Lussekatter

For more on the history of these buns see here.

Ingredients

Makes 16 pieces

Ingredient	Weight (g)
Strong white bread flour (plain or gluten-free will do)	500
Milk / mylk	250
Butter / margarine	60
Caster sugar	40
Instant yeast	7
Salt	10
Saffron	0.5g (or 1 teaspoon)
Cardamon (optional)	1 teaspoon (or 6 pods)
Raisins / currants	A handful (or 32 to be precise)
Eggs	2 large (or 60g of vegetable oil) plus extra for glazing

Method

• Melt the butter in a small saucepan add the milk and bring to just below boiling
• Take off the heat and add the saffron, you can grind it if you like to give a more intense flavour and colour
• Add the flour, sugar, yeast, salt, eggs and optional cardamon to a large mixing bowl
• Once the milk mixture has cooled to body heat, add it to the mixing bowl
• Bring together then knead until smooth and elastic
• Cover the bowl and leave it in a warm place (25 degrees Celsius) for around an hour till doubled in size
• Optionally soak a handful of raisins in some spirit
• Put the oven on to preheat to 180 degrees Celsius
• Line two baking trays with parchment (or simply grease them)
• Divide the dough into 60g pieces
• Roll into sausages about 30cm long
• Coil into S-shapes and place on baking tray
• Push raisins deeply into the dough
• Leave to rise for around ten minutes till slightly puffy
• Brush with egg
• Bake for 12-15 minutes till golden
• Leave to cool on a wire rack under a tea-towel to stop them drying out