NORWEGIAN SCHOOL BUNS “SKOLEBOLLER”

If you’ve never tried skoleboller before, you are missing out! You’ll find these in most Norwegian bakeries. They have a sweet cardemom dough (much like plain “boller”), but instead of making them round - you create a well in the centre, fill with a vanilla custard and coat the edge in icing sugar and dessicated coconut. Perfection!

Prep time: 2.3 - 3 hours (including rise)

Cook time: 16 mins

Serves 8

Ingredients

For the Tangzhong:

5tbsp milk
5tbsp water
3 tbsp flour

For the dough:

5tbsp butter (melted and cooled)
1/2 cup milk (luke warm)
2tsp instant yeast
1tsp cardamom
1tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar
3.5 cups plain flour
1 egg + 1 egg for the egg wash
Plus the Tangzhong (cooled)

For the vanilla custard:

2 large egg yolks
1 cup milk
1.5tbsp butter
1tbsp cornflour
2tbsp sugar
2tsp vanilla extract / vanilla sugar
Pinch of salt

For the topping:

1 cup icing sugar (powdered sugar)
4tbsp water
100g desiccated coconut

Method

Make the dough

1. Mix the ingredients for the tangzhong together on a low heat, stirring constantly until thickened - allow to cool.
2. In a bowl, mix together the dry ingredients - flour, sugar, salt, cardamom and yeast.
3. Add the wet ingredients - milk, butter, eggs and tangzhong (make sure nothing is piping hot!)
4. Mix together for 10 mins (15-20 if by hand) - if the dough is too sticky add some extra flour.
5. Leave to rise until doubled in size (60-90 mins).

Make the custard

6. Mix together all the ingredients (apart from the vanilla) in a saucepan over a medium heat - stirring constantly (3-5 mins)
7. Once thickened (thick enough to coat a spoon and it not drip off), add the vanilla.
8. Transfer to a bowl and cover with parchment / cling film to avoid a skin forming - leave to cool in the fridge.

Make the buns

9. Once the dough has doubled in size, knead for 3 mins to knock some of the air out, and divide into 8 portions
10. Roll the dough into balls, and create a well in the middle for the custard to go into.
11. Use a piping bag or spoon to fill each bun with the custard.
12. Leave to rise for 30 mins until visibly bigger. preheat your oven to 175 C at this point.
13. Brush each bun with egg wash, and bake for 16 mins until golden brown - leave the buns to cool slightly.

Make the topping

14. Mix together the icing sugar and water - it’s best to judge by eye how much water to add, the icing should be thin enough to coat the buns but not too thick
15. Place the icing sugar and coconut into bowls wide enough to dip your buns into
16. Once the buns have cooled, dip the edges of each bun with the icing sugar, and use this to stick the desiccated coconut to them