Our first batch of Lucia buns evaporated so it was time to make a second one. Amata did a wonderful job of documenting this once already but I had my camera ready anyway...
The ingredients:
1/2 tsp salt, 7 tablespoons of butter (100 grams), 2 grams of saffran (this is double the normal amount but it's worth it...), 2 cups of whole (or more) milk, 1/2 pound quark, 50 grams (about 2 oz) cake yeast, 3/4 cup "vit baksirap" (essentially simple sugar with a large amount of glucose in it - regular, granulated sugar can by substituted although the buns stay moister with the "vit baksirup"), 7-8 cups of flour
Start by adding the saffron to the milk and gently heating:
(This step is not necessary but I do it to extract as much flavor from the saffron as possible. Ideally, this could be done the day before baking.)
Let the mixture steep and cool to about 95 degrees.
Add the milk/saffron mixture to the yeast in the mixing bowl...
... and mix to dissolve the yeast.
When the yeast has dissolved, add the quark and the "baksirap"/sugar before adding the flour:
Mix until elastic (about 10 minutes).
Add the salt and the rooms temperature butter (bit by bit):
Add any extra flour needed to make the dough managable and mix for another 10-15 minutes (on low speed). When done, it will be very elastic and slightly sticky:
Let rise for 45 minutes and pour out onto a floured working surface.
This batch makes about 35 buns so divide into 35 pieces and start making your shapes:
We like to gild the lily around here (something unheard of by most LTHForum-readers, I'm sure...) so half of the batch was made into buns. Simply roll out the dough, spread rooms temperature butter on it, grate almond paste over and sprinkle with raisins.
Roll up and slice the roll into inch-thick buns.
Place all of the buns on buttered or parchment-covered pans and let rise for 30 minutes.
Before:
After:
Before baking, brush with an egg wash and bake in a very hot (425 degree) oven for 5-10 minutes. Keep an eye on these as they seem to brown in seconds!
That should keep us going until after Monday's Julbord, at least...