Lussekatter

Swedish Saffron Buns
These golden, S-shaped saffron buns are traditionally baked for St. Lucia Day on December 13th, when Swedish darkness is deepest and longest. The saffron gives them their characteristic warm yellow color and delicate flavor—a small sun against the winter dark. The name means "Lucia's cats," after either their curled shape or the devil cats Lucia was said to tame.
Makes: 30 buns

Ingredients

Dough

For Garnish

Method

Prepare the base: Break up the yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer (these can definitely be made by hand—it will just take longer and you get an arm workout). In a mortar or other suitable bowl, grind the saffron with a little bit of the sugar, then stir it into the milk. Warm the saffron-milk to 98°F (body temperature).

Mix the dough: Add a bit of the warmed milk to the yeast and stir to dissolve. Add the rest of the warmed milk, the sugar, and the salt. Work in the flour a bit at a time with the stand mixer on low. Once you've added all the flour, add the room temperature butter and let the mixer do the work for 15 minutes.

Patience required: The dough will look way, WAY too wet for a long time, but it will come together nicely towards the end of the 15 minutes. You may need to scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice in the beginning.

First rise: Remove the dough hook and bowl from the mixer, cover with a tea towel, and let the dough rise for 30-45 minutes, depending on the temperature in your kitchen (longer if cold, shorter if warm). Make sure not to leave the bowl in a draughty place. The dough should double in size.

Shape the buns: Once doubled, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. The dough will be very soft and airy—some of the air will be worked out while shaping. Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces, then divide each of those in 2 (for 6 pieces total). Divide each piece into 5 for a grand total of 30 little dough balls.

Roll each ball into a rope about 20-25 cm long. Take each end and roll them towards the middle until you have a curly S-shape. Place your S-buns on baking trays lined with baking paper, leaving plenty of space between them.

Don't crowd the buns on the trays—they will basically double in size again!

Second rise: Cover the shaped buns with a tea towel and let them rise for another 30-45 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 400°F.

Bake: After the second prove, brush the buns with beaten egg mixed with a bit of water. Add raisins in the curls if you like them (if not, just exclude them). Bake in the middle of the oven for 8-10 minutes.

Don't over-bake: The tops should be lightly browned. Over-baking will dry them out very quickly. When done, the buns will be very light and airy.

Cool and serve: Let the buns cool on a rack, covered again with a tea towel. Enjoy!