Lussekatter
Saffron buns
Lussekatter: Swedish saffron S-buns with raisins for Lucia
Before dawn on 13 December, Lucia Day, children in white gowns walk through Swedish homes, schools and offices carrying candles and trays of lussekatter: golden saffron buns twisted into an S with a raisin in each curl. The saffron colour and the light are meant to chase away the darkest days of winter. A common mistake is adding the saffron dry, which leaves the buns pale and streaky. Chef's tip: grind the saffron with a sugar cube and melt it into the warm butter and milk, so the colour spreads evenly.
- Total time
- 72 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 20
Ingredients
For the dough
- 3 ½ oz sugar
- 1 cup milk
- 3 ½ oz butter
- 3 ½ oz quark or thick yogurt
- 1 ¼ lb plain flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 egg
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Grind oz saffron threads with a spoon of ⅓ oz sugar in a mortar. Warm 1 cup milk and 3 ½ oz butter until the butter melts, then stir in the saffron. Cool to lukewarm.
Step 2: Mix 1 ¼ lb plain flour, ⅓ oz fast-action dried yeast, the rest of 3 ⅛ oz sugar and ½ tsp salt. Add the saffron milk, 3 ½ oz quark or thick yogurt and 1 egg and knead 10 minutes until soft and silky. Cover and rise 1 hour. Common mistake: dry saffron; streaky buns.
10 minStep 3: Divide into 20. Roll each into a 25 cm rope and curl the ends in opposite directions into an S. Press one of the 40 raisins into each curl.
Step 4: Rise on lined trays for 30 minutes. Heat the oven to 425°F (fan 400°F).
30 minStep 5: Brush with 1 egg and bake for 8–10 minutes, until golden. Cool under a cloth.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 190 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 30 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does lussekatter take?
- About 72 minutes in total: 60 minutes to prepare and 12 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 20 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 sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
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Perfect for:Christmas