walnut & coffee semlor
cardamom brioche buns, walnut & coffee filling, honey cream
semlor (plural of semla) are traditional swedish buns that pop up in bakeries for the month of feburary (between shrove tuesday and easter)
i’ve gone for a baklava-inspired filling with walnuts, coffee & honey instead of the traditional almond paste
adapted from the very clever nicola lamb’s recipe
yields four
ingredients
buns
infused milk
125g soy milk
1 tsp instant coffee
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp vanilla paste
tangzhong
8g plain flour
1 tsp ground cardamom
43g infused milk
dough
118g plain flour
2g instant yeast
23g caster sugar
2g salt
30g infused milk
1 egg (half for the dough, half for the eggwash)
32g butter, softened
coffee walnut filling
10g butter
50g walnuts, crushed into small pieces
25g caster sugar
25g honey
0.5 tsp cinnamon
0.5 tsp ground cardamom
generous pinch salt
about 20g infused milk, to taste
2 tsp instant coffee
assembly
150mL thickened cream
1 tsp honey
1 tsp vanilla paste
powdered sugar, to dust
method
buns
infused milk
start one day prior by stirring together the soy milk (125g), instant coffee (1 tsp), cardamom (1 tsp), and vanilla paste (1 tsp)
warm the milk mixture in the microwave or on the stovetop until just steaming
cover and transfer to the fridge to infuse overnight
tangzhong
whisk together the flour (8g), cardamom (1 tsp), and infused milk (43g) in a saucepan off the heat
heat over medium heat, whisking constantly until thickened
transfer to a large bowl and let cool
dough
add the flour (118g), yeast (2g), sugar (23g), salt (2g), infused milk (30g), and half the egg (save the rest for the egg wash!) to the stand mixer bowl with the tangzhong
knead for 6-8 minutes on medium speed to form a smooth-ish dough
slowly add the softened butter (32g), kneading in between to form a soft, supple dough that ideally passes the windowpane test (about 10 minutes)
shape into a ball, transfer it back to the bowl, cover and let rise for one hour (or transfer to the fridge to proof overnight)
turn your proofed dough out onto the counter and shape into four small buns
transfer to a lined baking tray and cover lightly with plastic wrap
let rise for 1-2 hours until very puffy
preheat the oven to 175°C
brush each bun gently with the remaining egg (diluted with a little milk if needed)
bake for 11-12 minutes until golden all over
let cool completely before filling
cut a small triangle off the top of each bun and dust this triangle with icing sugar
scoop out some of the inside of the bun
coffee walnut filling
add the butter (10g) and crushed walnuts (50g) to a pan over medium heat and toast until golden brown and fragrant
let cool slightly, then transfer to a food processer and add the sugar (25g), honey (25g), cinnamon (0.5 tsp), cardamom (0.5 tsp), and a generous pinch of salt
blitz to form a paste
in a separate jug, warm together the infused milk (about 20mL) and instant coffee (2 tsp)
pour in a small amount of the coffee milk, mixing in between until you reach your desired gooey consistency
assembly
whip the cream (150mL) to soft peaks, stir through the honey (1 tsp) and vanilla (1 tsp), and transfer to a piping bag with a star piping tip
spoon a quarter of the coffee walnut filling into each bun
pipe a generous amount of whipped cream into each bun
place the bun ‘hats’ back on top and serve immediately!
