Saffron Buns
Submitted by ewathen
Golden saffron buns with a soft, pillowy crumb and pearl sugar topping. A Scandinavian-style yeast bread with warm saffron color and delicate floral flavor.
YIELD
16 servingsPREP
40 minCOOK
20 minREADY
4These yeast buns turn a gorgeous golden yellow from saffron steeped in hot water before it goes into the dough. That 10-minute soak blooms the saffron, releasing its color and that distinctive floral, honey-like aroma that you can smell as soon as the oven door opens.
The dough is enriched with egg, milk, and butter, making it soft and slightly sweet without being dessert-level rich. It needs a proper knead (15 minutes by hand, or let a stand mixer or bread machine do the work) to develop enough gluten for a tender, pull-apart texture.
Pearl sugar on top is what gives these their signature look and crunch. The sugar stays intact during baking, adding sweet, crunchy bursts against the soft bread. An egg white wash underneath makes the sugar stick and gives the buns a glossy finish.
Two rises here: the first takes about two hours until puffy, then a second rise of 90 minutes after shaping. Don’t rush these. The long, slow rise develops flavor that quick-risen dough just can’t match.
Chef Tips
- Crush the saffron threads before steeping. Whole threads don’t release their color and flavor as evenly
- The dough should be soft, not stiff. Err on the side of less flour rather than more
- Place the shaped balls close together but not touching in the pan. As they rise and bake, they’ll press against each other and create that pull-apart effect
- Pearl sugar can be found at Scandinavian specialty stores or online. Regular coarse sugar works in a pinch but melts more
Variations
- Swedish Lucia buns: Shape the dough into traditional S-curves with a raisin pressed into each curl
- Cardamom addition: Add a teaspoon of ground cardamom to the dough for a classic Swedish flavor pairing
Ingredients
Directions
Combine the hot water and saffron, and let sit for 10 minutes to soften the saffron.
In a mixing bowl, beat together the saffron water, milk, sugar, butter, salt, egg, yeast, 2 cups of the flour.
Add enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough.
Knead the dough (for about 15 minutes by hand, 12 minutes in an electric mixer, 90 seconds in a food processor, or in your bread machine using the dough cycle), then set it aside to rise until puffy (but not necessarily doubled in bulk), about 2 hours.
Punch the dough down, and let it rest, covered, for 10 minutes.
Divide the dough into 16 pieces, and shape each piece into a ball.
Place the balls fairly close together (but not touching) in a 12- inch deep -dish pizza pan or 9 x 13-inch pan, cover them, and let rise for 1½ hours, or until they’re puffy.
Glaze the buns with the mixture of beaten egg white and water, then sprinkle them heavily with pearl sugar.
Bake them in a preheated 375℉ (190℃) F oven for 20 minutes, or until they’re golden brown.
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