Blueberry buns (mustikkapiiraat)

Berries herald the arrival of summer in Finland, and the fruits of the northern forests include lingonberries, cloudberries, and bilberries, which are wild blueberries, often used to make the famous mustikkapiirakka (Finnish blueberry pie). These buns are similar to the pie, but are often eaten for breakfast with coffee. The sticky blueberry topping oozes over the dough, which is dotted with raisins and laced with cardamom – a popular spice in baked treats throughout the Nordic countries.

Credit: Brett Stevens

• makes

  6

• prep

  30 minutes

• cook

  20 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 7 g sachet dried yeast
• 100 ml lukewarm milk
• 350 g (2⅓ cup) plain flour, sifted
• 55 g (¼ cup) caster sugar
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• 2 eggs
• 50 g unsalted butter, melted
• 75 g (⅓ cup) raisins

Blueberry topping

• 125 g blueberries
• 2 tsp cornflour
• 2 tbsp caster sugar

Resting time 2 hours 50 minutes

Instructions

To make blueberry topping, combine all ingredients in a bowl with 2 tsp water and set aside.

Combine yeast and milk in a bowl and set aside in a warm, draught-free place for 10 minutes.

Place flour, caster sugar and cardamom in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Make a well in the centre and add 1 egg, melted butter and yeast mixture and stir to combine. Knead for 6 minutes or until mixture is smooth and not sticky.

Transfer dough to a greased bowl and cover with greased plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm, draught-free place for 2 hours or until doubled in size. Add raisins to dough and knead evenly to combine.

Preheat oven to 180°C. Evenly divide dough into 6 pieces and roll into balls. Place on an oven tray lined with baking paper and set aside in a warm, draught-free place for a further 40 minutes to rest.

Make a wide indent in the centre of each bun and fill with blueberry topping. Lightly beat remaining egg and brush over buns. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden. Serve warm.

 

Photography Brett Stevens

As seen in Feast magazine, February 2014, Issue 28. For more recipes and articles, pick up a copy of this month's Feast magazine or check out our great subscriptions offers here.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.