Buns "Eyes of Saint Lucia" (Lussekatter)

Cookinero 8 April 2025

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A very beautiful and romantic custom associated with buns exists in Sweden. The national legend says that once a beautiful girl lived in the country, who was originally from Sicily. Her name was Lucia, and she was distinguished by extraordinary piety, wanting only one thing in life - to devote herself to the Lord. When a local rich man wooed her, the beauty refused him, and he, unable to endure humiliation, brutally dealt with her, depriving her of her sight. Since then, every year on December 13 in Sweden, young girls rise before dawn, dress in long white dresses, and crowns decorated with candles are put on their heads. They wake up with a home song that, despite the cold and dark winter, the light will definitely return. At the same time, the eldest daughter in the family plays the role of Lucia and treats all household members with freshly baked saffron buns. This family ritual is also performed in schools, hospitals and other institutions.

Step-by-Step Cooking Instructions

Step 1

Warm up the milk. Pour half a glass and dilute the yeast in it with a spoonful of sugar and flour. Leave for 15 minutes for the yeast to start working.

Step 2

Sift the flour into a bowl, pour in the dissolved yeast, add the remaining milk, add finely crushed saffron, beaten eggs, melted butter and sugar. Knead a smooth elastic dough. Cover and let stand until double rise for 1-1.5 hours.

Step 3

After that, divide the dough into equal pieces - I have 80 g each. From each part, form bundles 15-20 cm long, and from them - the letter "S", insert raisins into each curl. Place on baking paper and let rise for 15 minutes.

Step 4

Beat the egg with milk and brush the buns with it. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for 12 minutes (mine takes about 10 minutes, you have to be careful because the buns brown quickly). Let cool on a wire rack.