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Stacked lussekatter saffron buns with a cut slice showing the soft crumb, served with coffee

Lussekatter — Swedish Saffron Buns

Soft, saffron-spiced Scandinavian buns shaped in the traditional S-curl, studded with raisins.
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Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Rising 1 hour 40 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 30 buns
Course: Bread, Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian, Swedish
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Tangzhong
  • 80 g all-purpose flour ⅔ cup
  • 400 g whole milk 1⅔ cups
  • 1 g saffron threads about 1 tsp loosely packed
  • 1 tsp ground cardamom
Dough
  • 770 g all-purpose flour about 6½ cups
  • 240 ml whole milk 1 cup
  • 1 large egg, for the dough room temperature
  • 35 g fresh yeast or 11 g (3½ tsp) instant yeast, or 14 g (4½ tsp) active dry yeast
  • 135 g granulated sugar ⅔ cup
  • 3 g salt ½ tsp
  • 150 g butter room temperature, cubed
Finishing
  • 60 raisins about 2 per bun — choose soft, slightly moist raisins
  • 1 large egg, for egg wash beaten, for egg wash (optional)
Sugar Syrup Glaze (50/50)
  • 50 g water 3½ tbsp
  • 50 g granulated sugar ¼ cup

Equipment

  • Stand mixer This dough needs 15–20 minutes of kneading. Ours is a KitchenAid Artisan, and enriched doughs like this are what it's for.
  • Digital kitchen scale For precise flour and butter measurements — and for dividing the dough into even 60 g pieces.
  • Pastry brush For the egg wash and the sugar glaze.
  • 2 Baking sheets (2) + parchment The buns spread a little in the oven, so leave space between them.
  • Wire cooling rack So the bases stay soft rather than steaming.

Method
 

Make the tangzhong
  1. Whisk the flour and milk together in a saucepan.
  2. Heat over medium, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens to a smooth paste (about 149°F / 65°C).
  3. Remove from the heat and stir in the saffron and cardamom. The warmth helps both spices bloom.
  4. Let the tangzhong cool to room temperature.
Make the dough
  1. Add the cooled tangzhong, flour, milk, yeast, sugar, egg and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer. Keep the butter aside.
  2. Knead for 7–10 minutes, then add the cubed butter.
  3. Continue kneading for a total of 15–20 minutes, finishing on high speed for the last 5 minutes. The dough should be smooth, glossy and pass the windowpane test.
  4. Cover the bowl (a plastic bag over the bowl works well) and let rise for about 1 hour, until doubled in size.
Shape
  1. Divide the dough into pieces of about 60 g.
  2. Roll each piece into a long rope and curl both ends in opposite directions to form an S-shape.
    Saffron dough rolled into long, even ropes for shaping lussekatter
  3. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving space between each bun. Do not add the raisins yet.
    Shaped lussekatter dough in the classic S-curl on parchment paper
  4. Let rise for 35–45 minutes, until puffy.
Make the sugar syrup
  1. While the buns rise, combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan.
  2. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar has fully dissolved and the syrup is clear.
  3. Remove from the heat and set aside until the buns come out of the oven.
Bake and glaze
  1. Preheat the oven to 225°C (440°F).
  2. Press a raisin deep into the center of each curl, then brush the buns with egg wash if using.
  3. Bake for 7–12 minutes, until golden.
  4. Brush the sugar glaze over the buns as soon as they come out of the oven. Let cool on a rack.

Notes

Chef's tip — raisins go in last. Add them after the second rise, right before baking, and press each one deep into the curl. Added at shaping, the dough rises around them and pushes them out; left on the surface, they burn in a hot oven.
  • Saffron is the star. The cardamom is there to round it out, not to compete — don't be tempted to add more.
  • Storage: best the day they're baked. Freeze cooled buns in an airtight bag and refresh briefly in a warm oven.