½ ” in thickness, and shape it by rolling it between your hands into a sausage. Alternatively just take a piece of dough and roll it into the above mentioned proportions. Form traditional Lussekatter by creating two opposite spirals. Let the Lussekatter rise for 30 minutes.
5. Heat the oven to 440 F.
6. Decorate each individual spiral with a raisin/current in the middle and brush with beaten egg.
7. Bake the Lussekatter in the oven for 10-12 minutes at 440F.

These saffron-hued sweet buns are a staple of the Swedish tradition of St Lucia's Day, a winter-solstice celebration. For background about St. Lucia Day visit our information page.

For more Christmas recipes and ideas visit our Christmas Page.