Saffron buns are a tradition for St. Lucia Day, which is still observed in much of Europe even though most feast days have fallen out of fashion. In Scandinavia, it’s a celebration of light in the darkest days of winter – these golden yellow buns are a lovely symbol of that.
My version is made with spelt flour, coconut oil, and sweetened with maple syrup (or honey). As with most vegan bread recipes, it works wonderfully without the need for eggs or butter in the dough.
Shaping is very simple for julgalt, the s-shapes pictured here. There are a number of other shapes for saffron buns but this is the easiest and very beautiful.
While these are vegan as written, I have provided some non-vegan substitutions and options for those who are just looking for recipes made with spelt flour.
This recipe is lightly adapted from my saffron wreath bread.
Ingredients
- Spelt Flour: light or sifted for the fluffiest buns.
- Saffron: look for saffron that’s sold in an opaque container, as it loses it’s intensity when exposed to light.
- Yeast: fresh or dry – see substitutions for more.
- Maple Syrup: or honey, as pictured, because I didn’t have any when shooting. See below for more on this.
- Oat Milk: or another non-dairy milk. Dairy milk can also be used if preferred.
- Coconut Oil: you could sub another oil that’s liquid at room temp, or use vegan butter.
- Salt: fine grain sea salt. Salt is used for best flavour and texture in the buns.
Step by Step
Heat the milk and saffron. Add to a large bowl with coconut oil and maple syrup. Stir to melt. Add the yeast. Set aside to bloom. Add the first part of flour. Mix, then add the second part. Stir into a shaggy dough. Knead until smooth. Cover and rise until doubled. Divide into ten equal parts. Roll into long strands. Roll into swirling s-shapes. Try to make both swirls equal. Set onto a lined baking sheet. Bake until golden.
No Second Prove
There is no second prove, or rise, for this dough once the buns are shaped. This is not necessarily typical for bread, but when julgalt are left for a second rise, they lose their characteristic shape during baking.
You can see an example of this below. The bottom bun had a 30-minute proving time after shaping, and the swirls have lost definition during baking. The top bun didn’t have more than a few minutes (the time needed to shape the other buns) and it’s much more defined. The interior texture is excellent even with the shorter proving time.
Tips and Notes
The buns should be brushed with milk (or egg) before baking to ensure a nice golden bun and to keep the swirls from separating during baking. This will also remove any bits of flour present from rolling the dough. Only use egg wash if the buns don’t need to be vegan.
Grinding the saffron makes for a more consistent golden hue, but it’s not mandatory if you don’t have a mortar and pestle. Rubbing it between your fingers before adding to the milk will help too.
Rolling the dough into the shorter strands before stretching into the longer strands allows the gluten to rest, and will make it easier to lengthen without tearing.
Make sure the milk mixture isn’t too hot before adding the yeast. Generally, melting the oil in the milk will ensure this, but it’s still good to check. It should feel just warm to the touch, but not hot, when testing with a fingertip.
Substitutions
As always, white flour can replace light spelt flour. Whole grain spelt will make heavier buns but it can be used (you’ll need slightly less, but this will balance out during kneading).
If you prefer sourdough, you can try my sourdough saffron buns over at Baked. They use eggs and butter but I make them with vegan butter and oat milk.
Maple syrup and honey can be used interchangeably. If you’re making these for someone else, it’s always good to ask what their dietary preferences are beforehand. I use local honey because it’s more sustainable than imported maple syrup.
If you want to decorate with raisins, soak them in hot water (or another liquid, like rum) for half an hour beforehand. They burn in the oven otherwise.
Fresh and dry yeast can be used interchangeably. It doesn’t matter if it’s instant or traditional dry yeast, as it’s being bloomed in the hot milk in any case.
More Holiday Breads
Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
Chocolate Orange Wreath Bread
Chocolate Banana Babka
More Winter Treats
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Spelt Saffron Buns
Ingredients
- 250 ml oat milk plus more for brushing
- 1 pinch saffron threads ground (about 1/2 a teaspoon)
- 45 grams coconut oil
- 50 grams maple syrup
- 2 ¼ teaspoons dry yeast or 1/2 cube fresh
- 450 – 500 grams light spelt flour
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Add 250 ml (1 cup) milk and a pinch of saffron to a small saucepan. Heat over medium until simmering but not boiling.
- Remove the milk from the heat and pour into a large, heat safe mixing bowl. Add 45 grams (3 tablespoons) coconut oil and 50 grams (1/4 cup) maple syrup, then whisk until the coconut oil has melted.
- Test the temperature of the mixture with a fingertip – it should feel just warm. Add 2 1/4 teaspoons dry (1/2 cube fresh) yeast and set aside to bloom for ten minutes. After this time, the mixture should look bubbly and expanded.
- Add 200 grams (1 1/4 cups) of the flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir to combine.
- Add the remaining 250 grams (1 3/4 cups) flour and stir until it forms a shaggy, dry looking dough.
- Lightly flour a work surface and turn the dough out onto it. Knead for 5-6 minutes, adding flour as needed to prevent sticking, until a soft, smooth dough forms.
- Place the dough back into the mixing bowl and cover with a tea towel. Set aside to rise until doubled in size, about one hour.
- Once the dough has risen, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Divide the dough into ten equal balls (weigh for most accuracy). Use your hands to roll the balls out into short strands, setting aside as you work through all ten. Once all have been rolled in this manner, start again from the first one and roll into long, thinner strands, about 40cm (16 in.) in length.
- Take each end of a strand and roll them in opposite directions toward the centre, creating two spirals that intersect in the middle. This is a julgalt.
- Place the bun onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all of the dough has been used.
- Brush the tops and sides of the buns with more milk.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until golden and the tops of the buns feel firm to touch. Cool for at least ten minutes before serving.
- Saffron buns are best on the day they're baked, but can be stored up to three days in an airtight container. They freeze well.
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