Lussekatter are Swedish saffron buns, eaten throughout December, and especially on Saint Lucia’s Day on December 13. The bright yellow color makes them a staple of the season. Saint Lucia was a young Christian girl who was martyred in 304 CE, and according to legend, she wore a crown of candles to light her way as she secretly brought food to persecuted Christians hiding in Roman catacombs. Today, the Lucia celebrations feature girls and boys dressed in white gowns who sing songs and serve these golden buns, which symbolize light during the dark Scandinavian winter.
I lived in Sweden for six years while I was in university, and whenever I bake lussekatter, I’m reminded of student life and Swedish Christmas traditions, complete with lussekatter and Blossa Glögg (Swedish mulled wine). Even if you don’t have Swedish holiday memories to lean on, I still think you should add lussekatter to your December baking lineup. They aren’t savory, but they are far less sweet than most Christmas cookies, and they’re wonderful straight from the oven with mulled wine or hot chocolate.
Some people cheat by replacing saffron with turmeric. Turmeric will give you the right color, but the flavor won’t even come close. It’s the saffron that makes lussekatter so delicious.
Like most people in Sweden, I’ve always made my lussekatter with Kesella (a quark/fromage blanc product from the Swedish dairy brand Arla). Swedes have long believed that adding Kesella makes the buns more moist. But recently, there’s been a lively debate about whether that’s actually true or if it was simply the result of a very clever PR move by Arla. From what I’ve read, the latter might be closer to the truth, but since I’ve always used Kesella, it will take more than a few expert opinions to shake my faith in it. It’s a bit like telling a kid that Santa doesn’t exist.
Notes
The photos in this post are from two different batches. I usually roll the dough into medium thin ropes, but the first batch was made from slightly thicker ropes, which is why those buns turned out bigger.
If you are using saffron threads (recommended) remember to grind them before use. This can be done with a mortar and pestle or an electrical grinder. You can also just use the backside of a spoon on a cutting board, but make sure that the threads are properly ground, so the color and flavor come out.
Recipe: Lussekatter – Swedish Saffron Buns
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pcsLussekatter are Swedish saffron buns, which you eat throughout December in Sweden. These golden-yellow buns are a staple during the Christmas season, particularly on Saint Lucia’s Day, which is celebrated on December 13th.
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Ingredients
3.5 oz 3.5 (100g) butter
1 ¼ cup 1 ¼ (3dl) milk
5.3 oz 5.3 (150g) quark. Can be substituted with fromage blanc.
0.5 gram 0.5 saffron
1 oz 1 (25g) fresh yeast
½ tsp ½ salt
½ cup ½ (1 dl) white sugar
2 2 eggs (one for the dough and one or brushing)
5 ½ cups 5 ½ (13 dl) flour
Raisins for decoration
Directions
- Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the milk and heat the mixture. Test the temperature with your finger. It should be slightly warm, but not too hot. Add the yeast, remove the pan from the heat and stir until the yeast is dissolved.
- Add salt, sugar and saffron.
- Pour the mixture into a big bowl and add the quark. Beat the egg lightly before adding it to the mixture.
- Add the flour little by little. The dough should be tender, and you probably do not need to use all the flour.
- Knead the dough 15 minutes or until it feels is smooth and supple. Let the dough rise for 1 hour.
Knead the dough thoroughly again. - Take a piece of dough, the size of a scone, and roll it into an 8 inches (20cm) long rope. Shape the rope into an “S”, and curl the ends a little extra (see pictures below). Flatten the Lussekatt a little with your fingers. Place the Lussekatt on baking paper on a baking tray. Repeat this procedure until the dough has been used. It will get you around 15-25 lussekatter.
- Let the buns rise again on the baking tray for 20 minutes.
- Brush the buns with egg and decorate with raisins.
- Bake the buns in the oven for approx. 8 minutes at 395°F (200°C) in a convection oven (435°F (225°C) in a conventional oven). Keep an eye on the Lussekatter in the oven. The baking time depends on the size. If your Lussekatter are on the taller side (larger than an ordinary scone), increase the baking time.
