SAFFRON BUNS (LUSSEBULLAR)
From Fire + Ice: Classic Nordic Cooking by Darra Goldstein Makes: 18 buns.
1 cup (250 mL) whole milk 8 tbsp (120 mL or 1 stick) butter, cut into pieces 12 tsp (2.5 mL) saffron threads, crumbled 1 package (2 12 tsp or 12.5 mL) active dry yeast 14 cup (60 mL) lukewarm water 34 cup (180 mL) sugar 1 egg, at room temperature, lightly beaten 12 tsp (2.5 mL) salt 4 to 4 12 cups (1 L to 1.125 L) flour 2 tbsp (30 mL) raisins
For glaze:
1 egg, lightly beaten
1. In a small saucepan, combine the milk and butter over medium-low heat, stirring until butter melts. Remove immediately from the heat and stir in the saffron. Set aside to cool to lukewarm.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, stir yeast into lukewarm water and let proof until bubbles appear, about 10 minutes. When the milk is lukewarm, stir it into the yeast, along with the sugar, egg, salt, and 4 cups (1 L) of the flour, adding as much of remaining flour as needed to make a soft dough — it will still be slightly sticky.
3. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until it is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes, adding as little extra flour as possible. Transfer the dough to a large, lightly greased bowl and turn it to coat the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 11/2 to 2 hours.
4. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Punch down the dough. Divide it into 18 pieces, and then divide each piece in half. Roll each half between your palms into a strand that’s about 4 inches (10 cm) long. To make Lucia’s Cats, place 2 strands together lengthwise, then turn each end in toward the centre to make 4 coils. (Alternatively, you can make a simple S shape by coiling the ends of each strand in opposite directions.) For golden wagons, lay one strand over the other to form an X, then turn the 4 ends toward the centre to form coils, as for Lucia’s Cats. Transfer each bun to a baking sheet and press a raisin firmly into the centres of the coils. Repeat with the remaining dough. Cover the buns and let rise in a warm place until puffy, 30 to 40 minutes.
5. Preheat the oven to 400 F (205 C). Brush the buns with the beaten egg. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes.