Happy St. Lucy's day!
Dec. 13th, 2009 12:12 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
zinnithBelieve it or not, but the sun is actually shining. I haven't been to see any Lucia concerts since it's cold and I don't want to go outside. Nor have I adorned myself with tinsel, even if it's a little bit tempting. Instead, I stayed in and made Saffron bread!
I must be honest and admit that I'm not really a big fan of saffron buns. They have a tendency to get a little dry, and saffron is not my favourite spice in the world. However, Christmas preparations in Sweden include baking saffron bread. It's fairly easy to make and I adore the colour of the dough.
I didn't make any birds this year because I'm feeling a little lazy. Instead, I hunted down an old recipe of saffron buns with raisins and white chocolate. These buns are extremely easy to make and the result is always great, not to mention, they take no time at all. Instead of making each bun separately, you make two long, flat buns, and then slice them up like a loaf of bread. They're also great if you have guests who can't eat nuts, because these buns are nut-free. (There are still gluten, dairy and egg in them though...)
Don't they look yummy?
Here's a little close-up so you can see the filling.
Saffron buns with raisins and white chocolate (I'm using Swedish measurements here but I can recommend onlineconversion for cooking)
2 large buns
200g butter
5 dl milk
50 g yeast
1 g saffron
a pinch of salt
2 dl sugar
13-14 dl flour
Filling
75 g butter
150 g white chocolate (chopped)
1/2 dl sugar
2 dl raisins
1 egg and nib sugar for decoration
Instructions
1. Melt the butter in a pot and pour the milk in. Heat the mixture to finger warm, 37 C/98,6 F (If you use dry yeast like I do, it has to be a few degrees warmer.)
2. Crumble the yeast in a bowl. Pour the milk-and-butter mixture over it. Add saffron, salt, and sugar.
3. Pour the flour in a little bit at the time until you have a dough. It should be a little bit sticky.
4. Let the dough rise under a towel for 30 min.
5. Put the oven on 175 C/350 F. Roll out half the dough to a flat square, about 30x40 cm.
6. Spread half the butter on top of the square and add the sugar, the white chocolate, and the raisins. Fold the square lenghtwise, and then fold it again until you get a long roll.
7. Do the same with the other half of the dough. Put the buns on a baking plate and let them rise under a towel for 30 min.
8. Brush the buns with whisked egg and sprinkle nib sugar on top of them.
9. Bake in the middle of the oven for 25-30 min.
Enjoy!
I must be honest and admit that I'm not really a big fan of saffron buns. They have a tendency to get a little dry, and saffron is not my favourite spice in the world. However, Christmas preparations in Sweden include baking saffron bread. It's fairly easy to make and I adore the colour of the dough.
I didn't make any birds this year because I'm feeling a little lazy. Instead, I hunted down an old recipe of saffron buns with raisins and white chocolate. These buns are extremely easy to make and the result is always great, not to mention, they take no time at all. Instead of making each bun separately, you make two long, flat buns, and then slice them up like a loaf of bread. They're also great if you have guests who can't eat nuts, because these buns are nut-free. (There are still gluten, dairy and egg in them though...)
Don't they look yummy?
Here's a little close-up so you can see the filling.
Saffron buns with raisins and white chocolate (I'm using Swedish measurements here but I can recommend onlineconversion for cooking)
2 large buns
200g butter
5 dl milk
50 g yeast
1 g saffron
a pinch of salt
2 dl sugar
13-14 dl flour
Filling
75 g butter
150 g white chocolate (chopped)
1/2 dl sugar
2 dl raisins
1 egg and nib sugar for decoration
Instructions
1. Melt the butter in a pot and pour the milk in. Heat the mixture to finger warm, 37 C/98,6 F (If you use dry yeast like I do, it has to be a few degrees warmer.)
2. Crumble the yeast in a bowl. Pour the milk-and-butter mixture over it. Add saffron, salt, and sugar.
3. Pour the flour in a little bit at the time until you have a dough. It should be a little bit sticky.
4. Let the dough rise under a towel for 30 min.
5. Put the oven on 175 C/350 F. Roll out half the dough to a flat square, about 30x40 cm.
6. Spread half the butter on top of the square and add the sugar, the white chocolate, and the raisins. Fold the square lenghtwise, and then fold it again until you get a long roll.
7. Do the same with the other half of the dough. Put the buns on a baking plate and let them rise under a towel for 30 min.
8. Brush the buns with whisked egg and sprinkle nib sugar on top of them.
9. Bake in the middle of the oven for 25-30 min.
Enjoy!
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(no subject)
Date: 2009-12-13 12:09 pm (UTC)Happy St. Lucy's Day to you, too!
(no subject)
Date: 2009-12-13 02:00 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-12-13 05:24 pm (UTC)Happy St. Lucy's Day to you too! I was reading about it in Wikipedia: "This timing [Yule's brief days], and her name meaning light, is a factor in the particular devotion to St. Lucy in Scandinavian countries, where young girls dress as the saint in honor of the feast." I *hope* that doesn't include carrying around eyes on a plate!! That's a particularly gruesome accessory to me, even for a martyr!
On the other hand, I'd do many, many things to see you adorned with tinsel. It bet it's a shimmery & lovely vision.... (Rly srsly! :-D)
(no subject)
Date: 2009-12-13 05:54 pm (UTC)I used to do the tinsel thing when I was younger. Used to do the whole 'dressing up in a thin nightgown in the middle of winter and be up at dawn to sing to people' thing, as a matter of fact. Good times. I'm glad they're over...