This Post May Contain Affiliate Links. Please Read Our Disclosure Policy.
These saffron sweet buns are a staple on St. Lucia Day celebrated in Sweden on December 13. Learn how to make these St. Lucia Buns in this step by step photo tutorial!
In Sweden, December 13 is known as St. Lucia Day and tradition is that the eldest daughter would make these saffron S-shaped buns to serve to the parents for breakfast.
Now I am the eldest daughter. However, I am not Swedish. And my parents live 6 hours away. Regardless of that I just had to make these and you know what. They are tasty for breakfast, with a cup of tea, and just really any time of day.
These buns are made with yeast, but I know with a few step by step photos you will be rocking these out in your own kitchen.
How To Make These St. Lucia Buns
To make these buns you want to start by first steeping the saffron threads, and turmeric into boiling water. This will really bring out the flavor of saffron. So be sure to steep for the full 15 minutes. And don’t worry, the turmeric doesn’t add flavor but just helps to add to the color!
After that you want to begin by making your dough. You want to combine your flour, yeast and salt together in your mixing bowl. In a second bowl, combine the melted butter, granulated sugar, egg, milk, and the saffron mixture. Stir this together until the sugar dissolves and then add this to flour mixture slowly while running your mixer on low speed.
You want to knead the dough until it’s smooth and elastic.
Then add the cranberries and lemon zest. Ok if you’re a St. Lucia Bun purist, you will add currants and no zest. Me personally? I love dried cranberries. And I thought why not add a bit of zest? I think cranberries and zest always go together. I used lemon zest, but orange would also be fabulous.
Now it’s time to knead the dough! I personally love kneading dough. There is something magical about working with dough. The kneading method is something we cover in my Ultimate Baking Bootcamp class. It’s an essential mixing method when making bread and working with yeast.
After the dough has been kneaded it’s time to let the dough rise. Place the dough into a greased bowl and let it rise until its doubled in size (about 2 hours).
Once risen, you want to roll out the dough into a 16 by 6 inch rectangle and cut into 16 strips (6×1 inch in size)
Now for the fun part! Time to shape those rolls. You want to start by rolling each strip into a long rope. Then rolling the rope in from the right one direction to the middle. Then roll in from the left going the other direction to meet in the middle and form the traditional “S” shape of these buns.
Once they are shaped you want to let them rise a second time until puffy – about 30 minutes to 1 hour. Then brush the buns with an egg wash and sprinkle with pearl sugar.
Tips For Making These St. Lucia Buns
- To avoid flat tasting buns, make sure to steep the saffron for the full 15 minutes.
- You want to add the yeast and salt separately in your mixing bowl. Salt can kill yeast, so it’s important to add them separately. I like to add the yeast first,then my flour, and then the salt on top.
- To make the rolling out of the dough easy, I use a pastry mat. It has measurements on the side so I don’t have to guess the size of the dough rectangle. It also is non stick so win win!
- Use a pizza cutter to make cutting the dough into strips super easy.
- If you can’t find pearl sugar, or don’t want to buy it online – you can also just simply crush up some sugar cubes and make your own.
So whether you’re Swedish or not. Whether it’s December 13 or not. I think you need to make these. They are slightly sweet with a hint of saffron.
I personally like them a bit warmed up with some butter. Don’t judge me.
If you like this recipe, then let me know by leaving me a comment! And if you want to improve your baking game, then enroll now in my Ultimate Baking Bootcamp!
St. Lucia Buns
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup (2 ounces) boiling water
- 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads crumbled
- 1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 3 1/2 cups (17 1/2 ounces) all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons instant or rapid rise yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (6 ounces) whole milk room temperature
- 6 tablespoons (3 ounces) unsalted butter melted
- 1/3 cup (2 1/3 ounces) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest (about 1/2 lemon
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water, and pinch salt
- 1/4 cup pearled sugar
Instructions
- Combine boiling water, saffron, and turmeric in small bowl and let steep for 15 minutes.
- Whisk flour, yeast, and salt together in bowl of stand mixer. Keep yeast and salt separate Whisk milk, melted butter, granulated sugar, egg, and saffron mixture in 4-cup liquid measuring cup until sugar has dissolved . Using dough hook on low speed slowly add milk mixture to flour mixture and mix until cohesive dough starts to form and no dry flour remains, about 2 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed.
- Increase speed to medium low and knead until dough is smooth and elastic and clears sides of bowl but sticks to bottom, about 8 minutes. Reduce speed to low, slowly add cranberries and zest and mix until incorporated about 2 minutes
- Transfer dough to lightly floured counter and knead by hand to form smooth round ball about 30 seconds. Place dough seam side down in lightly greased large bowl or container, cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise until increased in size by about half 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
- Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Press down on dough to deflate, then transfer to clean counter. Press and roll dough into 16 by 6 inch rectangle with long side parallel to counter edge. Using pizza cutter or chef's knife cut rectangle vertically into 16 (6 by 1 inch) strips and cover loosely with greased plastic.
- Working with 1 dough strip at a time, (keep remaining pieces covered), stretch and roll into 16-inch rope. If dough resists stretching, let it relax for 5 to 10 minutes before trying to stretch it again.
- Coil ends of rope in opposite directions to form tight S shape. Arrange buns on prepared sheets, spaced about 2 1/2 inches apart. Cover loosely with greased plastic and let rise until puffy, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Adjust oven racks to upper middle and lower middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Gently brush buns with egg mixture and sprinkle with pearled sugar, if using. Bake until golden brown 15 to 20 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking. Transfer rolls to wire rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour before serving.
Notes
- To avoid flat tasting buns, make sure to steep the saffron for the full 15 minutes.
- You want to add the yeast and salt separately in your mixing bowl. Salt can kill yeast, so it's important to add them separately. I like to add the yeast first,then my flour, and then the salt on top.
- To make the rolling out of the dough easy, I use a pastry mat. It has measurements on the side so I don't have to guess the size of the dough rectangle. It also is non stick so win win!
- Use a pizza cutter to make cutting the dough into strips super easy.
- If you can't find pearl sugar, or don't want to buy it online - you can also just simply crush up some sugar cubes and make your own.
Comments & Reviews
Type your question or comment below, and tap "Post Comment". I welcome constructive criticism, but please be respectful. Rude or inappropriate comments will not be published. Thank you!Baking isn't always easy! So if you had any issues, I'd appreciate the chance to help you troubleshoot before you rate.