Recipe
January 24, 2017
Scandinavian Birthday Buns
Try this recipe for Fødselsdagsboller or Birthday Buns from the cookbook ScandiKitchen: Fika & Hygge.
In Denmark, these buns are also used to make traditional birthday ‘cakes’ (Kagemand) — simply arrange the buns in the shape of a stick man or woman (making smaller buns), then bake and cool down, decorate with sticky icing and sweets, with wine gums for mouth and liquorice for eyes and gummy laces for hair.
Directions
Yield: Makes 12
- Prepare a mixer with the dough hook attached.
- Heat the cream and milk to finger warm (36-37ºC), then break the yeast into the liquid and stir until dissolved.
- Add the sugar and stir again, then start adding the flour mixed with the salt, bit by bit. Add the egg and soft butter and keep mixing. You may not need all the flour or you may need a bit more — start by adding half.
- Keep mixing until you have a dough that is still a little bit sticky, but is starting to let go of the sides of the bowl. This will take 5-7 minutes.
- Cover the bowl with Clingfilm and leave to rise until doubled in size — around 35-40 minutes.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough through with your hands, adding more flour if needed — don’t add too much or you will have dry buns.
- Cut the dough into 12 equal pieces and roll them until uniformly round, then place on a lined baking tray. Cover again and leave to rise for a further 20 minutes.
- Turn the oven to 200ºC (180ºC Fan).
- Brush each bun lightly with egg, then bake for around 10-12 minutes or until baked through (this will vary depending on your oven).
- Remove from oven and cover with a damp tea towel for 5 minutes if you prefer buns without hard crust.
- Serve sliced, open, just with butter or some really nice Scandinavian sliced cheese.
Source:
Excerpted from ScandiKitchen Fika & Hygge by Brontë Aurell, published by Ryland Peters & Small, $32.95. Copyright © 2016. Photography © Peter Cassidy. Used with permission by the publisher.