Semlor: Traditional Swedish Fat Tuesday Buns (Semla

• Refrigerated

  • 1 Egg
  • 1 Egg white, fresh
  • 1 Egg yolk

• Baking & Spices

  • 4 cups All-purpose or bread flour
  • 1 tsp Cardamom
  • 3/4 cup Powdered/confectioners sugar
  • 1 Powdered/confectioners sugar
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 2 tsp Yeast, dry

• Nuts & Seeds

  • 1/2 cup Almonds, ground

• Dairy

  • 1/3 cup Butter
  • 1 tbsp Cream
  • 1/2 cup Milk
  • 1 Whipping cream

• Liquids

  • 1/2 cup Water

• Other

  • ⅓ cup (2.5 oz + ½ tsp sugar, divided

Found on christinascucina.com

Description

Ingredients

• 2 tsp dry yeast
• ½ cup (4 oz) lukewarm water
• ⅓ cup (2.5 oz) + ½ tsp sugar, divided
• ½ cup (4 oz) warm milk
• ⅓ cup (2.5 oz) melted butter
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1 tsp cardamom
• 4 cups (20 oz) all purpose or bread flour, or more if needed
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tbsp cream
• 1 fresh egg white (mine came from my neighbor and it’s the only way I eat raw eggs) not recommended with store-bought eggs
• ½ cup ground almonds (without skins)
• ¾ cup powdered/confectioner’s sugar
• whipping cream
• powdered/confectioner’s sugar for dusting

Directions

• In bread machine or stand mixer, place the lukewarm water, yeast and ½ tsp of sugar. Allow to rest for a few minutes, until the yeast begins to grow. Mix the milk, melted butter, beaten egg together, then add to the yeast mixture.
• Add the cardamom, flour, ⅓ cup (2.5 oz) of sugar and salt, and turn on machine (dough setting on bread machine or use a dough hook if using a stand mixer.) Mix and knead by hand if you aren’t using a machine.
• Dough will be slightly sticky. Allow cycle to finish on dough setting; with stand mixer, or by hand, when the dough is ready, cover it and let rise on the counter until doubled in size.
• After it’s risen, punch down the dough, and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut pieces of the dough and shape into round balls (about 15 to 18), and place onto a greased cookie sheet (or silicone sheet) about an inch apart. I baked mine with the buns too close together and they touched, so don’t put them as close as I did in the photo below. I also weighed mine so they would all be of equal size, but it’s really unnecessary unless you are a Type A personality, like me. :) Place the tray in the oven (do not turn it on) to rise for about half an hour or until doubled in size. (I put a large cup of boiling water in the oven for steam, so the buns don’t get a hard crust.
• Once doubled, remove the buns from the oven and brush with the egg glaze (just mix the egg and cream together and brush on gently.)
• Preheat the oven to 350º F (175ºC) then cook the buns for approximately 20 minutes, or until golden brown. While they are baking, prepare the almond paste.
• Whip the egg white until soft peaks form, then fold in the ground almonds and powdered sugar. Cover and set aside.
• Remove the cooked buns from the tray, and place on a cooling rack.
• When the Semlor are completely cool, whip the cream and assemble them.
• Begin by cutting a top on each bun with a sharp knife, cutting down into the center of the bun to create a space for filling in the bun. Then put a teaspoonful, or more, of the almonds paste.
• Next, top with whipped cream. I used my ISI Cream Whipper, which I adore!
• Place the top on the cream, and dust with powdered sugar. Repeat with remaining Semlor.