St Lucia Buns Lussekatter Food

ST. LUCIA BUNS (LUSSEKATTER)

Steps:

• Spread the saffron on a small cookie sheet and bake at 275°F for 10 minutes, watching it carefully. It's done when its color has darkened and is brittle.
• Pour the saffron into a small bowl and rub the threads between your fingertips to crush them into smaller pieces. Pour 3 tablespoons of boiling water on top, stir, and let the mixture sit for at least 30 minutes. The water will turn a dark orange-red.
• Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, then add the milk and heat the mixture until it reaches 115°F on a digital thermometer.
• Put the flour in a large bowl and add the salt and yeast on opposite sides. Stir in each one with your finger, then mix in the sugar.
• Add the egg and mascarpone to the bowl, then dump in the infused saffron liquid and half of the milk mixture.
• Stir the dough together with your hand until all the flour has been picked up from the bowl. Add more of the milk-butter mixture as needed to create a soft, slightly sticky dough.
• Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and need for about 10-15 minutes, until the dough is smooth, glossy, and no longer sticky. The dough should also pass the windowpane test. Break off a lump of dough and stretch it as thin as you can; if it can be translucent without tearing, the dough is kneaded enough. If not, knead for a minute longer and check again.
• Shape the dough into a ball, place in a lightly buttered bowl, and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let the dough prove for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until at least doubled in size.
• Line two 11x17-inch cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• Once the dough has proved, turn it out onto a large work surface and punch it down all over to knock out any pockets of gas. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces with a bench scraper, using a kitchen scale to make sure each piece weighs the same amount.
• Roll each piece of dough into a 16-inch rope with the palms of your hands. Spread your fingers apart as you roll to get a thinner rope. If the dough isn't rolling easily, let it rest for a minute, then try again.
• Shape: Twist or curl the ropes into various shapes, like the Christmas cat, baby Jesus, cross, oxen, ram's horns, or priest's hair. For the cat, curl the ends of the rope in opposite directions to make an S shape. For Baby Jesus, fold the rope in half and twist the ends together. For the cross, roll the rope extra long. Fold rope in half to create a loop at the top, then create a loop on each side with each side of the rope. Twist the remaining ends together to form the base of the cross. For the oxen, curl the ends of the rope towards each other. For ram's horns, curl the ends of the rope away from each other. Make a downward point in the uncurled part in the center to create the head. For the priest's hair, cut the rope into three pieces and fold one piece in half, curling the ends upwards slightly. Place the other two strands above the bottom piece, curling their ends likewise.
• Place the shapes on the trays, spacing them as far apart as possible. Cover with plastic wrap and let them prove for 30-45 minutes, until the dough springs back when lightly pressed with a fingertip.
• About 30 minutes before they are done proving, preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Break up the two egg yolks with a splash of water to thin them, then brush the mixture all over the risen dough. Place a raisin inside each curl of dough.
• Bake at 375°F for 18-20 minutes, until the lussekatter are well risen and a rich golden brown. Watch them to make sure they aren't getting too dark.
• Transfer them to cool completely on wire racks.
• Serve the buns with salted butter and a hot cup of coffee.
• Freeze leftovers within 24 hours of baking for best freshness. Defrost in the microwave or at room temperature, then enjoy. Do not refrigerate, as it will make them go stale.

ST. LUCIA BUNS

Steps:

• Place the butter and milk in a medium bowl. Using a mortar and pestle, grind the saffron with a pinch of the sugar, and stir into the mixture. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in a little of the lukewarm butter mixture, then add the remaining butter mixture, the remaining sugar and the salt.
• Gradually add enough of the flour (almost all of it) to make a workable dough, kneading for 10 minutes by hand or 5 minutes in a mixer with a dough hook. Shape into a ball, sprinkle with a little flour and cover with a cloth. Allow to rise in a warm spot for 30 to 45 minutes.
• Transfer the dough to a floured work surface, and knead in additional flour if the dough is sticky. Shape as desired into buns, braids or lengths. Place on lined baking sheets, and allow to rise again for 30 to 45 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400.
• Brush the buns with beaten egg, and press raisins lightly into the dough. Bake until golden and risen, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a bun comes out dry. Smaller buns may take 8 to 10 minutes; larger lengths and braids, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool the buns on a rack under a cloth.

ST. LUCIA SAFFRON BUNS

Steps:

• Bloom the yeast: Sprinkle the yeast over the warm saffron-infused milk, and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes until foamy.

SAINT LUCIA BUNS - LUSSEKATTER - SAFFRON BUNS

Steps:

• Melt butter or margarine in a pan and add the milk and the saffron.
• Warm the mixture to 37 oC (100 oF).
• Use a thermometer; the correct temperature is important!
• Pour the mixture over the finely divided yeast; then add the remaining ingredients (except for the egg and the raisins), which should have a temperature of 21-23 oC (72-75 oF).
• Mix into a smooth dough.
• Cover the dough with a piece of cloth and let it rise for 30 minutes.
• Knead the dough, divide it into 25-30 pieces and form each piece into a round bun.
• Let the buns rest for a few minutes, covered by a piece of cloth.
• Form each bun into a string, 15-20 cm long, then arrange the string in a suitable shape, e.g. an S or double S. Regardless of the shape, the ends of the string should meet.
• Press a few raisins into the dough.
• Cover the"Lucia cats" with a piece of cloth and let them rise for 40 minutes.
• Whip the egg together with a few grains of salt, and paint the"Lucia cats" with the mixture.
• Bake them for 5-10 minutes in the oven at 250 oC (475 oF) until golden brownish yellow.

ST LUCIA SAFFRON BUNS

Steps:

• Put the milk in a small pan and gently heat until it's steaming. Use a pestle and mortar to grind the saffron into a powder. Add this to the pan of milk along with the butter. Swirl to melt the butter, then set aside until lukewarm.
• In a large bowl, mix the flour, caster sugar, 1 tsp salt and the yeast together, and make a well in the middle of the bowl. Pour in the milk mixture along with the egg. Mix together to form a sticky dough, then turn out onto the work surface and knead until smooth and elastic (this will take about 10 mins). Put the dough into a lightly oiled bowl and cover with oiled cling film. Set the bowl in a warm part of the house and allow to rise for about 1 hr until doubled in size.
• Knock back the dough and divide into 12 equal portions. Cover the pieces with the oiled cling film while you make the rolls - this will stop the dough from drying out. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time, roll out into a 30cm-long strand. Roll up one end into the middle, turn over and roll the other end into the middle, forming the dough into an S-shape. Place the buns on a large (or 2 smaller) parchment-lined baking tray. Once all the buns are made, lightly cover with oiled cling film and prove until almost doubled in size (if making ahead, keep the dough in the fridge overnight and bake in the morning). While the buns prove, heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
• When ready to bake, brush the buns with beaten egg and press a currant into the centre of each spiral. Put the trays in the oven and bake for around 15 mins. Allow to cool before serving. These are best eaten on the day they are made but will keep for a couple of days.