Söderberg Bakery have been making Semlor buns with our Organic Number 4 flour, and very kindly agreed to share their recipe with us.  Traditionally eaten on Shrove Tuesday (Fat Tuesday), these buns are filled with whipped cream and almond paste and dusted with icing sugar. Best eaten as fresh as possible! Söderberg are a Scandinavian bakery, passionate about sourdough bread and traditional Swedish baking.  Established in 2007 in Scotland where they have an enthusiastic and loyal following, they have now 7 coffee shops in Edinburgh and 2 in London.

Makes 12 buns

Pre-Dough:

Additional Ingredients:

- Almond Paste

- Flaked almonds (slightly toasted)

- Whipped Cream

- Icing sugar for dusting

 Method

1. Mix all pre-dough ingredients well for 5 minutes then cover and rest for 30 minutes

2. Add all other ingredients to pre-dough and knead for 10mins till gluten is well developed

3.Cover and prove for 45mins in a warm place

4. Divide into 85g pieces and shape into small balls then place on a baking tray

5. Prove for about 1hr until the buns have double in size and are light to the touch

6. Bake for 12-15 minutes at 210°C until lightly golden in colour

7. Cut out triangle/pyramid shape from the top of the bun (& keep to the side)

8. Pipe in almond paste into the hole remaining in bun (~50g)

9. Sprinkle in some flaked almonds

10. Add a generous piping of whipped cream (swirl) on top of the almond paste

11. Add the dough pyramid back on top of the whipped cream to create a 'lid'

12. Finish off with a generous dusting of icing sugar

Semla buns are best eaten fresh for the ultimate texture and taste! However, if you would like to save some for another time, once the dough is shaped, raw dough can be put in an airtight container and frozen until needed. When wanting to bake, take out and allow to reach room temperature before baking.