Description
Soft, saffron-rich Lucia buns made the traditional Swedish way, with long fermentation and plenty of butter. A December essential.
Ingredients
Pre-Dough
2 cups (5 dl) whole milk
0.05 oz saffron threads (1-1.5 g / 2-3 packets)
1½ tbsp dark rum or other spirit (optional but traditional)
2½ oz fresh yeast (40 g)
5 cups (600 g) high-quality wheat flour
1 tbsp sugar or vanilla sugar
Soaked Raisins
4 tbsp raisins
½ cup (1 dl) mulled wine (glögg) or hot water
Final Dough
About 3? cups (400 g) wheat flour (added gradually)
14 tbsp butter (200 g), room temperature
1 large egg, room temperature
1 cup (200 g) sugar
¾–1 tsp salt (5–10 g)
Egg Wash1 egg
2 tbsp water
Pinch of salt
Instructions
Day 1 – Make the Pre-Dough
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Crush saffron with a pinch of sugar and mix with rum (if using).
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Crumble yeast into a large bowl. Add saffron mixture, sugar, and a little of the milk. Stir to dissolve.
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Add remaining milk and flour for the pre-dough. Mix briefly.
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Cover and refrigerate overnight. Use a large bowl—the dough will expand.
Day 2 – Prepare the Dough
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Remove butter and egg from the refrigerator to come to room temperature.
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Bring glögg or water to a boil, remove from heat, and soak raisins.
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Add butter, egg, sugar, and flour to the pre-dough, adding flour gradually. The dough should be sticky but pull slightly from the bowl.
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Add salt at the end of kneading.
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Knead thoroughly: 20–30 minutes by hand or 15–20 minutes in a mixer, starting slowly. Perform a gluten test—the dough should stretch thin without tearing.
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Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
Shaping and Baking
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Turn dough onto a work surface. Divide into 2 oz (60 g) pieces.
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Shape into traditional Lucia buns (S-shapes).
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Press raisins firmly into the dough so they don’t pop out during baking.
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Cover and proof for at least 1 hour, until doubled in size.
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Bake on the lower rack at 425°F (220°C, conventional oven) for 6–8 minutes.
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Brush immediately with egg wash. Remove from trays to prevent overbaking.
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Cool completely, then freeze as soon as possible.
Notes
Cold fermentation improves flavor and structure.
Kneading time is crucial—don’t cut it short.
The dough should remain slightly sticky; adding too much flour leads to dry buns.
Freeze buns the same day for best results.
Reheat directly from frozen in a low oven or microwave briefly.
- Prep Time: 30 min
- Fermentation Time: Overnight
- Cook Time: 135 min
- Category: Pastry
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Swedish
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bun
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 110mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 35mg