Swedish Semlor
I stumbled across Story on a Plate’s Instagram and came across this photo that blew me away. Swedish Semlor, I had never seen anything like it except for like a cream puff (thanks Kelly…) But I needed to make this, it looked so intriguing.
Semlor, first of all is a plural for Semla buns. This confused me the most. However, this ended up being the most decadent sort of breakfast pastry dessert if there ever was one. This would have been perfect with a chai or something.
If you do not like Chai, or the flavor of Cardamom I would shy away personally. But I thoroughly enjoyed this. It is recommend to serve with and/or within warm milk, however I just ate it on it’s own.
This is mainly adapted from the recipe from Linda at Call Me Cupcake, her Instagram is phenomenal. Just changed the Almond paste to Nutella. Thanks to Story on a Plate for the idea of swapping out Almonds for Nutella.
Highly suggest also checking out her instructional video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6EsiH5oYyE
- Use fresh Cardamom from Cardamom pods. You can find them in the speciality (Indian aisle) at Wegmans
- Those more familiar have informed me that the traditional filling is Almond Paste or Marzipan. Nutella works well, but is non-traditional.
Swedish Semlor
Ingredients
Buns
- 25 g Fresh Yeast 4.41 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 125 ml Cold Milk 1/2 cup + 1 tsp
- 75 g Granulated sugar 1/3 cup
- 1 tbsp Freshly Ground Cardamom
- 1 Medium Egg
- 325 g All Purpose Flour 11.4 oz
- 1/2 tbsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Flaky Salt
- 100 g Very Soft Salted Butter 1 scant stick
Nutella Filling
- 100 g Nutella 3.5 oz
- 100 g Granulated Sugar 1/2 cup
- Pinch Salt
- 100 ml Milk 1/3 cup + 1 1/2 tbsp
- Pinch Cardamom Optional
Egg Wash
- 1 Egg
- 1 tbsp Water or Milk
- Pinch Salt
Whipped Topping
- 2 cups Heavy Whipping Cream
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- Granulated Sugar
Extra
- Powdered sugar to dust
Instructions
Bun Assembly
- Crumble the fresh yeast into the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl if you’re working by hand. Stir in a little bit of the cold milk until the yeast has dissolved. If using active dry yeast, I just threw in the same amount as the fresh.
- Add the rest of the milk, sugar, freshly ground cardamom and egg and stir. Combine flour and baking powder in a medium bowl. Add about half of the flour & baking powder mix to the dough, then stir until the dough just comes together.
- Add the salt, the remaining flour mix and the butter. Work the dough using the dough hook on a stand mixer, for 10-15 minutes or until the dough is very soft and elastic. The dough will be a little sticky but don’t be tempted to add more flour! Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
- On a floured surface, divide the dough into 9 equally sized pieces. Using your hands (which should also be floured), shape each piece of dough into a ball using a circling motion until the bun is smooth and shiny. Cup your hand around the bun without too much pressure and swirl it around in a circling motion to shape it into a round and smooth ball. Ensure that when creating these balls, if there are any crevices avoid using those on top. You want a smooth top.
- Gently transfer the buns to a baking sheet with baking paper, and remember to leave some space between them so they can rise. Cover the buns with a clean kitchen towel and leave to rise for 60-90 minutes. Meanwhile, go through the next steps to prepare the Nutella filling.
Nutella Filling
- Combine Nutella, sugar, salt, milk and cardamom (optional), in a food processor/mixer. Pulse until everything comes together, the mixture should be quite runny. Place the Nutella filling in the fridge while going through the next steps.
Baking and Assembly
- Set the oven temperature to 435°F. Whisk together the egg, water and salt in a small bowl. Gently brush the buns with the egg wash.
- Bake the buns for 11-13 minutes or until golden brown in color. Let cool on a wire rack.
- Cut the tops of the buns to create a lid using a serrated knife, and make a small well in the middle of the bun using a fork. Save the crumb from the buns and add to the Nutella filling. Add a splash of milk to the Nutella filling if it gets too thick in consistency. Spoon the Nutella filling into the well in each bun.
- In a medium bowl, beat the cream to soft peaks.
- Pipe the cream onto each bun and place the ‘lid’ on top. Dust with powdered sugar. Best eaten the same day they are made.
Notes
- Yeast Converter: https://www.traditionaloven.com/conversions_of_measures/yeast_converter.html
- Use fresh Cardamom from Cardamom pods. You can find them in the speciality (Indian aisle) at Wegmans
- Those more familiar have informed me that the traditional filling is Almond Paste or Marzipan. Nutella works well, but is non-traditional.
