A semla (semlor plural) is a traditional, sweet Swedish bun.
Ingredients:
For the bread:
- 10g yeast
- 60ml warm water
- 1 medium egg (plus an extra egg for glaze)
- 75g caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom seeds
- 230ml milk
- 70g unsalted butter
- 450g plain flour
Marzipan Filling:
- 100ml cream
- 150g marzipan (grated)
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
Cream Filling:
- 480ml whipping cream
- 50g icing sugar (plus extra for dusting)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Stir together the yeast and warm water until the yeast dissolves and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the egg (by hand or by beater) and slowly add the cardamom and sugar, set this aside as well.
In a saucepan at medium heat, melt the butter, when the butter has just started to simmer, add the milk and then take off the heat. Pour the milk and butter mixture into the bowl with the whisked sugar and egg, and stir until just combined. Then, add the yeast mix to the bowl. Slowly mix in the flour until the mix forms a dough (add more flour if needed to form a dough).
Knead the dough for around 7-10 minutes until smooth and springy. Form the dough into a ball, leave in the bowl, and cover it with plastic wrap to prove for around an hour (the dough should double in size).
After the dough has proved, divide it into between 10-14 equal pieces (depending on if you want them larger or smaller), and ensure the pieces are all round. Line 2-3 baking trays with baking paper, and place the dough pieces on the trays, make sure they aren’t too close to each other. Cover the trays with plastic wrap, and leave to sit for 50 minutes.
After the 50 minutes, preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas mark 5. Use the extra egg and use a clean baking brush (or paint brush if it is the only thing available, just make sure it is clean) and brush a small amount of egg onto each bun. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Leave to cool for 30 minutes
To make the marzipan filling: Slice the tops of the baked and cooled buns off, and scoop the breadcrumbs out of the bottom of the buns. Place these crumbs into a medium bowl, and grate in the marzipan, and add the almond extract and cream. Stir together until a well combined paste forms. Divide the paste into the buns, so the space where the breadcrumbs were is filled.
To make the cream filling: Place the whipping cream, icing sugar, and vanilla extract into a large bowl. Use a hand mixer and beat the mix until it can hold peaks. Add the cream to a piping bag with a star tip, and pipe the cream mixture into each bun by swirling it from the outside in. Set the tops of the buns onto the cream. If you wish, you can dust the buns with icing sugar.
ENJOY!
Boom Bakes 