Bullar

bullar.JPG
I am one-quarter Swedish, but since it is too much of a strain to be one-quarter Swedish all year long, I solved that problem by being all Swedish during the month of December. And since someone was nice enough to tell me they made the last receipt I posted, I thought I would give you another one. This one is for the lovely buns in the photo, called bullar. They may look complicated, but are very easy and all people seem to love them — children, in-laws, boyfriends, ex-husbands, step-siblings, everyone.

  • 3/4 cup milk, scalded
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter plus a few tablespoons
  • 2 small tablespoons (2 packages) yeast
  • 1/2 cup warm water
  • 4 1/4 – 4 3/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 1/2 – 1 tbs. ground cardamom
  • 2 eggs
  • cinnamon and sugar

I scald the milk in the microwave in a large measuring cup and then add 1/2 cup butter cut in cubes and the sugar, to melt the butter and dissolve the sugar in the warm milk. Sprinkle the yeast on th warm water and stir. Put the milk mixture in a large bowl and add 1 1/2 cups of flour. beat with an electric mixer for a minute at low speed to develop the gluten. Beat in the eggs and the yeast. Now would be as good a time as any to add the salt and the cardamom. I always use a full tablespoon of the latter, but you can use less. Make sure it is fresh. Add as much of the rest of the flour as you need to make a nice dough. Knead for five to eight minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. This receipt makes a dough that is very easy to work with. Don’t add too much flour and let it get too dry, but the dough should not be sticky either.
Let it rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until it has doubled in bulk. Punch it down. Divide it in two, and keep the half you are not working with under a cloth while you shape the first half. Roll one half into a long rectangle about 10″ wide and as long as it gets with the dough fairly thin, maybe 2 and a half feet long. Spread your rectangle of dough with two or three tablespoons of melted butter and sprinkle it with cinnamon sugar. How much cinnamon sugar? Well, let’s say you were making a nice piece of cinnamon toast for yourself. That much. Fold the longest end down 1/3 from the top and up 1/3 from the bottom, like you were folding a letter for a business envelope. You will end up with a piece of folded dough about 3″ wide and still two and a half feet long or whatever, sandwiching the butter and cinnamon sugar. Cut this long piece of dough into short strips that are about 3/4″ wide. Hold an end of each strip in each of your hands and twist it as many times as you can, four or so good twists. Then tie it in a knot. Yes, it will work. The first strip is the hardest, but you’ll soon get the knack. Do this for each strip and put them on a cookie sheet spaced about an inch apart on all sides.
Now you can preheat your oven to 375 degrees because you need to let each batch of dough knots rise for half an hour before you cook them. Roll, fill, fold, twist, and knot the second slab of dough while you’re waiting. Then cook each sheet for 12 to 15 minutes, until they are lightly browned on the top and bottom. And then eat them with a mug of coffee, tea, or cocoa. Dipping is encouraged. Yum.
If you are very enthusiastic, you could brush beaten egg on them and sprinkle on pearl sugar before you put them in the oven, but my family always says to heck with it. We do freeze them in bags in batches, so we can always have them fresh. I find that reheating them for 20 seconds in a microwave warms them perfectly.

13 Replies to “Bullar”

  1. WOWOWOWO looks unbelievable.
    I am definately going to make this recipe soon!!!!
    And if it is successful, I will make it for Christmas ( to bring to my mother in laws house)

    Yummm

    THanks for the wonderful recipe and GREAT picture

  2. There is some Swedish blood in my family as well – perhaps I shall make this in honor of my late Grandfather! Would make a great Christmas morning treat…
    So beautiful.

  3. beautiful! 🙂 As completely Swedish, I just love seeing these pretty buns! I’ve never attempted the twist-and-knot myself, but you make it sound so easy 🙂

  4. Okay – here it is – Christmas Eve! And I’m making these RIGHT NOW! The knot tying got a little tricky, but I actually got quite a few decent-looking ones. I’m gonna steal one when they come out of the oven! Fingers crossed:)

  5. I made bullar last night from a different recipe. They turned out okay, but not fantastic like I had hoped. Maybe next time I will try your recipe! By the way, I’m one quarter Swedish as well, but I like to be Swedish the whole year round!

  6. Gorgeous. As one nth Swedish (which is to say, half Lithuanian) I am going to give this a try!

  7. These are very, very good. (If I do say so myself) The dough is very easy to work with. I like them because they are not too sweet.

  8. Being American but of 100% Swedish descent, I was in search of a new bullar recipe. My Mother made the best bullars and I wish I had taken the time to learn all her secrets. I remember a few… She did say that she preferred using cake to dry yeast. Also, she would never use pre-ground cardamom, but used a brass mortar and cup to crush the seeds. She is right–the taste cannot be compared. I “Googled” bullar and found your blog at the top of my search.

    Monday night I made a batch using your recipe. They rose as they should have despite a wee mistake I made combining the ingredients. After returning from Christmas break, I shared bullars with teachers in my lunch room and the response was all positive. Thanks for sharing yours with me.

  9. Hi great quick recipe
    i am full swedeih and live in Australia i came here when i was very young (5)
    i have been looking for a transalted version of this recipe for years i am so glad to find one..
    I have been making these for years in different versions not with cardomen
    my kids absolutley love these Bullar with a glass of cold milk and the dunk to it as well
    thanks a million
    Pia

  10. I hope you like the recipe, Pia. I use the same dough recipe to make semlor in February too.

  11. how accidental is life? or isn’t it? i found your blog…well, actually it found me but that’s another story. as you know, i am one half czech but somehow making dumplings stuffed with cherries for my family may not be well-received. cinnamon buns they love, but next time it’s bullar! hope all is well in your world. nice to see you on my screen.

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