St. Lucia Buns

Why this recipe works Lussebullar, also known as St. Lucia buns, are a staple of St. Lucia Day, which ushers in the holiday season in Sweden. While this Swedish delicacy typically gets its rich yellow color from saffron, a spice revered in times past by royalty, many modern commercial bakeries now rely on artificial food dye. We wanted to re-create the classic saffron-flavored dough, with no funny ingredients. We found through testing that we needed just a small amount of saffron—¼ teaspoon—to give these sweet treats balanced flavor, but this left the color a little lacking. We knew we didn’t want to tint our buns with food coloring, so we turned to another yellow spice, turmeric, whose flavor went undetected. Steeping the saffron, along with the turmeric, in boiling water for 15 minutes helped release the full potential of its water-soluble flavor compounds. One-third cup each of sugar and currants (the customary mix-in) gave these buns just enough sweetness. While the dough can be shaped into a variety of traditional forms, we stuck with the most popular “S,” or “cat’s tail,” shape. Brushing the buns with egg wash and giving each an optional sprinkling of pearled sugar created a glossy and festive finish. For an accurate measurement of boiling water, bring a full kettle of water to a boil and then measure out the desired amount. If the dough becomes too soft to work with at any point, refrigerate it until it’s firm enough to easily handle.

MAKES: 16 buns

RISING TIME: 2 to 3 hours

BAKING TIME: 15 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 3½ to 4½ hours, plus 1 hour cooling time

KEY EQUIPMENT: 2 rimmed baking sheets, rolling pin, pastry brush

INGREDIENTS:

• ¼ cup (2 ounces) boiling water
• ¼ teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled
• ⅛ teaspoon ground turmeric
• 3½ cups (17½ ounces) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup (6 ounces) whole milk, room temperature
• 6 tablespoons (3 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
• ⅓ cup (2⅓ ounces) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• ⅓ cup currants
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water and pinch salt
• ¼ cup pearled sugar (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a small bowl, combine boiling water, saffron, and turmeric. Let it steep for 15 minutes.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together flour, yeast, and salt. In a 4-cup liquid measuring cup, whisk together milk, melted butter, granulated sugar, egg, and the saffron mixture until the sugar has dissolved. With the dough hook on low speed, slowly add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and mix until a cohesive dough starts to form and no dry flour remains, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
3. Increase the speed to medium-low and knead the dough until it is smooth, elastic, and clears the sides of the bowl but sticks to the bottom, about 8 minutes. Reduce the speed to low, slowly add currants, and mix until incorporated, about 2 minutes.
4. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured counter and knead it by hand to form a smooth, round ball, about 30 seconds. Place the dough seam side down in a lightly greased large bowl or container, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let it rise until it has increased in size by about half, for 1½ to 2 hours.
5. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Press down on the dough to deflate it, then transfer it to a clean counter. Press and roll the dough into a 16 by 6-inch rectangle, with the long side parallel to the counter edge. Using a pizza cutter or chef’s knife, cut the rectangle vertically into 16 (6 by 1-inch) strips and cover them loosely with greased plastic.
6. Working with one dough strip at a time (keep the remaining pieces covered), stretch and roll it into a 16-inch rope. If the dough resists stretching, let it relax for 5 to 10 minutes before trying to stretch it again.
7. Coil the ends of the rope in opposite directions to form a tight S shape. Arrange the buns on the prepared baking sheets, spaced about 2½ inches apart. Cover them loosely with greased plastic and let them rise until puffy, for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
8. Adjust the oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Gently brush the buns with the egg mixture and sprinkle them with pearled sugar, if using. Bake them until golden brown, for 15 to 20 minutes, switching and rotating the sheets halfway through baking. Transfer the rolls to a wire rack and let them cool completely, for about 1 hour, before serving.