Semla (Swedish Bun)

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recipe by Kenwood https://kenwoodworld.com/

  • Time icon
    Total Time
    2hrs 10mins
  • Serves icon
    Serves
    12
  • Calories icon
    Calories
    652

This Swedish bun, also known as Semla or Semlor (plural), is a soft, buttery cardamom bun filled with sweet, whipped cream. Other variants have them filled with almond paste, fruit jam, chocolate, or pastry cream. You can freeze the reserved bread filling and use it for breadcrumbs, croutons or puddings. The buns can be stored in the fridge for up to two days.

recipe updated 9 May 2025

Ingredients

  • Unsalted butter icon
    Unsalted butter
    100 g
  • Milk icon
    Milk
    300 g
  • Egg icon
    Egg
    1
  • Dried yeast icon
    Dried yeast
    14 g
  • Caster sugar icon
    Caster sugar
    90 g
  • Egg icon
    Egg
    1
  • Ground cardamom icon
    Ground cardamom
    2 teaspoons
  • Strong white bread flour icon
    Strong white bread flour
    540 g
  • Salt icon
    Salt
    ½ teaspoon
  • Thickened cream icon
    Thickened cream
    1 kg
  • Icing sugar icon
    Icing sugar
    100 g
  • Vanilla extract icon
    Vanilla extract
    2 teaspoons
  • Icing sugar icon
    Icing sugar
    as needed

Tools

  • kCook icon Oven
  • kCook icon Kmix
  • kCook icon Medium bowl
  • kCook icon Piping bag
  • kCook icon Jug
  • kCook icon Baking tray - large

Step preview

  1. Making the dough:
  2. Add the ingredients into a jug and mix together
  3. Then add the next ingredients and mix until dissolved
  4. Let rest - 5 minutes
  5. Fit the Dough Tool
  6. Add the ingredients into the appliance bowl
  7. Then add the milk mixture while the machine is running
  8. Knead until combined - 2 minutes, speed Min
  9. Knead until a dough has formed - 2 minutes, speed 1
  10. Knead until the dough comes together into a ball - 2 minutes, speed 2
  11. Transfer the dough into a greased bowl and cover with a damp tea towel
  12. Prove until doubled in size - 30 minutes
  13. Grease baking trays and line with parchment paper
  14. Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and knead lightly
  15. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces
  16. Shape each piece into a bun
  17. Place the shaped dough onto the baking trays and cover with a damp kitchen towel
  18. Prove until doubled in size - 30 minutes
  19. Preheat the oven - 220ºC
  20. Brush the buns with beaten egg lightly
  21. Bake until golden brown, turning the trays halfway through baking to achieve an even colour - 8-10 minutes, 220ºC
  22. Remove from the oven and let cool completely
  23. Making the cream filling:
  24. Clean the appliance bowl and fit the Whisk Tool
  25. Add the ingredients into the appliance bowl
  26. Whisk until soft peaks formed - 1 minute, speed Max
  27. Transfer the cream into a piping bag fitted with an open star tip
  28. Carefully cut the top of each bun, keeping the tops
  29. Scoop a few spoonfuls of the centre of each bun and reserve the bread filling
  30. Pipe the cream into the centre of each bun until full
  31. Pipe a swirl of cream around the edge of each bun
  32. Then pipe a slightly smaller swirl of cream on top
  33. Place the bun lid on top
  34. Dust with icing sugar
  35. Serve
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