These St. Lucia buns are not authentically Swedish. For one I have no Swedish ancestry, but more importantly they don’t contain saffron. It’s not because I don’t like saffron. I do! Saffron is fantastic in risotto and paella. To my surprise I even had just the right amount of saffron left in the spice cupboard to make St. Lucia buns. Unfortunately, in my attempt to alter this recipe by replacing the sugar with honey I caused my saffron milk to curdle. Apparently the average pH of honey is 3.9 and if you try to dissolve honey in milk on the stove the milk will curdle— a lesson learned!

Sadly I couldn’t use the saffron honey curdled milk to make the buns so I came up with another plan. I made another batch of scalded milk but I added orange zest and juice into the dough instead. Below you will find a delicious recipe for orange-cardamom flavoured St. Lucia buns, no saffron needed.

Recipe updated: December 2024

Ingredients

Adapted from St. Lucia Buns from Eat Live Run.
Makes about 2 dozen buns.

For the Dough:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/3 cup milk
• 2 1/4 tsp (1 packet) active dry yeast
• Zest of 1 orange
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice (about half an orange)
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 5 cups all-purpose flour (plus extra for kneading, as needed)
• 2/3 cup sugar (or 1/3–1/2 cup honey)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground cardamom

For the Egg Wash:

• 1 egg
• 2 Tbsp water or milk

Instructions

1. Warm the Milk and Butter:
In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter and milk. Heat the mixture until it is just about to boil (scalding the milk). Remove from heat and let cool to lukewarm (around 100–110°F).

2. Activate the Yeast:
Sprinkle the yeast into the lukewarm milk mixture. Stir gently and let sit for 5–10 minutes until the yeast becomes foamy.

3. Mix the Dry Ingredients:
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and ground cardamom. If using honey instead of sugar add in the next step. Stir to evenly distribute.

4. Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients:
Pour the milk-butter-yeast mixture into the flour mixture and stir gently. Add the orange zest, orange juice, and honey (if using instead of sugar, make sure honey is warm and liquid). Mix until roughly combined.

5. Add the Eggs and Knead:
Add the eggs to the dough mixture. Stir until the dough starts to come together.

• By Hand: Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
• By Machine: Use a stand mixer with a dough hook on medium-low speed for about 6–8 minutes.

Note: If the dough feels too sticky, add flour one tablespoon at a time until it is manageable but still soft.

6. First Rise:
Place the ball of dough in a greased bowl, turning it once to coat the surface lightly. Cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap and place in a warm, draft-free location. Let rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

7. Shape the Buns:

• Divide the dough into 2-ounce pieces (about the size of a large egg).
• Roll each piece into a log about 8 inches long.
• Shape the logs into an “S” shape, tucking the ends under to create a figure-eight or infinity sign.
• Place the shaped buns on a greased baking sheet or a parchment-lined sheet

8. Second Rise:
Cover the shaped buns loosely with a towel and let them rise in a warm location for 40 minutes to 1 hour, or until puffy.

9. Prepare the Egg Wash and Raisins:
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Whisk together 1 egg and 2 tablespoons of water or milk in a small bowl. Press raisins gently into the dimples of each shaped bun. (Tip: To keep raisins from popping out during baking, tuck them in just before brushing with the egg wash.) Brush the buns evenly with the egg wash.

10. Bake:
Bake the buns in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through for even baking. The buns are done when they are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.