Nothing says Christmas quite like the smell of freshly baked soft Danish Christmas buns (juleboller).
These light, airy buns are full of flavour and the warmth of the season – perfect for Advent get-togethers, Christmas Day or a cold winter’s day. They are lovely on their own, but even better with butter, cheese or perhaps a layer of homemade jam.
This recipe for soft Christmas buns is easy to make and gives you buns that are as moist as they are beautiful. Enjoy them warm straight from the oven, or save them for Christmas breakfast the next morning.
With cardamom and cinnamon in the dough, they have a gentle taste of Christmas that suits the whole of December. Put on a pot of hot chocolate, coffee or tea, gather the family around the table and enjoy a cosy moment with these buns.
Christmas Day – cosy moments with warm Christmas buns
Christmas Day is one of the most relaxed days in December – the day the pace slows and cosiness takes centre stage. After a festive Christmas Eve, there is nothing better than gathering the family for a quiet breakfast or brunch with soft Christmas buns on the table. They are easy to make extra festive by adding raisins or chopped chocolate to the dough, which makes them a little sweeter and even more Christmassy.
Christmas Day is also the perfect time to enjoy a quiet moment with a good book, a film or simply the company of the people you care about. The buns fit right in – perhaps with a mug of hot chocolate, a cup of coffee or a spiced Christmas tea.
Christmas buns – perfect for a cold winter’s day
When the cold bites outside and the wind is howling, few things create cosiness like home-baked buns.
Soft Christmas buns are ideal for the cold winter days when you want to treat yourself and the family to something special. They are easy to bake, and the whole house fills with the scent of Christmas as they rise and bake.
Serve them with butter, or lift them with a little honey or homemade jam. If you have any left over from the day before, you can even toast them lightly in the oven or the toaster and serve them with a sprinkle of cinnamon for an extra wintry flavour.
The recipe for the best buns of the season
Soft Christmas buns are a classic that never disappoints. They are a wonderful combination of cosiness, flavour and nostalgia that suits any occasion in December.
Bake them for Advent, for brunch on Christmas Eve or for Christmas Day, and let them spread joy and Christmas spirit.
Soft Danish Christmas buns (juleboller)
Ingredients
- 500 g
plain flour
- 50 g
butter, at room temperature
- 250 ml
water, lukewarm
- 1
egg
- 25 g
fresh yeast
- 2 tbsp
sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp
ground cardamom
- 1 tsp
cloves, ground
- 1 tsp
salt
- 1 tbsp
flour, for kneading after the first rise
- 1
egg for glazing, beaten
-
Pearl sugar (nib sugar) and finely chopped hazelnuts, for topping
Method
- Dissolve the yeast in the water, then add the sugar and a little of the flour until the mixture has a porridge-like consistency.
- Add the salt, the Christmas spices and the egg, and stir them into the dough.
- Add the rest of the flour a little at a time, and finally the butter.
- Knead the dough thoroughly until it comes away from the sides of the bowl, ideally in a stand mixer, otherwise well by hand. The dough should be slightly sticky but still come away from the bowl.
- Cover the bowl with cling film and a tea towel and leave the dough to rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
- Turn the dough out of the bowl, knead it together briefly with a little flour, then divide it into 12 equal pieces of about 75 g each.
- Shape the buns into rounds without using too much flour – ideally none; the dough should stick slightly to your hands. If you like, tighten the dough by folding it under the bun until the top is smooth, then roll it gently between your palms – this gives you beautifully round buns.
- Place them on a baking tray and leave to prove for about 30 minutes.
- Brush with the beaten egg and sprinkle with pearl sugar and chopped hazelnuts.
- Bake for about 10 minutes at 225°C in a conventional oven (top and bottom heat) – or use the bake/steam programme if your oven has one.
- Leave the buns to cool on a wire rack before packing them in airtight bags.
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