Lussekatter in a Baking Pan

Put the flour, sugar, and salt in your mixing bowl and give it a quick stir. You can use a stand mixer with a dough hook or mix by hand.

Warm the milk to 25–30 °C, then take it off the heat and crumble in the yeast. Stir until the yeast dissolves. Add the saffron and stir until the milk turns a nice yellow colour. Let it cool down a bit.

Pour the milk mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and knead on low speed for 5–10 minutes — a bit longer if you're doing it by hand.

Cut the butter into cubes and add it to the dough a little at a time, kneading it in well. The butter shouldn't be straight from the fridge — it'll take much longer to work in if it's too cold.

Keep kneading for another 5 minutes until everything is well combined and the dough has a smooth, shiny surface. Cover and let it rise for about 45 minutes, or until doubled in size.

Turn the dough out onto the counter, knead it together briefly, then divide it into 16–18 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a round ball, then into a long sausage shape. Form each one into a lussekatt by curling each end in opposite directions.

Place the lussekatter in a baking-paper-lined small roasting pan (35 cm x 25 cm), leaving a little space between each one. Press a couple of raisins into each bun. Cover and let them rise in a warm spot for about 30 minutes.

Brush the buns with a beaten egg, then bake at 225 °C for 8–10 minutes, until they're a lovely golden colour.