Sweet Sunday Buns

Sunday is bun-day. And especially this Sunday. Plain buns, coconut covered buns, buns with jam and whipped cream (fastelavnboller) or maybe with marzipan and whipped cream (semla)… So many alternatives from one recipe. Have a wonderful Sunday Bun-day!

Ingredients
1 kg (2,2 lb) plain flour
200 g (7 oz) sugar
13 g dry yeast (or 50 g regular yeast)
2-3 tsp cardamom
200 g (7 oz) butter (room temperature)
1 egg
6 dl (2 1/4 cup) milk

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How to do it

  • In a large bowl, mix together about 900 g (2 lb) of the flour, sugar, dry yeast and cardamom. (If you use regular yeast, the yeast should be mixed with the warmed milk.) I use a stand mixer with a kneading hook.
  • Mix in the butter, and then the egg.
  • Warm the milk to 40 °C/ 104 °F (or 37 °C/ 100 °F if you use regular yeast).
  • Slowly mix in the milk. 
  • You probably need the rest of the flour to get a smooth dough (not too wet, not too dry), but add it slowly so the dough doesn’t get too dry.
  • When the dough has the right texture mix for another 3-5 minutes.
  • Let the dough rise under a towel or cling film (or use an unused shower cap) for 45-60 minutes (until double size).
  • Cut the dough into pieces and roll them out to buns. (If you want the marzipan version, roll the bun around a ball of marzipan so that the marzipan ends up in the middle of the bun.)
  • Line a baking sheet, and place the buns on the baking sheet. Cover them with a towel, and let them rise for about 45 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 250 ºC/ 480 ºF.
  • Bake the buns in the middle of the oven until they have a golden surface, about 5-7 minutes.
  • Serve the buns plain, cover them with icing (made from powdered sugar mixed with water) and maybe roll them in some coconut, add jam and/or whipped cream…

Btw:
Place the plain buns you’re not going serve in plastic bags while they are still lukewarm, and put them in the freezer to serve them later.

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Roll with the Season – Saffron and Cinnamon Rolls

Roll with the season and make these spicy rolls!

Ingridients
200 g (7 oz) softened butter
150 g (5,5 oz) sugar
1 egg
13 g dry yeast (or 50 regular yeast)
1 kg (2,2 lb) plain flour
6 dl (2 1/4 cup) milk
3-4 tsp cardamom

Filling (cinnamon/saffron butter)
150-200 g (5,5-7 oz) softened butter
Sugar/ pearl sugar
2-3 tsp cinnamon
125 mg saffron
Chopped almonds

How to do it

  • In a large bowl, mix together butter and sugar.
  • Add the egg.
  • In a large bowl, mix together about 900 g (2 lb) of the flour and dry yeast. (If you use regular yeast, the yeast should be mixed with the warmed milk.) I use a stand mixer with a kneading hook.
  • Warm the milk to 40°C/ 104°F (or 37°C/ 100°F if you use regular yeast).
  • Slowly and alternately mix in the flour and yeast mix and the milk. You probably need the rest of the flour to get a smooth dough (not too wet, not too dry), but add it slowly so the dough doesn’t get too dry.
  • When the dough has the right texture mix for another 3-5 minutes.
  • Take out half of the dough and place it in a separate bowl.
  • To the other half of the dough, add the cardamom and mix for about 1 minute.
  • Let the two doughs rise in the bowls under towels or cling film (or use an unused shower cap) for about 30-45 minutes (until double size).
  • In a bowl mix about 100 g (3,5 oz) of softened butter with 2-3 tsp of cinnamon and 1-2 tbsp (pearl) sugar. In a separate bowl, mix about 100 g (3,5 oz) of softened butter with 125 mg saffron and 1-2 tbsp (pearl) sugar.
  • Take the dough out of the bowl, and knead the dough for a about a minute.
  • Divide each dough into 2 pieces.
  • Roll out each piece to a roll, about 5 cm (2 inches) diameter. Then flatten the dough with a rolling pin (about 15 cm (6 inches) wide).
  • Cover the 2 pieces of dough with cardamom with the cinnamon butter, and optionally some chopped almonds.
  • Cover the 2 pieces without cardamom with saffron butter, and optionally some chopped almonds.
  • Cut the dough into pieces, each piece about 5 x 15 cm (2 x 6 inches), then make 3 cuts in each piece, about 10 cm (4 inches). See pictures on how to make rolls out of each piece.
  • Line a baking sheet, and place the rolls on the baking sheet. Cover them with a towel, and let them rise for about 45 minutes.

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  • Preheat the oven to 250 ºC/ 480 ºF.
  • Bake the rolls in the middle of the oven until they have a golden surface, about 5-7 minutes.
  • Serve the rolls warm, or place them in plastic bags when they are still lukewarm and put them in the freezer to serve them later.

Happy Holidays!

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