St. Lucia Saffron Buns Recipe, Swedish Lussekatter Rolls (2024)

Breakfast
Christmas
Bread

Swedish Christmastime favorite, saffron infused S shaped sweet rolls, for St. Lucia Day.

Elise Bauer

Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.

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Updated February 04, 2022

23 ratings

St. Lucia Saffron Buns

Prep Time2 hrs 30 mins

Cook Time12 mins

Total Time2 hrs 42 mins

Servings12to 14 servings

This recipe makes 12 to 14 good sized buns. You can easily double the recipe. Note the cardamom is optional. I've made these buns with and without a little cardamom and Iprefer them with. I'm guessing it's more traditional without.

Ingredients

3/4 cup milk(175ml)
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
1 teaspoon plus 1/4 cup (50g) white granulated sugar
1 (1/4-ounce) packet active dry yeast (check the expiration date on the package to make sure it's still good!)
3 1/2 to 4 cups (490g to 570g) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
The seeds from 3 cardamom pods, ground, optional
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons, 56g) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup sour cream(or quark if available)
2 large eggs
Raisins

Glaze

1 egg, beaten

Method

Heat milk, saffron, sugar:
In a small pot, heat the milk, saffron, and 1 teaspoon of sugar together until the milk is steamy. Remove from heat and stir to dissolve the sugar. Let cool until about 115°F, or warm to the touch, but not hot.
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Bloom the yeast:
Sprinkle the yeast over the warm saffron-infused milk, and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes until foamy.
Whisk flour, sugar, salt, cardamom:
In the bowl of a stand-up mixer* whisk together 3 1/2 cups (490g) of the flour, remaining 1/4 cup of sugar, salt and ground cardamom (if using).
*You can make this recipe without a mixer, for me it's just a bit easier with one.
Make a well in the center of the flour and add the yeast milk saffron mixture, the eggs, the butter, and the sour cream:
Mix the ingredients until well incorporated.
Knead the dough:
Switch to the dough hook of your mixer (if using, otherwise knead by hand). On low speed start to knead the dough. Slowly add additional flour, a tablespoon at a time, kneading to incorporate after each addition. Do this until the dough is still a little sticky to the touch, but does not completely stick to your hands when you handle it.
Let dough rise:
Shape the dough into a ball and place in a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. (Note at this point you can make ahead and refrigerate overnight if you wish.)
Let sit in a warm place for 1 to 2 hours, until the dough has doubled in size. (One way to tell that the dough is ready is that you poke your finger in it and it takes quite a bit of time for the indentation left by your finger to go away.)
Form dough into S shapes:
When the dough has doubled in size, gently press it down and knead it a couple of times. Break off a piece and form it into a ball about 2 inches wide (60 to 70 grams if you are weighing). Roll the ball out into a snake, about 14 inches long.
Then Curl the ends in opposite directions, forming an "S" with spirals at each end. Place on a lined baking sheet and repeat with the rest of the dough.
Let sitfor second rise:
Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until the dough shapes double in size, 30 minutes to an hour.
Brush with egg wash, place raisins on buns:
Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C). Using a pastry brush, brush some beaten egg over the tops and sides of the uncooked buns. Place raisins in the centers of the "S" spirals.
Bake:
Place in the oven and bake at 400°F (205°C) for about 10 to 11 minutes (turning halfway through cooking to ensure even browning), until the buns are golden brown.
Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before eating.

Links:

Swedish Lucia for Dummies - a tongue in cheek video about Swedish traditions of St. Lucia Day

Swedish Tea Ring or Coffee Bread - here on Simply Recipes

Lussekatter or St. Lucia Rolls - an in-depth explanation of the history surrounding St. Lucia on My Diverse Kitchen

Light in the Dark of Winter - from Foodie Underground

Whole Wheat St. Lucia Saffron Buns - from Texanerin

St. Lucia Saffron Buns Recipe, Swedish Lussekatter Rolls (19)

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
232	Calories
6g	Fat
38g	Carbs
6g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12to 14
Amount per serving
Calories	232
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 6g	7%
Saturated Fat 3g	15%
Cholesterol 52mg	17%
Sodium 69mg	3%
Total Carbohydrate 38g	14%
Dietary Fiber 1g	5%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 6g
Vitamin C 0mg	1%
Calcium 34mg	3%
Iron 2mg	12%
Potassium 111mg	2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

St. Lucia Saffron Buns Recipe, Swedish Lussekatter Rolls (2024)

FAQs

What is lussekatter made of? ›

The word lussekatt roughly translates to Lucy cat. The lussekatt is made from a more or less a standard sweet wheat dough which is flavored with saffron. The buns are shaped into different figures, the most common is an S but there are many varieties.

Read The Full Story ›

Why is it called lussekatter? ›

Why is it called Lussekatter? It is thought that the buns were originally modeled after a sleeping cat (the S-shape being the curled up tail), believed to ward off the devil.

Get More Info ›

What do you eat on St. Lucia Day in Sweden? ›

The Lucia celebrations also include gingerbread biscuits and sweet, saffron-flavoured buns (lussekatter) shaped like curled-up cats and with raisin eyes. You eat them with glögg, Swedish mulled wine, or coffee.

Is Santa Lucia Swedish or Italian? ›

The Festival of St. Lucia, which is traditionally celebrated on December 13, begins the Christmas season in Swedish custom. The so-called "Festival of Lights" stems from the fourth-century martyrdom of an Italian saint and the incidents which followed.

Explore More ›

What is lussekatter in english? ›

This sweet, saffron-flavoured bun, known as 'lussekatt' (directly translated as 'Lucia cat'), is typically shaped into the letter 'S' to look like a curled-up cat, with raisins for decoration to resemble the cat's eyes.

Read The Full Story ›

When to eat lussekatter? ›

St Lucia buns, or Lussekatter are Swedish buns eaten for breakfast with coffee or as an afternoon treat on the 13^th December, or St Lucia Day. The saffron gives a lovely cheerful appearance to the buns, which is just perfect in the depths of the dark winter (and especially so in Sweden!).

Keep Reading ›

Why do Swedes celebrate Lucia? ›

Lucia made her first recorded appearance in a Swedish rural home in 1764, but the custom really established itself in the 1900s. On 13 December, Sweden celebrates Lucia Day. The event symbolizes light in the midst of a dark winter.

What animal is St. Lucia known for? ›

The country is home to well over 2,000 native species, of which nearly 200 species occur nowhere else (including 76% of its terrestrial reptiles). The nation's best-known species is the gorgeous but endangered Saint Lucia amazon parrot.

Know More ›

What is St. Lucia Christmas tradition? ›

Families observe St. Lucia's Day in their homes by having one of their daughters (traditionally the eldest) dress in white and serve coffee and baked goods, such as saffron bread (lussekatter) and ginger biscuits, to the other members of the family. These traditional foods are also given to visitors during the day.

Know More ›

What is St Lucia traditional meal? ›

The signature meal you should have in Saint Lucia is green figs and salt fish, the island's national dish. Locals boil unripe bananas and then add salt-cured boiled or flaked cod.

Know More ›

What does Lucia mean in Sweden? ›

When Christianity took over Sweden, each day in the calendar was given a saint. The one for 13 December was Saint Lucia. She gets her name from the Latin “lux”, which means “light”. Saint Lucia was born around 280 AD in Syracuse on Sicily and was chosen as a Christian martyr and saint after her death.

Find Out More ›

What is the Scandinavian tradition of St Lucia? ›

The day is celebrated with a Lucia train (Luciatåg) procession in which a young girl elected to portray St Lucia leads the way wearing a white gown, with a red sash and crown of candles. She is trailed by Lucia handmaidens (tärnor), star boys (stjärngossar) and gingerbread men (pepparkaksgubbar) who all carry candles.