Jessica Petreshi's "Semla"
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The name of semla derives from the Latin word simila, which means fine white flour. Back in the days, fine milled white wheat flour was considered a luxury.
The tradition of eating “semla” or fastlagsbulle in Sweden began in the 16th century. At that time, Sweden was a Catholic country and every year between Christmas and Easter there was a forty-day-long fast. The first Tuesday before the long period of fasting was marked as the day to stock up energy levels. The exact date of this day varies; at the earliest on February 3rd and at the latest on March 9th. In France, it’s called Mardi gras, in England Shrove Tuesday, in Germany Faschingsdienstag – in Sweden we call it Fettisdag.
Nowadays, the Catholic fasting days in Sweden are long gone but the semla or fastlagsbulle has remained as an highly anticipated treat (and a great extra revenue for the bakeries between the holidays) when the long and dreary winter seems never-ending.
The wheat buns
45 pieces
Ingredients
- 500 g water
- 1250 g flour
- 5 g salt
- 7,5 g coarsely ground cardamom
- 200 g sugar
- 200 g room temperature butter
- 75 g yeast for sweet dough (red yeast)
Preparation
- Crumble the yeast in water. Add sugar and mix in flour and room temperature butter. Mix everything into a smooth dough. Add salt and cardamom.
- Continue kneading until you have a nice stretchy and glossy dough. Preferably use a dough mixer if you have one.
- Feel free to do a gluten test by rolling up a small ball of the dough and then try to divide into two without it breaking. The gluten is strong enough when you obtain an elastic texture.
- Once the dough is ready, divide it into 45 evenly sized rolled buns (approx. 50 g each).
- Put them on a baking sheet under a baking cloth and let the rolled buns rise for 30 minutes at room temperature.
- Once risen, bake them at 230-250°C for 5-8 minutes.
- Let the buns cool down to room temperature before mounting them into semlas.
The almond filling
Ingredients
- 1000 g almond paste, store bought or home-made
- 85 g roasted almonds, with skins
- 250 g home-made custard
- 120 g water
- 10 g coarsely ground cardamom
Preparation
- Mix the almond paste with water and custard into a smooth paste in a food processor.
- Blend in the roasted almonds and the cardamom to obtain a smooth but textures paste.
The whipped cream
Ingredients
- 1,5 l heavy cream (40% fat)
- 60 g vanilla sugar
Preparation
- Whip the cream with vanilla sugar on the highest speed to get it really airy and fluffy.
- Make sure that the cream is thick enough to pipe the cream on to the bun, but light enough to be silky and palatable in the mouth.
Assembling the “Semla”
- Cut off the very tops of the buns and put them aside.
- Pipe the almond filling onto the button half of the bun.
- Pipe the cream on top of the almond filling.
- Place the thinly cut tops as a lid on top of the cream.
- Powder the assembled semla with some icing sugar.
Done & Enjoy !
Jessica & Ari
Borgeby Stenugnsbageri & kafé
Desideriavägen 18, Borgeby
Telefon: 046-29 10 70
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