Semla: the recipe for Swedish sweet buns

A delicious recipe for Carnival: Swedish semla, filled with custard and whipped cream. Or whatever cream comes to mind, depending on whether you want to try the traditional version or customize it with your favorite cream.

This time, we're heading to Sweden in search of original recipes for our Carnival. Bugie, frappe, and castagnole are always delicious, but if we want to add a touch of originality to our Carnival table, in anticipation of Shrove Tuesday, we can try Swedish semla, delicious sweet rolls.

History and origins of the Swedish semla

First things first: what are semla? Also known as fastlagsbulle in Sweden, laskiaispulla in Finland, vastlakukkel in Estonia, bolla in Iceland, and fastelavnsbolle in Denmark and Norway, it's a typical dessert in both Scandinavia and the Baltics. It's traditionally served from the Monday before Lent until the beginning of Lent, making it a perfect dessert for Shrove Tuesday.

The history of this dessert is very ancient. Originally, it was a simple piece of black bread dipped in hot milk. Its origins date back to 1541, when it was eaten primarily by nobles and the king. It was especially eaten between Shrove Tuesday and Easter, before beginning the fast of Lent.

Obviously, over time, semla has been modified and now takes the form of a soft, round bun, often flavored with cardamom. Typically, the top is cut off, removing the inner crumb to fill it with almond paste and whipped cream. The top can then be placed back on top of the cream, like a hat, optionally dusted with powdered sugar.

But no matter where you go, you always find something different. The Finnish version, for example, uses raspberry jam instead of cream. The Danish and Icelandic versions, on the other hand, are made of puff pastry filled with whipped cream, jam, and topped with icing.

Swedish semla recipe

But today we're going to talk about Swedish semla. Again, we'll reiterate that there are many different recipes and variations, as every home cook, pastry chef, amateur cook, and chef has their own secret version. Generally speaking, however, Swedish semla are sweet rolls flavored with cardamom and filled with almond cream and whipped cream. The texture is soft, but the filling can be replaced, if desired, with custard or raspberry jam.

Some people skip the filling, preferring to leave them plain so they can be eaten for breakfast, dipped in milk (or whatever you drink in the morning). Typical of Carnival, they're also perfect for a snack, a light bite, or a picnic.

The recipe we've chosen isn't the simplest, but it's not overly difficult either. Let's just say it requires a certain amount of skill. Also, consider the timing carefully. It will take at least an hour to prepare, but you'll need to add a quarter of an hour of cooking time and at least a couple and a half hours for the dough to rest. So, try to get started early.

Ingredients of Swedish semla

These are the ingredients you will need for the semla dough:

00 flour: 420 grams

butter: 100 grams

sugar: 90 grams

Whole milk: 200 milliliters (if you choose lactose-free milk, always remember that it tends to have a sweeter taste, so it's best to reduce the sugar content a little)

egg: 1

cardamom powder: 4 grams

brewer's yeast: 15 grams

salt: half a teaspoon

To prepare the almond cream (alternatively, you can find the recipe for the pastry cream here), you will need:

peeled almonds: 200 grams

sugar: 100 grams

water: 60 milliliters

milk: 50 milliliters

Other ingredients:

fresh cream: 400 milliliters

egg: 1

icing sugar: to taste

Preparation

Let's start with the dough. Place the sifted flour, sugar, and brewer's yeast in a stand mixer or food processor. Then, pour in the warmed milk, egg, butter cut into pieces, and cardamom (the seeds should be ground). Turn everything together and work the dough, adding the salt and kneading until smooth and homogeneous.

Now divide the dough into 14-15 pieces and shape them into balls. Place these balls on a baking sheet, remembering to line it with parchment paper. Space the balls well apart, cover them with a clean tea towel, and let them rise until doubled in size.

Brush the balls with egg mixed with water and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for 15 minutes. Remove the rolls from the oven and let them cool.

But don't worry: you won't be sitting idly by, because you'll need to make the almond cream first. Place the almonds, sugar, and water in the same bowl. Blend everything until you get a fairly grainy but thick cream.

Once the rolls have cooled, cut them in half and remove a little of the crumb. Don't throw it away, but add it to the almond cream, then add the milk and blend again.

Now take the new cream and fill your semla rolls with it. Then cover with whipped cream and replace the top of the roll. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired. Enjoy! But remember that filled rolls only last one day in the refrigerator, even if stored in an airtight container. If you don't have them filled, they'll last a maximum of 2-3 days at room temperature.