Swedish Tea Ring

A traditional Swedish tea ring, a sweet yeasted bread shaped into a stunning ring with snipped, turned-out sections that create a flower or sunburst pattern. Each section pulls apart easily for serving, making this both gorgeous and practical for a brunch or holiday breakfast table.

The rolled construction is essentially a cinnamon roll reimagined as one continuous spiral instead of individual buns. The sheet of yeast dough gets brushed with butter, sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, and rolled jelly-roll style before being shaped into a ring and snipped.

The snipping technique is what creates the distinctive look. Cutting through three-quarters of the dough with scissors and turning each section cut-side up reveals the cinnamon spirals within and creates the signature flower shape after baking.

Three rises is more than most yeast breads, but they’re what make this dough light and tender. The triple rise develops complex flavor and the airiest possible crumb, the kind that practically melts on the tongue.

Pro Tips

• Use lukewarm water around 110°F (43°C) to dissolve the yeast. Hot water kills it, cold leaves it dormant.

• Keep the dough slightly softer than bread dough. Stiff dough makes a chewy tea ring instead of the soft pillowy version it should be.

• Use sharp kitchen shears for the snipping. A knife crushes the dough and ruins the clean cuts.

• Drizzle with a simple powdered sugar glaze after baking for the traditional finished look.

Variations

• Add a half cup of raisins or chopped dried cranberries to the dough as suggested in the original recipe.

• Use cardamom instead of cinnamon for a more authentic Scandinavian flavor profile.

• Fold in chopped pecans or almonds with the cinnamon sugar for crunchy texture throughout.