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Swedish Saffron and Almond Buns

Prep Time45 minutes
Cook Time12 minutes
proving2 hours
Total Time2 hours 57 minutes
Course: Fika, Tea/Fika
Cuisine: Swedish
Keyword: buns,, Fika,, Swedish,
Servings: 10 Buns

Ingredients

Tangzhong

  • 15 g strong white bread flour I use organic
  • 75 g whole milk

Bun Dough

  • Tangzhong see above
  • 300 g flour
  • 135 g whole milk
  • 1 large egg room temperature
  • 65 g butter
  • 40 g caster sugar
  • 15 g fresh yeast or 5g fast action yeast
  • a good pinch saffron
  • ¼ tsp fine sea salt

Almond & Orange Filling

  • 80 g unsalted butter room temperature
  • 50 g golden caster sugar
  • 70 g ground almond
  • 1 small orange zest of

To finish

  • remain egg mixed with a little milk
  • sugar nibs

Instructions

Tangzhong

  • Place the flour and milk in a small saucepan. Whisk together with a balloon whisk, on a medium heat until it thickens and bubbles. Remove from the heat and pour into a bowl and cover. Once it’s cooled to room temperature, it’s ready to use.

Bun Dough

  • Begin with the saffron. Grind in a very small bowl with 1/4 tsp sugar. Pour the milk into a small saucepan and add the ground saffron, warm the milk to approximately 38℃. Remove from the heat and set aside to infuse for 20 minutes. the milk should be cool. Add the fresh yeast, if using, whisk to incorporate (if using fast action yeast add it to the flour). Place the flour, tangzhong, sugar and salt in the bowl of a free standing mixer with the dough hook attached. Add the milk mixture and 40g of the egg with the machine running. Mix until a dough forms on a slow speed.  Once the dough has come together add the butter, increase the speed to medium/high and work the dough for another 10-12 minutes or until it feels shiny and smooth.
  • Place the dough in a bowl and cover and place in the fridge to prove for up to 14 hours or prove at room for 50-60 minutes or until it's doubled in size.

Filling

  • Combine all of the filling ingredients and set to one side.
  • Pre-heat the oven to 190°C fan.
  • Shaping the dough: On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out into 75x30cm. Spread the almond butter on approximately half of the surface. Fold the dough in half, roll again gently to make an approximate rectangle measuring 40x23cm.
  • Cut the dough into roughly 2cm wide strips, I find a pizza wheel good for this job. Twist a strip several times, slightly stretching it as you do so. Now wrap it up into a knot shape, similar to a ball of wool.
  • Arrange the buns on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (if they’re too crowded, use 2 sheets), allowing space between each bun. Cover and prove for 50-60 minutes or until approximately doubled in size. (If you have proved the dough in the fridge overnight they will take longer).
  • Brush the buns with beaten egg and a little milk and shower with sugar nibs.  Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool on a wire rack. Best eaten on the day of baking however they freeze incredibly well, just warm them in the oven after defrosting.

Notes

*Here is a video to demonstrate how to shape the buns.