Semla - laskiaispulla - fastlagsbulle

Swedish Semla / Finnish laskiaispulla

This recipe if for approx 40buns.

Ingredients for the buns:
1 sachet of jäst (dry yeast) or 50g fresh yeast
150g butter
5 deciliter milk (blue top)
0.5 tsp salt
1 deciliter sugar
2 tsp grind cardamon
1.5 litre(ca 850g) flour
1 egg (for brushing on the buns)

Filling:
Mandelmassa - Almond Paste
Whipped Cream

Oven temperature 220-250C

Bake the buns:
Melt the butter and add the milk, heat to 37C.
Crumble the yeast into a bowl. Add some of the milk mixture and mix until the yeast has dissolved.Add remaining milk mixture, salt, sugar, cardamon and most of the flour (save some for kneading the dough later).
Mix well until smooth.
Cover and let rise for approx 30min.
Place the dough on a table and knead until smooth. Shape the dough into approx 40 small buns and place on an oven tray.
Cover and let rise again, for approx 30Min's.
Whisk an egg and brush on to the buns.
Bake in oven for approx 10minutes in 220-250C
Let the buns cool down before adding the filling.

Adding the Filling:
Cut the top of the buns - this will be the lid.
Dig out a small hole in the bun with a fork.
Place the removed crumbs into a bowl. Mix with grated "Mandelmassa" and a small amount of whisked cream.
Place the filling in the hole.
Top with whisked cream and add the lid on top.

History:

The semla was originally eaten only on Shrove Tuesday, as the last festive food before Lent. However, with the arrival of the Protestant Reformation, the Swedes stopped observing a strict fasting for Lent. The semla in its bowl of warm milk became a traditional dessert every Tuesday between Shrove Tuesday and Easter. Today, semlas are available in shops and bakeries every day from shortly after Christmas until Easter. Each Swede consumes on average five bakery-produced semlas each year, in addition to all those that are homemade.