Sweet Saffron Bread

This is a very traditional Swedish Christmas time favourite of mine. Saffron bread or rather Lusse Katt.
Sadly I couldn't get hold of the traditional ground saffron instead I got the stalks, which resulted in my not so yellow buns. Instead the bread was speckled with yellow flecks of saffron. They were still yummy though.

Traditionally this sweet bread is made in the beginning of December just before Santa Lucia* is celebrated.

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Lucy's_Day





Lusse Katt 

50 grams yeast (I used dried but fresh will always be better in my opinion)
100 gram butter
5 dl milk
250 grams quark or creme fraiche
1 gram saffron (if you cannot find ground/powder saffron then try to grind it yourself with a pestle & mortar)
1,5 dl sugar
2-3 tsp cardamon
pinch of salt
approx 17 dl flour (I used spelt but regular unbleached flour will also do fine, no whole wheat)
1 egg for glazing

1. begin by crumbling the yeast into a bowl. Melt the butter and add the milk, the mixture should be luke warm or it will kill the yeast. To test, stick you finger into the mix, there should be no real feeling of cold or hot, instead just body temperature.
2. Pour the luke warm melted butter and milk over the yeast. Stir to de-solve the yeast.
3. Add the quark/creme fraiche, saffron, sugar, and cardamon. Mix. 
4. Add the flour, slowly, and keep mixing. Add flour till the mix has become a dough, that is silky and elastic. The dough should not stick to the sides of the bowl, if it does add more flour, little by little. 
5. Allow the dough to rise under a clean kitchen cloth in a warm area of your kitchen for 40min. 
6. roll the dough into shapes and place on baking paper on a baking trey. Allow to rise for another 40min. 
7. Pre-heat your oven till 225 degrees Celsius.
8. Whisk the egg in a cup with a fork and using a kitchen "paint brush", glaze each bun and add a raisin if you like. 
9. PLace the buns in the oven on the baling trey for 8-12min, depending on the size of your buns. They should come out golden yet fluffy. 

Enjoy with a glass of steaming hot glogg or hot chocolate with a little whipped cream and perhaps also a splash of congac. 

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