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Kolbullar
Kolbullar: thick Norrland charcoal-burner's pancakes cooked over the fire
Kolbullar were the food of the charcoal burners who tended slow-smouldering kilns in the forests of Norrland and Bergslagen for weeks at a time: a thick batter of flour, milk and water fried in a pan over the fire, usually with pieces of salt pork mixed in. Today they are a favourite of Swedish hiking trips and forest festivals. This version leaves out the pork and is served with lingonberries and a pinch of flaky salt. A common mistake is spreading the batter thin like a crêpe; kolbullar are thick and chewy. Chef's tip: let the batter stand for 20 minutes so the flour swells and the pancakes stay soft in the middle.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the batter
- 7 oz plain flour
- 1 ¼ cups whole milk
- ½ cup water
- 1 egg
- ½ tsp salt
To cook and serve
- 1 ⅜ oz butter
- 6 tbsp lingonberry jam
- 1 pinch flaky sea salt
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Whisk 7 oz plain flour, ½ tsp salt, 1 ¼ cups whole milk, ½ cup water and 1 egg into a thick, smooth batter. Rest for 20 minutes.
20 minStep 2: Heat a heavy frying pan or cast-iron pan over a medium heat with a knob of 1 ⅜ oz butter.
Step 3: Pour in a ladle of batter to make a pancake about 1 cm thick and 15 cm across. Common mistake: spreading it thin.
Step 4: Fry for 3 minutes per side, until golden and crisp at the edges and cooked through. Repeat with the rest, adding butter as needed.
18 minStep 5: Sprinkle with 1 pinch flaky sea salt and serve hot with 6 tbsp lingonberry jam.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 38 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kolbullar take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
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