Karlsbaderbullar - Karlsbader Buns with Pistachios

In Sweden we have many different types of "vetebröd", sweet wheat yeast breads that we roll and cut and curl into buns, wreaths, braids, twists - you name it. We fill and bake these breads with a number of varieties of fillings. The Vetebröd was according to custom the first treat to be consumed at the old fashioned coffee clatch. After partaking of it you could help yourself to the soft sponges, and then move on to the biscuits and shortbreads. The grand finale was the pride and joy of the host: the cake.

There is a picture of my mother in law that we sometimes chuckle at, where she's been captured half way through munching on a bun and in most likelyhood uttering her classic words "Oh, such delicious buns! How do you get them so moist? Mine are always so dry!"

Whereupon a discussion would follow about how lovely her wheat buns were! Recipes were exchanged and at the next coffee clatch a new filling or cake might make an appearance, to everyone's delight. 

Here it is my delight to present a recipe for a type of Karlsbader Bun that I tried the other day. What do you think?

Ingredients:

Dough:
50 g fresh yeast
150 g milk, room temperature
700 g plain flour
100 g sugar
15 g baking powder
5 g salt
200 g butter, at room temperature

Filling:
100 g pistachios (1.5 dl)
150 g almond paste
150 g butter, room temperature
8 g vanilla sugar
40 g sugar

Garnish:
egg
a glaze made of icing sugar+ water

Method:

For the dough: dissolve the yeast in the milk. Add the remaining ingredients except the butter, and work the dough for 5 minutes by machine. Then add the butter little by little. Work the dough another 10 minutes, until it is smooth and elastic.

Let it rest 15 minutes. Make the filling: Grind the pistachios. Mix the almond paste with the butter, adding the butter little by little. Add pistachios, sugar and vanilla, and mix thoroughly.

Then turn the dough out onto a work surface dusted with flour. Roll it out into a rectangle, Cut lengthwise and then cut each bit into smaller squares, 25-30 in total.

Place a teaspoon of filling on each square. Fold the corners into the middle. Start with one corner, then fold the one directly across. Press down slightly on the middle so that the flaps don't come loose when baking.

Place the buns into little paper cups. Let rise for an hour.

Brush each bun with some whisked egg. Sprinkle some pistachios over the top.

Bake on middle rack in a 225 C (440 F) oven, approximately 10-12 minutes, until golden. Let them cool. Make a glaze by mixing together icing sugar with a little water, and drizzle over each bun.