Lucia Saffron Buns “Lussebullar”

• 50 g fresh active yeast or 1 tbsp dry active yeast
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 g (2 sachets) saffron powder
• 120 g organic butter (or 100 g coconut oil + 20 g almond butter)
• 2 cups milk of choice (oat milk, rice milk, cow’s milk or soy milk)
• 100 g / 1/2 cup coconut sugar or maple syrup
• 250 g / 1 cup quark cheese, greek yogurt or vegan yogurt
• 800-1000 g / 7-8 cups flour (we use half light and half whole grain)
• 50 raisins (approx. 1/3 cup)

Brush with

• 1 egg yolk, beaten  (use plant milk for vegan alternative)

Crumble the yeast in a large mixing bowl. Melt butter in a medium size sauce pan, then add milk, sugar or maple syrup and saffron and heat until 37°C / 98°F. Pour the mixture into the mixing bowl with yeast. Add quark cheese and stir around until dissolved. Add 2/3 of the flour. Stir around with a wooden spoon until it is thick enough to knead with your hands. Add more flour until the dough is easy to work with and has formed into a round ball that doesn’t stick to your hands. Cover the bowl with a kitchen cloth and leave to rise in a warm place for about an hour, or until double in size and full of air pockets.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for a minute, form it into the shape of a baguette. Divide it into 24 equal pieces and, using your hands, roll each piece into a long 1/2-inch ( about 1 cm) thick string. Then roll both ends tight in opposite direction into an S-shaped bun. Place buns, well spaced apart, on 2 baking sheets, cover with a cloth and set aside in a warm spot to rise for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 440°F (225°C). Brush the buns with an egg yolk or milk and then place one raisin in each circle. Bake the buns until golden brown on top, about 5-8 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to let cool slightly. Serve!