Norwegian Vanilla Coconut Sweet Buns Skoleboller Recipes

NORWEGIAN VANILLA CUSTARD BUNS (SKOLEBOLLER OR SKOLEBRøD)

Steps:

• Make the Tangzhong: Combine water, milk and flour in a medium saucepan. Whisk until combined and no lumps remain. Place saucepan over medium heat and cook mixture, whisking constantly, until it thickens, about 1-2 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• Make the Dough: While the tangzhong is cooling, begin preparing the rest of the ingredients for the dough. Combine yeast, cardamom (if using), salt, sugar and flour in the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk briefly by hand to combine.
• Attach the dough hook to the mixer. Add melted and cooled butter, milk, egg and the cooled tangzhong (it can be slightly warm to the touch) to the dry ingredients. Mix on medium low until fully combined.
• Increase mixer speed to medium and knead mixture for 3-4 minutes or until dough is slightly tacky but not sticky and clears the side of the bowl. It's okay if it's sticking to the bottom of the bowl slightly. Add an extra tablespoon of flour as necessary if your dough seems too sticky. You can also mix and knead the dough by hand but it will take longer, more like 8-10 minutes.
• Cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise for an hour to an hour and a half or until 1 ½ or 2 times its original size. The time will largely depend on the temperature of your kitchen.
• Meanwhile, make the Vanilla Custard Filling. Whisk egg yolks, butter, cornstarch, half and half, sugar and salt together in a medium saucepan. Place pan over medium low heat and whisk constantly until mixture is smooth and thick, about 3-5 minutes. Strain mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl. Stir in vanilla. Place a piece of parchment paper directly on top of the pastry cream, followed by a layer of plastic wrap (this prevents the custard from forming a skin). Refrigerate until you are ready to use. (The Vanilla Custard Filling can be made 1-2 days in advance.)
• Once the dough has risen, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the bowl and place it onto a clean, unfloured countertop. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough until it is about half an inch thick. Cut circles out of the dough using a 3 inch biscuit cutter. Place the buns on the prepared baking sheets leaving 2 inches of space between each bun. Cover and let the buns rise for 30 minutes at room temperature. (Feel free to gather the scraps and roll them a second time to cut out more buns).
• Using your thumb and fingers, create a defined well in the center of each bun. Fill each well with a heaping teaspoon of Vanilla Custard Filling.
• Whisk the egg and water together for the egg wash. Brush the outside of each bun with the egg wash, taking care to avoid the custard center. Transfer buns to the oven and bake until golden brown, rotating the pans halfway through, about 18 minutes. Remove the buns from the oven and allow them to cool to room temperature.
• Meanwhile, make the Icing. Whisk all ingredients together in a medium bowl until smooth. Drizzle the icing on each bun and sprinkle with coconut if desired. Serve.

NORWEGIAN VANILLA & COCONUT SWEET BUNS {SKOLEBOLLER}

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of the flour (reserve the other 2 1/2 cups of flour), the yeast, the granulated sugar, cardamon, and the salt in a bowl. Mix to combine.
• In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave the milk and butter for 30 seconds until the milk is warm and the butter is mostly melted. The mixture should be warm (100-110 degrees F) but not hot. If the mixture is too hot, it will kill the yeast and prevent your dough from rising. You can also do this in a saucepan on the stovetop.
• Add the warm milk and butter to the flour mixture. And then add 1 egg (the other egg will be used as an egg wash for the rolls). Beat on low speed, gradually increasing to high until thoroughly combined. Scrape down the bowl and add 2 1/2 more cups of flour, a little at a time, until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl and form a ball.
• Using your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, knead at a low speed for about 10 minutes until smooth, and you can stretch a piece of dough out between your fingers without it breaking. This is called the windowpane test, and it determines if the gluten has sufficiently developed. You can also knead the dough by hand on a well-floured surface, but it might take a bit longer.
• Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and place the bowl in a warm location. Let the dough rise until it has doubled in size, about an hour. If using regular yeast, it could take 2 hours to rise.
• When the dough is ready, transfer it to a floured surface and knead it for about 2-3 minutes. Divide the dough into 10 equal pieces and then, using your hands, roll each piece into a ball. Place the balls onto a parchment-lined or buttered large baking sheet leaving space between the balls for the dough to rise (like you're making cookies).
• Cover and let rise for 45 minutes.
• Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Use your thumb to create a dip in the center of the top of each roll. Fill each with 1-2 teaspoons of vanilla pastry cream. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining egg to make an egg wash. And then, brush the tops of each roll with the egg wash, avoiding the custard center.
• Bake each sweet bun until the rolls are cooked through, and the tops are golden brown, about 15-18 minutes. And then let the buns cool on a wire rack before frosting.
• Once the rolls are cooled to room temperature, spoon the tops with the vanilla icing and then sprinkle with coconut. Again, avoid the custard area. Serve immediately.
• While the rolls are rising, make the vanilla custard. To start, take 1 1/2 tablespoons of the milk and whisk it together with the cornstarch in a small bowl. Add the egg and whisk until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
• Add the remaining milk, the cream, and the sugar to a small saucepan. Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape out then the seeds with a knife or spoon. Add the seeds to the milk mixture and warm over medium heat to a simmer (don't boil).
• Remove the milk mixture from the heat and slowly whisk it into the egg mixture. Go slow and keep whisking the entire time - you don't want to scramble the eggs!
• Once it's combined, strain the mixture back into the saucepan through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any lumps. And then return the pan to the stove and bring it to a simmer.
• Simmer the mxiture, while continuing to stir it, until it thickens, about 5 minutes. Don't boil it. Once done, spoon the pastry cream into a small bowl and let cool before using.
• Whisk together the confectioners' sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until you get a thick glaze that you can easily spoon on top of the rolls. If it's too thick, add a tad more milk. If it's too thin, add a bit more sugar.
• Set aside until ready to use.